mactel-support team mailing list archive

[Mario Schwalbe <schwalbe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

With respect to nvidia_bl (the output looks like a recent version), the
driver works and believes it updated the register (it suceeded). But
there's no guarantee that the Nvidia chip's output signals to control
brightness are actually connected to the display at all. Since your
machine incorporates 2 graphics adapters, you at first have to figure
out which one is responsible. I'd guess it's the Intel one. However,
there's a slight chance that the driver has to enable some bits in the
register. But unfortunately, there's no documentation available.

-- 
nvidia-bl-dkms 0.16.5: Cannot adjust backlight on Sony Vaio / GT330M [Karmic]
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/545698
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Support, which is the registrant for Mactel Support.

Status in Mactel Support: New

Bug description:
I'm not sure if this is a bug or just there is no support yet for my system.
I have a Sony Vaio Z1190, Core i7, Hybrid graphics Intel Arrandale/nVidia GT 330M.  I am running Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic AMD64, kernel version 2.6.31-20-generic, nVidia drivers 195.36.15.

lspci -vv output:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Device 0a2b (rev a2)
	Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device 905a
	Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
	Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
	Latency: 0
	Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 16
	Region 0: Memory at b2000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
	Region 1: Memory at a0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
	Region 3: Memory at b0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
	Region 5: I/O ports at 6000 [size=128]
	[virtual] Expansion ROM at b3080000 [disabled] [size=512K]
	Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
		Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
		Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
	Capabilities: [68] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-
		Address: 0000000000000000  Data: 0000
	Capabilities: [78] Express (v2) Endpoint, MSI 00
		DevCap:	MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s unlimited, L1 <64us
			ExtTag+ AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset-
		DevCtl:	Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
			RlxdOrd+ ExtTag+ PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+
			MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes
		DevSta:	CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr- TransPend-
		LnkCap:	Port #0, Speed 5GT/s, Width x16, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <256ns, L1 <4us
			ClockPM+ Suprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
		LnkCtl:	ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 128 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+
			ExtSynch- ClockPM+ AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
		LnkSta:	Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x16, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
	Capabilities: [b4] Vendor Specific Information <?>
	Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel <?>
	Capabilities: [128] Power Budgeting <?>
	Capabilities: [600] Vendor Specific Information <?>
	Kernel driver in use: nvidia
	Kernel modules: nvidia, nvidiafb

I try booting 'noapic acpi_backlight=vendor', unload or blacklist the sony-laptop module (which also fails to adjust the backlight, ditto the acpi video module, additionally I have tried to add the "EnableBrightnessControl=1" to Xorg.org), then when I adjust the backlight either via keyboard or directly with /sys/class/backlight/nvidia_backlight/brightness, the system believes it has made the change but no effect is seen.

Here is the effect to the kernel of nvidia-bl running 'debug=1' and changing backlight to 0:
gabe@vaio:/sys/class/backlight/nvidia-backlight$ dmesg|grep nvidia
[    6.442172] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
[    6.708785] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: power state changed by ACPI to D0
[    6.708802] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[    6.708811] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[  103.380870] nvidia_bl: Nvidia graphics adapter 10de:0a2b (104d:905a) detected
[  103.380876] nvidia_bl: using BAR #0 at 0xb2000000, smartdimmer at 0xb261c084
[  103.381004] nvidia_bl: register mask: 0x000007ff
[  103.381008] nvidia_bl: setting brightness to 2047
[  103.381010] nvidia_bl: register write: 0x800007ff
[  181.310867] nvidia_bl: setting brightness to 0
[  181.310872] nvidia_bl: register write: 0x80000000
[  212.364832] nvidia_bl: register read: 0x00000000
[  212.364837] nvidia_bl: read brightness of 0

Please let me know if there is any more info that could help you to help me out.  Thanks!