Bug 796626 - Some [Fn + <key>] hotkeys don't work on the Samsung RV520 laptop with installed Fedora 16
Summary: Some [Fn + <key>] hotkeys don't work on the Samsung RV520 laptop with install...
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED WONTFIX
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: kernel
Version: 16
Hardware: i386
OS: Linux
unspecified
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Kernel Maintainer List
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2012-02-23 11:00 UTC by carasin
Modified: 2013-02-14 01:27 UTC (History)
8 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2013-02-14 01:27:15 UTC
Type: ---
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)
the working <samsung-laptop> source (20.37 KB, application/octet-stream)
2012-06-04 04:58 UTC, carasin
no flags Details
<Makefile> for building the working <samsung-laptop> kernel module (291 bytes, application/octet-stream)
2012-06-04 05:02 UTC, carasin
no flags Details


Links
System ID Private Priority Status Summary Last Updated
Linux Kernel 45311 0 None None None 2012-08-11 06:16:00 UTC

Description carasin 2012-02-23 11:00:12 UTC
Description of problem:

There is a laptop Samsung RV520 with installed Fedora 16. Some hotkeys (Fn + <key>) don't work, e.g. [Fn + Up/Down] (backlight brightness control), [Fn + F5] (display backlight off/on), [Fn + F9] (wireless devices on/off). At the same time, hotkeys [Fn + Esc] (suspend), [Fn + Right/Left] (volume level up/down) and [Fn + F6] (volume off/on) work fine.
<lsmod> shows that <samsung-laptop> module isn't loaded. Attempt to load this module fails with error "No such device".
When I press [Fn + Up/Down], the contents of the files (<actual_brightness>, <brightness>) at the path </sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.0/backlight/acpi_video0/> change. But actually brightness level doesn't change.
___________________________________

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

kernel-3.1.0-7.fc16.i686 / kernel-3.2.6-3.fc16.i686, udev-173-3.fc16.i686
___________________________________

How reproducible:
always
___________________________________

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Press [Fn + Up/Down/F9] (Samsung RV520, Fedora 16)
2. Backlight level doesn't change, wireless devices don't switch
___________________________________

Actual results:
Some [Fn + <key>] hotkeys don't work.
___________________________________

Expected results:
All [Fn + <key>] hotkeys (e.g. brightness control and wireless devices on/off) work fine.

Additional info:
<dmidecode -s system-product-name> command returns <RV420/RV520/RV720/E3530/S3530/E3420/E3520>.
The passing the <acpi_backlight=vendor> argument to the kernel doesn't help.
This trouble appears also in the Live-CD mode.

Comment 1 carasin 2012-02-24 15:54:03 UTC
I've tried to change the display brightness level with the <setpci> command, but this attempt has failed:

$ lspci | grep VGA
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Device 1050 (rev a1)
$ sudo setpci -s 01:00.0 F4.B
00
$ sudo setpci -s 01:00.0 F4.B=50
$ sudo setpci -s 01:00.0 F4.B
00

Comment 2 Josh Boyer 2012-02-24 20:45:24 UTC
Theoretically, the patches for this are here:

http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.drivers.platform.x86.devel/2700/focus=2701

and queued up in the platform maintainer's git tree somewhere.  The don't seem to have made the 3.3 kernel though.

Comment 3 carasin 2012-02-24 21:13:21 UTC
As far as I'm concerned, the necessary changes at the <samsung-laptop> driver will be in the kernel 3.4 or, if lucky, in 3.3. Right?

Comment 4 carasin 2012-02-25 12:46:09 UTC
I've took a workaround, which made brightness control to work:
I've put this code to the <samsung-laptop.c>
___________________________________
{
	.ident = "RV420/RV520/RV720/E3530/S3530/E3420/E3520",
	.matches = {
		DMI_MATCH(DMI_SYS_VENDOR,
				"SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD."),
		DMI_MATCH(DMI_PRODUCT_NAME, "RV420/RV520/RV720/E3530/S3530/E3420/E3520"),
		DMI_MATCH(DMI_BOARD_NAME, "RV420/RV520/RV720/E3530/S3530/E3420/E3520"),
	},
	.callback = dmi_check_cb,
},
___________________________________
and compiled the module with this Makefile:
___________________________________
obj-m	:= samsung-laptop.o

KERNELDIR ?= /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build
PWD       := $(shell pwd)

all:
	$(MAKE) -C $(KERNELDIR) M=$(PWD)

clean:
	rm -f *.o *~ core .depend .*.cmd *.ko *.mod.c
	rm -f Module.markers Module.symvers modules.order
	rm -rf .tmp_versions Modules.symvers
___________________________________
Then I've put <samsung-laptop.ko> to the </lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/> directory and run <# depmod -a>.

Now the brightness level is adjustable.

Comment 5 Dave Jones 2012-03-22 17:12:31 UTC
[mass update]
kernel-3.3.0-4.fc16 has been pushed to the Fedora 16 stable repository.
Please retest with this update.

Comment 6 Dave Jones 2012-03-22 17:14:48 UTC
[mass update]
kernel-3.3.0-4.fc16 has been pushed to the Fedora 16 stable repository.
Please retest with this update.

Comment 7 Dave Jones 2012-03-22 17:23:58 UTC
[mass update]
kernel-3.3.0-4.fc16 has been pushed to the Fedora 16 stable repository.
Please retest with this update.

Comment 8 carasin 2012-03-23 17:07:06 UTC
When the new kernel-3.3.0-4 had appeared at the Fedora repository, the first thing I've done was testing the samsung-laptop kernel module on my Samsung RV-520.
The result is the same. This module isn't automaticaly loadable.
The work around is a rebuilding this module with the same instruction as before.

Comment 9 carasin 2012-03-23 17:08:36 UTC
* This module isn't loadable at all.

Comment 10 Josh Boyer 2012-03-28 01:08:01 UTC
The patches I mentioned in comment #2 should go into the 3.4 kernel.  That won't be immediately available in F17.

Comment 11 carasin 2012-03-28 05:52:33 UTC
I've exactly understood this.
Thanks.

Comment 12 carasin 2012-06-04 04:19:48 UTC
Well! Kernel 3.4 has been built for Fedora 17 here: http://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/buildinfo?buildID=321678
I've installed it and now the <samsung-laptop> kernel module is loadable.

But the new trouble has appeared: when I try to change the brightness level, the maximum brightness limit becomes very low (~30%). Then, when I press <Fn + Up> (brightness up) further, a backlight is blinking for a short time, but the brightness level doesn't change. <Fn + Down> (brightness down) works well.

If I unplug the supply cable and then plug it back, the brightness level becomes maximum (100%). But after decreasing the brightness level the problem with <Fn + Up> repeats again.

Comment 13 carasin 2012-06-04 04:22:05 UTC
Addition:
now I use F17.

Comment 14 carasin 2012-06-04 04:38:24 UTC
# cat /sys/devices/platform/samsung/backlight/samsung/max_brightness 
8

# echo 8 > /sys/devices/platform/samsung/backlight/samsung/actual_brightness
-bash: /sys/devices/platform/samsung/backlight/samsung/actual_brightness: Permission denied

But the backlight is blinking for a short time, if I execute this:
# echo 8 > /sys/devices/platform/samsung/backlight/samsung/brightness

Comment 15 carasin 2012-06-04 04:58:39 UTC
Created attachment 589037 [details]
the working <samsung-laptop> source

If I build the <samsung-laptop> (with the attached <samsung-laptop.c> and <Makefile>),
put the <samsung-laptop.ko> into </usr/lib/modules/3.4.0-1.fc17.i686.PAE/updates/>,
type <# modprobe -r samsung_laptop> / <# depmod -a> / <# modprobe samsung-laptop>

the brightness level becomes fully adjustable.

Comment 16 carasin 2012-06-04 05:02:07 UTC
Created attachment 589038 [details]
<Makefile> for building the working <samsung-laptop> kernel module

See a previous comment (attachment).

Comment 17 carasin 2012-06-05 16:35:34 UTC
I've updated kernel up to 3.4.1 from here:
http://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/buildinfo?buildID=321994

The situation is the same: after the brightness level decreasing it's not possible to increase it back higher some limited level. That's some console output (after <Fn + Down> to min and <Fn + Up> to max):

> $ cat /sys/devices/platform/samsung/backlight/samsung/actual_brightness 
> 2
> $ cat /sys/devices/platform/samsung/backlight/samsung/brightness 
> 8
> $ cat /sys/devices/platform/samsung/backlight/samsung/max_brightness 
> 8

Comment 18 carasin 2012-07-30 05:58:33 UTC
<kernel-3.5.0-1.fc17.i686.PAE>: the situation is the same.

I've additionally reported this bug to upstream.
https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=45311

Comment 19 Josh Boyer 2012-09-17 18:25:24 UTC
(In reply to comment #15)
> Created attachment 589037 [details]
> the working <samsung-laptop> source
> 

I'm confused as to what this is exactly.  Where did it come from?  Instead of attaching a full .c file, can you create a unified diff and send that to the driver maintainer for review with platform-driver-x86.org on CC?

Comment 20 Dave Jones 2012-10-23 15:34:38 UTC
# Mass update to all open bugs.

Kernel 3.6.2-1.fc16 has just been pushed to updates.
This update is a significant rebase from the previous version.

Please retest with this kernel, and let us know if your problem has been fixed.

In the event that you have upgraded to a newer release and the bug you reported
is still present, please change the version field to the newest release you have
encountered the issue with.  Before doing so, please ensure you are testing the
latest kernel update in that release and attach any new and relevant information
you may have gathered.

If you are not the original bug reporter and you still experience this bug,
please file a new report, as it is possible that you may be seeing a
different problem. 
(Please don't clone this bug, a fresh bug referencing this bug in the comment is sufficient).

Comment 21 carasin 2012-10-23 16:24:44 UTC
(In reply to comment #19)
> (In reply to comment #15)
> > Created attachment 589037 [details]
> > the working <samsung-laptop> source
> > 
> 
> I'm confused as to what this is exactly.  Where did it come from?

When the <kernel> version was 3.3 it had no support for my laptop. And I has followed this instruction: http://linuxtweaking.blogspot.com/2011/11/enabling-samsung-laptop-backlight.html
So I had a working <samsung-laptop> module. I don't know what is this module version.

> Instead of attaching a full .c file, can you create a unified diff and send
> that to the driver maintainer for review with platform-driver-86.org on CC?

Then the <samsung-laptop> module has been modified enough at the 3.4 <kernel> version, in particular, the mechanism for determining the hardware. Now there is no need to modify the <samsung-laptop.c> with DMI output for each notebook model. So diff is useless.

The bug is in that it's impossible to increase the brightness level with native kernel <samsung-laptop> driver. I can not fix it myself, because I don't know programming languages and can not find a suitable manual for fixing it in the <samsung-laptop> module from kernel >= 3.4.

Comment 22 carasin 2012-10-23 16:26:28 UTC
UPD: Now I already use F18.

Comment 23 Fedora End Of Life 2013-01-16 22:56:56 UTC
This message is a reminder that Fedora 16 is nearing its end of life.
Approximately 4 (four) weeks from now Fedora will stop maintaining
and issuing updates for Fedora 16. It is Fedora's policy to close all
bug reports from releases that are no longer maintained. At that time
this bug will be closed as WONTFIX if it remains open with a Fedora 
'version' of '16'.

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Comment 24 Fedora End Of Life 2013-02-14 01:27:27 UTC
Fedora 16 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2013-02-12. Fedora 16 is 
no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further 
security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug.

If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of 
Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version.

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