MacBook(Pro) with Nvidia graphics adapter display backlight fix call for testing

[Nikos.Alexandris]

last night a got an idea. we should also check the following:

1. load the module with debug=1, after the system is up.
2. put a marker in you kern.log:

   echo "----- cut here -----" >> /var/run/klogd/kmsg

3. now trigger suspend and resume.

the module should output a debug message indicating what it does while resuming, so please attach the output in /var/log/kern.log after the marker.

thanks & ciao,
Mario

Mario,
should I just post the log (after cut) here? Is it safe? Or should I post it to you off-line? Sorry for the *beginners* question, but I am unaware on how important are some of the messages in this specific log.

Regards

[cyberdork33]

Is there a x86_64 version coming soon? I don't see it in the repos yet.

dkms packages do not need a separate 64bit package as it compiles on your system.

[undoIT]

1. enable the mactel repository.
2. install the packages: mbp-nvidia-bl-dkms and hal-nvidia-bl.

known bug: changing the backlight in X doesn't work as expected (the value is sent to hardware, but backlight doesn't change). you'll have to switch to a text console first. there issue:

echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/class/backlight/mbp_backlight/brightness

ciao,
Mario

Hi Mario. I have the regular MacBook, not MacBook pro. I have the following packages installed:

hal-applesmc
applesmc-dkms
bcm5974-dkms
mbp-nvidia-bl-dkms
hal-nvidia-bl

When I enter this command:

echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/class/backlight/mbp_backlight/brightness

I get this: No such file or directory

Do I need anything else installed? Does this not work with regular MacBook?

[_mario_]

Mario,
should I just post the log (after cut) here? Is it safe? Or should I post it to you off-line? Sorry for the *beginners* question, but I am unaware on how important are some of the messages in this specific log.

i do only need the lines after resuming, i.e., after the cut marker. you may safely compress the whole file (or parts of it) and attach it to your post. alternatively you may also send a private message. with respect to sensitivity, everyone else having your machine will get almost the same kernel messages. if you don't want to release you kernel messages, run:

grep mbp_nvidia_bl /var/log/kern.log

right after resuming (the module should be loaded before with the debug=1 switch). i'm only interested in the module's messages after resuming.

ciao,
Mario

[ercoppa]

Do I need anything else installed?

Do You load the relative module (mbp_nvidia_bl)?

[_mario_]

Hi Mario. I have the regular MacBook, not MacBook Pro. I have the following packages installed:

hal-applesmc
applesmc-dkms
bcm5974-dkms
mbp-nvidia-bl-dkms
hal-nvidia-bl

Do I need anything else installed? Does this not work with regular MacBook?

hal-nvidia-bl should be unnecessary. in addition, you might like to install gnome-power-manager (mactel version), hid-dkms, and usbhid-dkms (have a look at the mactel ppa).

however, i forgot to mention that, the mbp_nvidia_bl driver isn't loaded automatically (neither the upstream version nor this version), so you'll either have to add it to /etc/modules or to load it manually and restart hal thereafter. sorry for causing confusion.

ciao,
Mario

[undoIT]

Thanks Mario. I have the following packages installed:

hal-applesmc
applesmc-dkms
bcm5974-dkms
mbp-nvidia-bl-dkms
gnome-power-manager (mactel version)
hid-dkms
usbhid-dkms

After adding mbp_nvidia_bl to modules, I rebooted, opened up terminal and entered this command:

sudo modprobe mbp_nvidia_bl

Then I dropped into tty and typed in:

echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/class/backlight/mbp_backlight/brightness

It didn't give me a file not found error this time but it didn't adjust the brightness either. Am I missing anything?

[_mario_]

After adding mbp_nvidia_bl to modules, I rebooted, opened up terminal and entered this command:

sudo modprobe mbp_nvidia_bl

you don't have to load the module as it's already loaded due to /etc/modules. however, it doesn't hurt.

Then I dropped into tty and typed in:

echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/class/backlight/mbp_backlight/brightness

It didn't give me a file not found error this time but it didn't adjust the brightness either. Am I missing anything?

in theory no. so we'd better check twice:

1. sudo grep mbp_nvidia_bl /var/log/kern.log

   should give something like:
   

   Nov 26 16:57:22 snoopy kernel: [82444.741081] mbp_nvidia_bl: MacBookPro 4,1 detected

2. loading with the debug option:
   

   sudo rmmod mbp_nvidia_bl
   sudo modprobe mbp_nvidia_bl debug=1

   should give something like:
   

   Nov 24 00:13:26 snoopy kernel: [51384.775227] mbp_nvidia_bl: read brightness 1
   Nov 24 00:13:26 snoopy kernel: [51384.775229] mbp_nvidia_bl: setting brightness to 1

   each time you read or write to the sysfs file.

if the all works, the right module is loaded and does what it's supposed to do. if the brightness still doesn't change, you've got a very interesting model .

ciao,
Mario

[undoIT]

sudo rmmod mbp_nvidia_bl

usur-macbook kernel: [ 1367.664698] mbp_nvidia_bl: MacBook 5,1 detected

sudo rmmod mbp_nvidia_bl

ERROR: Module mbp_nvidia_bl does not exist in /proc/modules

Wait a minute, I think I found something...

---

Oh man do I feel stupid. I had "mbp_nividia_bl" in etc/modules (notice the extra i). After fixing that, the brightness adjustment is working and maintains level after suspend. Also explains why I had to modprobe after rebooting. No more eyeball fry. My eyeballs are grateful

Really sorry for wasting your time on this Mario. And many thanks for your work on this. It is amazing how well everything works already. That was the last fix needed to make Ubuntu fully usable. It will be awesome once the brightness keys are working. Let me know if I can help with testing or anything (no more bonehead misspellings).

An added note:

with bcm5974-dkms installed you need to hit: fn control option F1 to go into tty, rather than the usual control option F1

[_mario_]

It will be awesome once the brightness keys are working. Let me know if I can help with testing or anything (no more bonehead misspellings).

perhaps. does it work (at first, i mean the echo command to the sysfs file) in X or only on a tty? if it doesn't work in X, that's the reason why function keys cannot work, although the right handler should be called (reported by ercoppa).

additionally, please run the attached program on a tty and in X, like this:

apple-backlight32 --step-up
apple-backlight32 --step-down

what happens?

essentially, it uses the same interface (SMI) as the driver, so it's very unlikely to work better. however, according to the Windows XP driver, it allows to test all functions Apple's firmware provides.

btw: did you install Windows (either XP or Vista)? does it work there? since this tool does exactly the same as the Windows driver, there's no reason why we cannot change backlight from within X on a MacBook 5.

with bcm5974-dkms installed you need to hit: fn control option F1 to go into tty, rather than the usual control option F1

that shouldn't be a matter of bcm5974. it's a trackpad driver. instead hid-dkms (updated linux kernel's HID driver) allows to select what the primary function of keys F1-F12 is. either hardware stuff (brightness, volume, eject, ...) or the usual F1-F12. the module option is called 'pb_fnmode' (0 = disabled, 1 = fkeyslast, 2 = fkeysfirst).

ciao,
Mario