Backlight not working: TUXEDO Stellaris 15 - Gen3 - Ubuntu

[segidev]

Hello there,

i am in contact with the support for a while now but it won't solve.

I have an

• TUXEDO Stellaris 15 - Gen3 running Ubuntu 20.04.3 on kernel 5.11.0-46-generic
• cat /sys/class/dmi/id/board_name -> GMxTGxx

I purged and reinstalled tuxedo-keyboard (apt) multiple times. I tried to play with the config at /etc/modprobe.d/tuxedo_keyboard.conf using the default (after apt install) but also changing it to this:

options tuxedo_keyboard color=WHITE

Nothing happens at all (pressing FN + Space). I can see on the screen that the "popup" appears to toggle the Backlight but the keyboard stays dark.

On Startup it does not even blink anymore. But after installing tuxedo-keyboard-ite a short blink (of the keyboard in white) during startup is back. Still i can't turn it on.

Weirdly enough yesterday it magically worked after reinstalling and restarting multiple times (even with mixed colors). See this:

My /etc/default/grub looks like this:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
#   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden
GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash i8042.reset i8042.nomux i8042.nopnp i8042.noloop acpi_backlight=vendor"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

I am really at the end of what to do.

Does anyone have a nice suggestion? :)

[tuxedoxt]

Hello,

tuxedo-keyboard-ite should create a :kbd_backlight interface in /sys/class/leds. Writing to the brightness control there should change the brightness up until max_brightness. Let's start by checking if this works.

[segidev]

Oh well that worked like a charm.

Although to be exact i did this:

• sudo gedit /sys/class/leds/ite_8291::kbd_backlight/brightness
• Changed from 0 to 50 (this is what is in max_brightness)

Okay great. So FN + Space does not do anything still the lights are just on now.

How do we continue?

Thank you so far already :)

EDIT:

After a restart FN + Space does toggle it on and off now which is fine

Then what remains is: How can i have the multi colored keyboard? I tried editing back the tuxedo_keyboard.conf to:

options tuxedo_keyboard mode=0 color_left=0xFF0000 color_center=0x00FF00 color_right=0x0000FF

But it's just WHITE.

The commands sudo modprobe tuxedo_keyboard color=RED does not work, neither does this tuxedo_keyboard.conf file change:

options tuxedo_keyboard color=RED

EDIT 2:

Interestingly in the BIOS i can pick the different modes and have a multi colored, animated keyboard

[tuxedoxt]

Great, so the driver works. The functionality of Fn+space is somewhat dependent on which environment is used. It sounds like the keyboard brightness toggle for you toggles between configured brightness and zero.

For example Gnome and KDE looks for a :kbd_backlight interface and provides a slider somewhere (usually around the power settings) to control the brightness.

Regarding "just white". Yes the driver interface is currently just brightness of white. Colors, per key configuration and standard animations are planned for a near future as settings through TCC, but alas, not yet there.

[segidev]

Ok get it, thanks

But how did i manage to have the multi colored keyboard then?

Pressing FN + Space changed the brightness 4 times then turned off and then repeat

It showed me it is possible but i can't remember what i did to make it work

[tuxedoxt]

Colored was probably a boot without tuxedo-keyboard-ite installed. Then whatever is shining from the boot-animation could stay.

[segidev]

I could live with that as well. But removing ite leads to no light at all again.

Well i will stick with white for now. Will the color mode be implemented with the ite package?

[tuxedoxt]

Will the color mode be implemented with the ite package?

Yes, or the modules will probably be integrated into the tuxedo-keyboard module bundle package eventually.

The color features will be a combination of the driver and configurable settings in TCC.

[segidev]

Alright thank you for the information and help. Looking forward for the rainbow keyboard :)

[Uhter]

The color features will be a combination of the driver and configurable settings in TCC.

What is TCC?

[segidev]

The color features will be a combination of the driver and configurable settings in TCC.

What is TCC?

Tuxedo Control Center probably?

[Uhter]

Of course. I didn't think about it. Thanks ;)

[segidev]

@tuxedoxt

Just quickly want to show you what's going on now.

I have the white backlight which is awesome but as you can see in the video on every startup (only after the Laptop was shutdown entirely) i have the color screen until the switch during the startup procedure, then the lights are white.

I suppose that's because the ite driver is then loaded?

Not bad but it shows me that somehow the colorful light should work also during the normal run, right?

https://youtu.be/wJ1h4HOQxBk

Regards

[easygater]

Thanks @segidev for taking the effort to fight for the rainbow colors. I've the same issue and really looking forward to change the colors.

[thackl]

Same issue here. "-ite" white works but no colors

[Bosper-the-Magician]

Did something change here? I also want my colored keyboard : Stellaris 17

[pescepalla]

Stellaris 17, Arch Linux: Tried to enquire about this with Tuxedo's support, and basically they recommend I install TuxedoOS. 🤷

[segidev]

Update from my side: I have actually changed to Tuxedo OS 2 (and i am very happy). It helps a lots to fix issues and with the new Tuxedo Control Panel I can set the color and brightness of my Keyboard which is then applied on the login screen.

@pescepalla @Bosper-the-Magician Did you try upgrading to Tuxedo Control Panel >= 2.0 ?

[segidev]

Thanks @segidev for taking the effort to fight for the rainbow colors. I've the same issue and really looking forward to change the colors.

Sadly no rainbow colors since now. But at least setting a color :laughing:

[pescepalla]

@segidev I've noticed the tool just now and it works! Thanks for pointing it out for me.

[tuxedo-bot]

This repository will no longer get any updates as the code here is now part of tuxedo-drivers https://gitlab.com/tuxedocomputers/development/packages/tuxedo-drivers.

Please open a merge request or issue in the new project on GitLab if you contribution or bug report still applies.