Vaio AW290J with 9600m GT but need help to check it works

[xaser66]

Hello!

First of all, thank You very much for Your kind work, I am desperatly looking for a solution that may allow me to could use my noetbook without brun my eyes, and Your driver seems the first option that may have a hope that could work for me.

Well, as far I could check I found the AW11 in the laptops file, and by other way, appears that my AW290J is the similar machine but AW11 have 9300m and the AW-290J use the 9600m (that appears is also used in MacBook)

Well, I am not a programer, but following your instructions and the guide of this link:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1687348

I suppose succesfully could add the AW290J name to the laptops file, and rebuild the nvidiabl-dkms_0.69_all.deb with the line include, by copy the AW11 line and only change the AW290J in the name field.

Then I install the modified deb, and it install proper and checking with the command:

dkms status

the output was:

nvidia-current, 275.19, 2.6.38-8-generic, i686: installed nvidia-current, 275.19, 2.6.38-10-generic, i686: installed nvidiabl, 0.69, 2.6.38-8-generic, i686: installed nvidiabl, 0.69, 2.6.38-10-generic, i686: installed

and then just after boot, checking with:

dmesg | grep nvidiabl

the output was:

[ 22.182517] nvidiabl: loading driver version 0.69 [ 22.182521] nvidiabl: Sony Corporation - VGN-AW290J model detected in DMI tables [ 22.182529] nvidiabl: Supported Nvidia graphics adapter 10de:0649:104d:9040 detected [ 22.182570] nvidiabl: backup register value 0x401 [ 22.182571] nvidiabl: autodetecting maximum [ 22.182573] nvidiabl: using value 0x401 as maximum [ 22.182574] nvidiabl: autodetecting off [ 22.182575] nvidiabl: using value 0x0 as off [ 22.182576] nvidiabl: autodetecting minimum [ 22.182578] nvidiabl: minimum is 5% of maximum [ 22.182579] nvidiabl: using value 0x64 as minimum

but then after checking with the commands:

sudo modprobe -r nvidiabl sudo modprobe nvidiabl max=100 sudo modprobe -r nvidiabl sudo modprobe nvidiabl max=100

No changes in backlight level was made or noted...

after this the command:

dmesg | grep nvidiabl

gives the output:

dmesg | grep nvidiabl

[ 22.182517] nvidiabl: loading driver version 0.69 [ 22.182521] nvidiabl: Sony Corporation - VGN-AW290J model detected in DMI tables [ 22.182529] nvidiabl: Supported Nvidia graphics adapter 10de:0649:104d:9040 detected [ 22.182570] nvidiabl: backup register value 0x401 [ 22.182571] nvidiabl: autodetecting maximum [ 22.182573] nvidiabl: using value 0x401 as maximum [ 22.182574] nvidiabl: autodetecting off [ 22.182575] nvidiabl: using value 0x0 as off [ 22.182576] nvidiabl: autodetecting minimum [ 22.182578] nvidiabl: minimum is 5% of maximum [ 22.182579] nvidiabl: using value 0x64 as minimum [ 896.496095] nvidiabl: restore register value 0x401 [ 905.829177] nvidiabl: loading driver version 0.69 [ 905.829184] nvidiabl: Sony Corporation - VGN-AW290J model detected in DMI tables [ 905.829195] nvidiabl: Supported Nvidia graphics adapter 10de:0649:104d:9040 detected [ 905.830022] nvidiabl: backup register value 0x401 [ 905.830025] nvidiabl: using value 0x400 as maximum [ 905.830028] nvidiabl: autodetecting off [ 905.830030] nvidiabl: using value 0x0 as off [ 905.830032] nvidiabl: autodetecting minimum [ 905.830034] nvidiabl: minimum is 5% of maximum [ 905.830036] nvidiabl: using value 0x64 as minimum

So, the driver seems to be loaded but still dont make the changes on the backlight level.

So, I will be very gratefull if You could help me in try to make this to change the backlight, at leats in a way that may may could force a strong change that may mean that is really working or not.

I am using Kubuntu 11.04 with the nvidia driver 275.19 (last version of past days that was updated automatically by my system), in linux X86, 32 Bits version.

Thank You very much for Your kind attention and best regards!

[guillaumezin]

Hello,

Please try the 0.70 version.

Guillaume

[xaser66]

Hello Guillaume!

First of all, thank You very much for take time to answer and for Your good work.

Ok, I uninstalled the version 0.69 with synaptic and this was fine, then I download and installed version 0.70, the process appears to be fine like with version 0.69, and later I reboot my machine.

Well, the machine starts fine, and I try the keys Fn+F5 (-Brightness) and Fn+F6 (+Brightness), adn it shows the slide bar on screen for decrease and increse, But no change in backlight level, also I checked in terminal the value of:

xavier@SONY-VAiO-VGN-AW290J:~$ cat /sys/class/backlight/nvidia_backlight/brightness 127 xavier@SONY-VAiO-VGN-AW290J:~$ cat /sys/class/backlight/nvidia_backlight/brightness 0

and also for an middle way of the slide on screen and the value, seems to change properly:

xavier@SONY-VAiO-VGN-AW290J:~$ cat /sys/class/backlight/nvidia_backlight/brightness 58

but no change on backlight (this is the same as with the version 0.69, since after I post on git, I found the detail that the Fn keys are working and changing values on register, but no change in backlight)

as additional info I check:

xavier@SONY-VAiO-VGN-AW290J:~$ dmesg | grep nvidiabl [ 22.878087] nvidiabl: loading driver version 0.70 [ 22.878091] nvidiabl: Sony Corporation - VGN-AW290J model detected in DMI tables [ 22.878098] nvidiabl: Supported Nvidia graphics adapter 10de:0649:104d:9040 detected [ 22.878156] nvidiabl: backup register value 0x401 [ 22.878158] nvidiabl: autodetecting maximum [ 22.878159] nvidiabl: using value 0x401 as maximum [ 22.878160] nvidiabl: autodetecting off [ 22.878161] nvidiabl: using value 0x0 as off [ 22.878162] nvidiabl: autodetecting minimum [ 22.878164] nvidiabl: minimum is 5% of maximum [ 22.878165] nvidiabl: using value 0x64 as minimum

So, I would like to know if may be some other things that I could check or modify in order to check if may be possible to make the backlight respond to the register value change.

Thanks again for Your kind attention and hope may be possible to look for a fix.

Best regards

Xavier

2011/7/17 guillaumezin reply@reply.github.com:

Hello,

Please try the 0.70 version.

Guillaume

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: https://github.com/guillaumezin/nvidiabl/issues/16#issuecomment-1591404

[xaser66]

Hello!

I edited the title and the first post, since I did a check and found that the AW-11 is NOT the same video card that in the AW-290, and also by now still without success in getting backlight working on my machine under Kubuntu 11.04 with nvidia propietary driver version 275.19 and with the last nvidiabl loading driver version 0.70.

As I said in my previous post, as I may checkk seems like oif the driver is correctly loaded and report, but no value change seems to change the backlight level.

By now, I am downloading a version of Kubuntu 9.10 Karmic and will install it clean and fresh in a separate partition, to have a known kubuntu version that already was checked as working in order to try to isolate factors that may be affecting the driver.

I would like to ask, if You could please answer, which is the linux distro and version and which Nvidia propietary driver that You are using now and that may have fully working the backlight, so I would like to install for testing purposes the same system in order to try to debug and check if I could make my hardware working the backlight, since by now I almost clueless and almost desperate, since no matters what I do, I could not get some setting that may change my backlight level

But overall, thank You very much for share your work and help.

[guillaumezin]

Hello,

I'm using myself Kubuntu 11.04 with nvidia proprietary driver version 270.41.06 and nvidiabl 0.70. I suspect that the backlight on your laptop is not controled by the nvidia chip but by another device which might be itself controlled by the BIOS directly for instance. I have no clue, maybe we should have a look inside the Windows drivers to see if it gives an hint.

Guillaume

[xaser66]

Hello Guillaume!

Thank You very much for take time to reply... Your answer makes sense to me, and by now I have a Vista partition installed on my machine, that is set with the original vi$ta system and the backlight is fully working on it. If You could help me about how could I look, check or copy to try to find any clue, I would be very gratefull, also, if You may need that I copy or send to you, please tell me and with pleasure I will try to do my best.

By the way, and since the AW-11 is same class as mine AW-290J notebook, and I am somewhat curious since according some places the AW-11 the video parte is LCD 1680x945 CCFL backlight with a NVIDIA 9300 card and in other sites says that the AW-11 is 1920x1080 driven by a three-chip LED backlighting system (that is the same specs that my AW-290J that is in fact LED Backlight).

I wonder if You could have contact info about who had success in get the AW-11 working with nvidiaBL driver module, so if possible I would like to contact that person, in order to check if could help me with the debug in my case or at least try to know what could be the hardware of such AW-11 (in order to know is a LED backlight as my case or if may be a CCFL backlight model, so it may give a clue about why work in one model of the AW vaio series and why may not work by now in mine).

Well, I so really hope that this could not be too much bother, since I really need to use my machine for work but with the mess of the backlight not working it is affecting my eyes, so I am very worry about if I could may do something about try to fix the issue.

Thank You very much for Your kind attention and will be gratefull if could continue with the help.

Best Regards!

Xavier

[guillaumezin]

I have an AW11-M/H myself. The screen depends on the last letters (AW11 M/H for CCFL 1680x945, AW11 S/B for LED 1920x1080). So nvidiabl is tested with CCFL for sure.

Guillaume

[xaser66]

As additional comments...

I already set up a partition with a fresh install of Kubuntu 11.04 and will install on it Nvidia 270 driver to set up a system fresh that would avoid software trouble for other stuff installed on my normal use system. (by the way it have installed nvidiabl module version 0.70 and it installs fine a loads normal since check by: dmesg | grep nvidiabl.

I may also comment that following the instructions on this page:

http://code.google.com/p/vaio-f11-linux/wiki/NVIDIASetup

and with nvidia-settings, I extracting the EDID info and saved it in bin format, of my AW-290J lcd, and put the line in xorg.conf, and reboot machine,so it boot up with a CHANGE in my backlight to a very low level (and in fact was the only thing that I tried in the past weeks that makes a change in the backlight level of my machine... ) but sadly the nvidiabl still didnt make changes to the backlight so if I boot with the line in xorg.conf uncommented and active, the display boot up in low level backlight but also I could not rise it... however I wonder if in the EDID info may be some clue about the register or chip that may change the backlight LED light level control...

Thanks again and best regards!

[xaser66]

Thanks Guillaume!

Well, agree with You so, seems that nvidiabl works fine for CCFL, so if I am not wrong, the motherboard on the AW vaios may be possible the same, so the difference in backlight control may be in the part that differs the ccfl to leds... this may make wonder about your suggestion of checking inside windows driver... there is a way in what I could check or something that I could do or send to You that may help to get a clue?....

Thanks again!

P.S. I also wonder what is your nvidia card inside your AW-11... guess if may be the 9300...

Also, if I am not wrong the 9600m is used in some macbooks pro, and if I not wrong seems that nvidiabl now is working backlight on some macbookspro, so I suppose that the search will be around windows and looking for a register o something that could do this change in case of leds backlight.

[guillaumezin]

Hi,

I have a GeForce 9300M GS, but it depends on which AW11. On some macbook pro, the backlight driver is very similar to this one, but there is also other registers to control the backlight, it shows that the backlight control is very dependant on hardware implementation.

Sorry, I have no clue to help you on Windows (no Windows at home anymore since a few years...).

Guillaume

[xaser66]

Thanks for reply, Guillaume... yes, I came to the same conclusion some time ago, and no luck until today... I found that the driver on my my vistash!t partition set normally the backlight and then in linux, IT do not be reseted, so I came to the conclusion that the current drivers didnt reach those register for my backlight (I suspect that my be related with the LED backlight control implemented in hardware for the adobe gamma lcds).

I have already installed the vista partition and working the video driver and backlight control in window$, but I do not konw how could I may check to try to find out how may be the registers that are setting by the vista video driver for lower/rise the backlight in my vaio aw-290j.

Thanks and if you may have some suggestion/help about how Icould may check or help I really appreciate it.

Thanks again for take time to kind answer. best regards.

Javier

2011/9/24 Guillaume Zin reply@reply.github.com:

Hi,

I have a GeForce 9300M GS, but it depends on which AW11. On some macbook pro, the backlight driver is very similar to this one, but there is also other registers to control the backlight, it shows that the backlight control is very dependant on hardware implementation.

Sorry, I have no clue to help you on Windows (no Windows at home anymore since a few years...).

Guillaume

Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: https://github.com/guillaumezin/nvidiabl/issues/16#issuecomment-2186133