ThinkPad LCD backlight steps issue on Linux

Question

I have a Thinkpad Edge E130, and the LCD screen's backlight has 15 hardware steps.

$ cat /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/max_brightness 
$ 15

I'm currently running Linux with LXDE as desktop environment, and this is the problem:

Before login to LXDE, the backlight works fine. With Fn+F6/Fn+F7 I can set all the hardware steps
After login, I can set only 8 steps. I think that both LXDE and ACPI increase one step for every Fn+F7 pressure (8*2 "=" 15).

I've tried to add the following kernel boot parameters:

acpi_backligh=vendor
acpi_backligh=vendor, acpi_osi=Linux
acpi_backligh=vendor, thinkpad-acpi.brightness_enable=1 (according to this wiki)

In all the case the backlight completely stops to work, so I think that acpi_backligh=vendor is not helpful in my case.

I have also tried with video.use_bios_initial_backlight=0 kernel parameter, but nothing seems to happen (always 8 steps).

Suggestions?

I am using xfce4 on a T510 and I have 8 steps up and 5 steps down, I recognized irregularities in the pattern but didn't really care. Until now… damn you…! — Baarn, Dec 9, 2012 at 11:13
Please don't edit your solution into your question, write an answer yourself. This is totally OK here on StackExchange (actually it is the way you should do it here). You should accept your answer as soon as you are able to, too. — Baarn, Dec 9, 2012 at 11:55

eang · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-09 12:12:04Z

2

After some searching, I find the following solution: just a simple

# echo -n 0 > /sys/module/video/parameters/brightness_switch_enabled

Of course this needs to be done at every boot (the way depends on the specific distro).

answered Dec 9, 2012 at 12:12

eang

1711 silver badge9 bronze badges

1

There is no need to do it at every boot, it should be enough to specify the parameter value for modprobe in a file like /etc/modprobe.d/video-local.conf with the line: options video brightness_switch_enabled=1
– Alessio Gaeta
Feb 10, 2013 at 0:25

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