Linux backlight driver

[Zem]

Originally Posted by damdim

Yes, it's exactly the same problem. Without desktop effects it happens only in fullscreen flash videos, with desktop effects it happens in every 3d app or playing a video with vdpau.

Well, it isn't exactly like this for me.
It happens when:

Desktop effects enabled:

1. *any* application goes fullscreen
2. a fullscreen application exits from fullscreen
3. I lock the screen
4. I play a video using VDPAU
5. I close a video that was playing with VDPAU
6. I launch a 3D application

Desktop effects disabled:

1. I play a video using VDPAU
2. I close a video that was playing with VDPAU
3. fullscreen flash video

[xificurk]

@Zem: Do you use KDE4? If so, try switching between opengl and xrender backend for desktop effects. I've experienced a similar behaviour on my Vostro 3700, but it seems it went away after switching to xrender backend.

[Zem]

Originally Posted by xificurk

@Zem: Do you use KDE4? If so, try switching between opengl and xrender backend for desktop effects. I've experienced a similar behaviour on my Vostro 3700, but it seems it went away after switching to xrender backend.

Thanks. Yes, I use KDE 4.
Switching to xrender has the same effect as disabling desktop effects, with regard to this problem; however, at least on my pc, xrender is considerably slower than opengl.

Maybe I should mention that I didn't have this problem on Kubuntu 10.04 on the same pc (I was using an older version of nvidia_bl). Maybe this is a problem with recent versions of nvidia drivers? I'm using the latest drivers from ubuntu-x-swat ppa.

[guillaumezin]

Hello,

0.61 version introduces a new autodetection mechanism. It should enhance new hardware support but it could break things so feedback is welcome.

If someone could help, I would be curious to have the output of the command

dmesg | grep nvidiabl

of the new versions of the driver on non-laptop equipped with Nvidia GPU (Nvidia GPU but no backlight). I might be able to understand how to autodetect backlight and load driver automatically without having to maintain a laptop list, it would be great.

Guillaume

[theone123]

Your driver doesn't work on my notebook since version 0.61. I'm on Ubuntu 10.10 with the most recent updates and the newest nvidia driver, I always got a message like: "Unable to inserting nvidiabl......nvidia.ko" or something like this when i was trying to load the module. I doesn't know the exact error cause I'm now back on 0.60.

My notebook is an: Sony Vaio VPCCW1S1E

[guillaumezin]

Please try the last version (0.67) and if it doesn't work, post the output of

sudo modprobe -r nvidiabl
sudo modprobe nvidiabl
tail -20 /var/log/messages

Thank you.

Guillaume

[lonestar_italy]

The biggest issue is I have to previously "rmmod sony-laptop" on my Vaio VPCCW1, for nvidiabl to work.

Seems like there is a sort of priority in how udev/upower see backlight devices, and they always use /sys/class/backlight/sony when it's present, instead of /sys/class/backlight/nvidia_backlight

Unfortunately sony-laptop does other things besides (trying to) handle backlight on a Sony, and keeping it blacklisted is a bad option. I haven't found any option to disable its backlight handling functions either

Is there any way to have both modules loaded at same time and KDE4 pick the correct backlight interface?
I had found a solution with hal by means of a configuration in /etc/hal/fdi/policy, but this is no longer possible with udev/upower.

[damdim]

Originally Posted by lonestar_italy

The biggest issue is I have to previously "rmmod sony-laptop" on my Vaio VPCCW1, for nvidiabl to work.

Seems like there is a sort of priority in how udev/upower see backlight devices, and they always use /sys/class/backlight/sony when it's present, instead of /sys/class/backlight/nvidia_backlight

Unfortunately sony-laptop does other things besides (trying to) handle backlight on a Sony, and keeping it blacklisted is a bad option. I haven't found any option to disable its backlight handling functions either

Is there any way to have both modules loaded at same time and KDE4 pick the correct backlight interface?
I had found a solution with hal by means of a configuration in /etc/hal/fdi/policy, but this is no longer possible with udev/upower.

The only solution I have found is to recompile kdebase-workspace after editing powerdevil/daemon/backends/upower/backlighthelper.cpp. Find the section:

interfaces << "nv_backlight" << "asus_laptop" << "toshiba"
               << "eeepc" << "thinkpad_screen" << "acpi_video0"
               << "mbp_backlight" << "acpi_video1"
               << "fujitsu-laptop" << "sony" << "samsung"
               << "nvidia_backlight";

and move "nvidia_backlight" anywhere before "sony".

In this bug report https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=257948 I have asked the maintainer to change the order in the original code, but he hasn't answered yet.

[lonestar_italy]

Originally Posted by damdim

In this bug report https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=257948 I have asked the maintainer to change the order in the original code, but he hasn't answered yet.

I have added my support to your request, hoping someone will take it into consideration, even if the bug is already marked as solved and closed

I guess I will also have to apply your patch to my installation, thanks for sharing it!

[guillaumezin]

Originally Posted by lonestar_italy

I have added my support to your request, hoping someone will take it into consideration, even if the bug is already marked as solved and closed

I guess I will also have to apply your patch to my installation, thanks for sharing it!

I can still move from /sys/class/backlight/nvidia_backlight to /sys/class/backlight/nv_backlight which is first in the list if KDE team doesn't change the order, but it might break things for those who use scripts that access to the backlight. Let's wait a bit and see if damdim's patch is integrated.

Guillaume

[lonestar_italy]

Originally Posted by guillaumezin

I can still move from /sys/class/backlight/nvidia_backlight to /sys/class/backlight/nv_backlight which is first in the list if KDE team doesn't change the order, but it might break things for those who use scripts that access to the backlight. Let's wait a bit and see if damdim's patch is integrated.

Yes, they answered that the fix has been committed and will be in KDE 4.6.1 :-)

[Scoup]

Hi,

I'm with trouble with changing back of default brightness.
Im using ubuntu 10.10 2.6.35-25-generic, sony vaio cw23fx (310M) NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-256.53.

$ dmesg | grep nvidiabl
[  236.507357] nvidiabl: loading driver version 0.67
[  236.507362] nvidiabl: Sony Corporation - VPCCW2 model detected in DMI tables
[  236.507369] nvidiabl: Supported Nvidia graphics adapter 10de:0a75:104d:9072 detected
[  236.507451] nvidiabl: backup register value 0x4001fd82
[  236.507452] nvidiabl: autodetecting maximum
[  236.507453] nvidiabl: using value 0x1fd82 as maximum
[  236.507455] nvidiabl: autodetecting off
[  236.507456] nvidiabl: using value 0x0 as off
[  236.507457] nvidiabl: autodetecting minimum
[  236.507459] nvidiabl: minimum is 5% of maximum
[  236.507460] nvidiabl: using value 0x63 as minimum
[ 2108.813112] nvidiabl: restore register value 0x4001fd82
[ 2123.766032] nvidiabl: loading driver version 0.67
[ 2123.766038] nvidiabl: Sony Corporation - VPCCW2 model detected in DMI tables
[ 2123.766046] nvidiabl: Supported Nvidia graphics adapter 10de:0a75:104d:9072 detected
[ 2123.766243] nvidiabl: backup register value 0x4001fd82
[ 2123.766246] nvidiabl: autodetecting maximum
[ 2123.766248] nvidiabl: using value 0x1fd82 as maximum
[ 2123.766250] nvidiabl: autodetecting off
[ 2123.766252] nvidiabl: using value 0x0 as off
[ 2123.766254] nvidiabl: autodetecting minimum
[ 2123.766256] nvidiabl: minimum is 5% of maximum
[ 2123.766258] nvidiabl: using value 0x63 as minimum
[ 4564.193056] nvidiabl: restore register value 0x4001fd82
[ 4588.349821] nvidiabl: loading driver version 0.67
[ 4588.349828] nvidiabl: Sony Corporation - VPCCW2 model detected in DMI tables
[ 4588.349836] nvidiabl: Supported Nvidia graphics adapter 10de:0a75:104d:9072 detected
[ 4588.349944] nvidiabl: backup register value 0x4001fd82
[ 4588.349946] nvidiabl: autodetecting maximum
[ 4588.349948] nvidiabl: using value 0x1fd82 as maximum
[ 4588.349950] nvidiabl: autodetecting off
[ 4588.349951] nvidiabl: using value 0x0 as off
[ 4588.349953] nvidiabl: autodetecting minimum
[ 4588.349956] nvidiabl: minimum is 5% of maximum
[ 4588.349958] nvidiabl: using value 0x63 as minimum