Non-functioning FN key on Sony Vaio

[Chris_Rutland]

Hi,
Have downloaded and installed Ubuntu 12.04 on my Vaio VGN-FJ3S/W. Everything is great except the FN key controlling the sound keys (F2, F3 and F4) and brightness keys (F5, F6) doesn't work.
Have tried changing <GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""> to <GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_backlight=vendor"> and then GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi=Linux > and after that <GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi=linux> but nothing works!
Suggestions welcome
Thanks

[Toz]

Hello and welcome to the forums.

Can we see some more detailed information about your system? Open a terminal window, run the following commands, and post back the results:

1. Your dmesg log file:

pastebinit /var/log/dmesg

...and post back the link that is generated. If you get a message that pastebinit isn't installed, run:

sudo apt-get install pastebinit

...to install it.

2. Info about your video and audio devices:

lspci -k | grep -iA2 -e VGA -e Audio

3. Your active backlight interfaces:

for i in /sys/class/backlight/*; do echo $i;cat $i/brightness;cat $i/max_brightness;done

4. What actual functions are the F2, F3, F4, F5 and F6 keys supposed to perform? (i.e. which one is for brightness up, brightness sound, volume up, etc).

[Chris_Rutland]

Thanks for your help.
Hope this works: http://paste.ubuntu.com/6543016/plain/

Audio:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device 81f1
Kernel driver in use: i915
--
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device 81f1
Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel

Backlight:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device 81f1
Kernel driver in use: i915
--
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 03)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device 81f1
Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
chrisrutland@chrisrutland-VGN-FJ3S-W:~$ ^C
chrisrutland@chrisrutland-VGN-FJ3S-W:~$
chrisrutland@chrisrutland-VGN-FJ3S-W:~$
chrisrutland@chrisrutland-VGN-FJ3S-W:~$ for i in /sys/class/backlight/*; do echo $i;cat $i/brightness;cat $i/max_brightness;done
/sys/class/backlight/sony
7
7

F2 is mute, F3 is audio down, F4 is audio up, F5 is brightness down, F6 is brightness up.

Thanks.

[Toz]

Are you able to change the brightness using the brightness slider?

Can you run the following command in a terminal window:

xev | grep -A2 --line-buffered '^KeyRelease' | sed -n '/keycode /s/^.*keycode \([0-9]*\).* (.*, \(.*\)).*$/\1 \2/p'

...then press the following keys/combination in this order:

Fn+F2
Enter
Fn+F3
Enter
Fn+F4
Enter
Fn+F5
Enter
Fn+F6
Enter

Then close the "Event Tester" window that opened and paste back the results that displayed in the terminal window. Lets see if the keys are being recognized and how.

[Chris_Rutland]

Brightness slider works perfectly.

The 2nd bit returned the following results:

36 Return
36 Return
36 Return
36 Return
36 Return
36 Return

[Toz]

Either the keys are not being recognized or they are being handled by the bios. Can you post back your list of modules:

lsmod

...you must have a sony-specific one there. Lets have a closer look at it.

Also, can you go to the first tty (Ctr+Alt+F1), log in to the text console there and run:

showkey

...and press the Fn+F keys again and see if they are being registered (text will appear on-screen when you press them if they are being registered).

I tried to have a second look at your dmesg file, but it doesn't appear to be available anymore. Can you post it again?

One more thing, are there any settings in your bios about the function keys? Perhaps some way to handle them, etc.

[Chris_Rutland]

lsmod:

Module Size Used by
hid_generic 12484 0
usbhid 46125 0
hid 87362 2 hid_generic,usbhid
arc4 12509 2
lib80211_crypt_wep 12746 1
bnep 17852 2
rfcomm 38400 0
bluetooth 211552 10 bnep,rfcomm
parport_pc 27612 0
ppdev 12849 0
snd_hda_codec_realtek 65042 1
gspca_vc032x 31446 0
gspca_main 27978 1 gspca_vc032x
videodev 96131 2 gspca_vc032x,gspca_main
snd_hda_intel 38819 3
snd_hda_codec 118650 2 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep 13276 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 85934 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec
snd_seq_midi 13132 0
i915 550464 3
snd_rawmidi 25157 1 snd_seq_midi
ipw2200 142022 0
snd_seq_midi_event 14475 1 snd_seq_midi
joydev 17329 0
libipw 33469 1 ipw2200
snd_seq 51593 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
tifm_sd 17526 0
drm_kms_helper 47749 1 i915
snd_timer 28931 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
drm 233935 4 i915,drm_kms_helper
snd_seq_device 14137 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
tifm_7xx1 12944 0
pcmcia 39854 0
microcode 18433 0
tifm_core 15068 2 tifm_sd,tifm_7xx1
cfg80211 453919 2 ipw2200,libipw
snd 57014 15 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec, snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,sn d_seq_device
yenta_socket 27427 0
soundcore 12600 1 snd
psmouse 82769 0
i2c_algo_bit 13316 1 i915
pcmcia_rsrc 18367 1 yenta_socket
snd_page_alloc 18398 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
serio_raw 13031 0
lpc_ich 17048 0
pcmcia_core 21511 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,pcmcia_rsrc
lib80211 14040 3 lib80211_crypt_wep,ipw2200,libipw
sony_laptop 44993 0
video 19116 1 i915
mac_hid 13077 0
lp 17455 0
parport 40930 3 parport_pc,ppdev,lp
firewire_ohci 35914 0
firewire_core 62086 1 firewire_ohci
crc_itu_t 12627 1 firewire_core
8139too 27407 0
8139cp 26687 0

Unfortunately Showkey doesn't register anything.

My dmesg log again:
http://paste.ubuntu.com/6545614/

Thanks for your help

[Chris_Rutland]

Just had a look on PhoenixBios Setup Utility but apart from the hotkey event code under the Advanced tab (afraid I don't know what it does though) I don't think it looks encouraging unfortunately.

There are tabs for Main (Bios Version, System Details etc)
Advanced (Drives, Network Boot, Hotkey Event Code: [type1])
Security: Various Passwords
Boot (Optical Drive, Hard disk Drive, Floppy Disk Drive, Network)
Exit

[Toz]

Just had a look on PhoenixBios Setup Utility but apart from the hotkey event code under the Advanced tab (afraid I don't know what it does though) I don't think it looks encouraging unfortunately.

There are tabs for Main (Bios Version, System Details etc)
Advanced (Drives, Network Boot, Hotkey Event Code: [type1])
Security: Various Passwords
Boot (Optical Drive, Hard disk Drive, Floppy Disk Drive, Network)
Exit

What are the available options for "Hotkey Event Code"?

[Chris_Rutland]

Hi again,

Type1
Type2
Type3

Thanks