Ubuntu On Sony Vaio FW Series

Thanks to Olivier Grégoire for supplying DSDT.aml for FW4 model. I have updated quick brightness guide post with new patch links, take a look.

This little guide is faster an easier version of previous brightness how to. Since Jaunty already have sony-laptop patch included, we need to patch our DSDT bios table only and override default one with patched, while kernel is loading. I saw many people have problems with DSDT compiling, so I removed dsdt-error.patch patches from pack, and changed it with another line in terminal.

I have made a script which will make all what needed, you just need to select right patch for your model. Download new patches pack. Unpack it, then pop up your terminal and go into that directory, where you’ve unpacked it. There is 3 patches included dsdt-ati-fix-fw1x.patch, dsdt-ati-fix-fw2x.patch, dsdt-ati-fix-fw3x.patch. If you have FW3x(x) model, then use dsdt-ati-fix-fw3x.patch and so on for FW1x(x)/FW2x(x). Ok, you’ve made your choice, now just type this in terminal:

Ok, I have changed script and make him choose the right patch for you, just type this in terminal then:

sudo ./dsdt-patch

That’s all

Here is a source code of that script, for those who interested:

#!/bin/bash
# by Anton Veretenenko <anton[email sign]veretenenko.ru>
# version: 0.2

patch_temp_dir=vaio_fw_patch
isroot=`whoami`

if [ ! $# -eq 0 ]
then
 echo "Use: sudo ./dsdt-patch"
 exit
fi

if [ ! "$isroot" == "root" ]
then
 echo "Error: Make sure you run this script with sudo"
 exit
fi

echo "Creating temp directory"
mkdir "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir"

if [ ! -x /usr/sbin/dmidecode ]
then
 # if dmidecode isn't found, let's install it too
 echo "Installing dmidecode"
 apt-get install dmidecode
else
 echo "dmidecode found"
fi

isfw1=`dmidecode --type system | grep -i -c -P -e "Product Name: VGN-FW(1).*"`
isfw2=`dmidecode --type system | grep -i -c -P -e "Product Name: VGN-FW(2).*"`
isfw3=`dmidecode --type system | grep -i -c -P -e "Product Name: VGN-FW(3).*"`
isfw4=`dmidecode --type system | grep -i -c -P -e "Product Name: VGN-FW(4).*"`
if [ "$isfw1" == "1" ]
then
 patch_file=dsdt-ati-fix-fw1x.patch
elif [ "$isfw2" == "1" ]
then
 patch_file=dsdt-ati-fix-fw2x.patch
elif [ "$isfw3" == "1" ]
then
 patch_file=dsdt-ati-fix-fw3x.patch
elif [ "$isfw4" == "1" ]
then
 patch_file=dsdt-ati-fix-fw4x.patch
else
 echo "Could not select the right patch for you, does it FW model? Contact me."
 rm -rfd "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir/"
 exit
fi

if [ ! -r "$patch_file" ]
then
 echo "Error: Could not read $patch_file file"
 rm -rfd "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir/"
 exit
else
 echo "Selected $patch_file patch for you"
fi

cp "$patch_file" "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir/"
cd "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir"

if [ ! -x /usr/bin/iasl ]
then
 # if iasl isn't found, let's install it
 echo "Installing iasl"
 apt-get install iasl
else
 echo "iasl found"
fi

if [ ! -x /usr/bin/acpidump ]
then
 # if acpidump isn't found, let's install it too
 echo "Installing acpidump"
 apt-get install acpidump
else
 echo "acpidump found"
fi

if [ ! -x /usr/bin/patch ]
then
 echo "Installing patch command"
 apt-get install patch
else
 echo "patch command found"
fi

echo "Dumping DSDT table to DSDT.aml"
acpidump -b -t DSDT -o DSDT.aml
if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]
then
 # if acpidump failed, show error
 echo "acpidump failed"
 rm -rfd "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir/"
 exit
fi

echo "Decompiling DSDT.aml to DSDT.dsl"
iasl -d DSDT.aml
rm DSDT.aml
if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]
then
 # if iasl failed, show error
 echo "iasl failed"
 rm -rfd "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir/"
 exit
fi

echo "Patching DSDT.dsl with $patch_file"
patch < "$patch_file"
if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]
then
 # if patching failed, show error
 echo "$patch_file patch failed"
 rm -rfd "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir/"
 exit
fi

echo "Fixing _T_0 errors in DSDT.dsl"
sed -i 's/_T_0/T_0/g' DSDT.dsl
if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]
then
 # if sed failed, show error
 echo "_T_0 fixing failed"
 rm -rfd "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir/"
 exit
fi

echo "Compiling patched DSDT"
iasl DSDT.dsl

if [ -f DSDT.aml ]
then
 echo "Compilation successfull, updating initramfs"
 cp DSDT.aml /etc/initramfs-tools/
 dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-`uname -r`
else
 echo "Error: DSDT compilation error"
fi

# deleting temp dir
rm -rfd "/tmp/$patch_temp_dir/"

if [ -f /etc/initramfs-tools/DSDT.aml ]
then
 echo "DSDT patch applied, you should reboot your system now"
fi

I’m thinking on updating this module with another brightness control which does not require DSDT patching.

It’s based on changing hardware registers on Ati card and work with radeonhd and fglrx drivers only. Worth it or not, what do you think guys?

It’s possibly would not work with power manager, only with fn keys and maybe without onscreen osd

If someone have laptop with fullhd screen, I would like to test this method with you, because you have another Ati card.

Well there is a problem. I’ve installed 64bit version to another partition, dit a DSDT patch and after reboot, I’ve got kernel panic while loading new DSDT from initramfs. Ubuntu still can be loaded with noacpi option to delete patched DSDT.

So there is no solution for brightness for amd64 kernel yet. I have some thoughts about it, stay tuned.

The brightness how to updated with new warning.

UPD: Seems works for most people =) Can someone with fw11 confirm that it works or not?

UPD2: Works on 2.6.27-11.

WARN: This how to is only for laptops with Ati graphics. Do not apply any changes to DSDT if you have Intel graphics.

WARN: Remember, when you update your kernel, you should remake all this again for new kernel.

WARN: DSDT update cause kernel panic during boot on 64bit kernels <= 2.6.27-9. Use noacpi option in grub to boot without DSDT.

UPD: S1/AV mode keys are enabled in new patch for sony-laptop module.

Hello there guys. Long time no updates, and here is a big one )

Thanks to Anze for pointing me to 11682 bug. I have managed to make easy howto on enabling brightness control.

First of all we need to install iasl and acpidump:

sudo apt-get install acpidump iasl

Second, download my patches (alternate link). And unpack it somewhere. Then go into that directory in your terminal.

Third, we need to patch our default DSDT table:

UPD: If you have Sony Vaio FW2xx or FW2x models, please use dsdt-error-fw21.patch and dsdt-ati-fix-fw21.patch here.

UPD: If you have Sony Vaio FW3xx or FW3x models, use dsdt-error-fw21.patch then dsdt-error.patch and then dsdt-ati-fix-fw21.patch here.

sudo acpidump -b -t DSDT -o DSDT.aml
iasl -d DSDT.aml
sudo rm DSDT.aml
patch < dsdt-error.patch
patch < dsdt-ati-fix.patch
iasl DSDT.dsl
sudo cp DSDT.aml /etc/initramfs-tools/
sudo dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-`uname -r`

Here we dumped our DSDT table and then decompilled it. Then patched with dsdt-error.patch, this patch fix wrong name (“_T_0″) produced by disassembler. Without this patch we can not recompile this table back. Then we patch with dsdt-ati-fix.patch, this is the actual fix made by Zhang Rui from bugzilla, and recompile table back. And then we put our patched DSDT into initramfs, to allow kernel load it instead of original DSDT.

Fourth, we need to patch sony-laptop module to make our Fn keys for brightness work correctly:

UPD: If you have Jaunty kernel version >= 2.6.28-11.36, do not do this step, this patch is included already.

Install kernel source and all packages needed for compiling it (who knows a better way to not download so many packages by build-dep? or build-essential is enough).

sudo apt-get build-dep linux-source-2.6.27
sudo apt-get install linux-source-2.6.27
cp /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.27.tar.bz2 ./
tar jxvf linux-source-2.6.27.tar.bz2
cd linux-source-2.6.27

Then put here (linux-source-2.6.27) sony-laptop.patch patch and make this:

patch -p0 < sony-laptop.patch
cd drivers/misc/
make -C /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/ M=`pwd` modules
strip --strip-debug sony-laptop.ko
sudo install -m644 -b sony-laptop.ko /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/misc

This will compile and install our new patched sony-laptop module.

Now we need to reboot.

After rebooting we can check if all ok:

dmesg | grep -i sony-laptop
dmesg | grep -i dsdt

We should get something like this:

[   16.045201] sony-laptop: Sony Notebook Control Driver v0.6.
[   16.190130] sony-laptop: detected Sony Vaio FW Series

and this:

[    0.000000] ACPI: DSDT BFE06010, 8016 (r1   Sony     VAIO 20080605 INTL 20051117)
[    0.044471] ACPI: Checking initramfs for custom DSDT
[    0.359780] ACPI: Found DSDT in DSDT.aml.
[    0.359785] ACPI: Override [DSDT-    VAIO], this is unsafe: tainting kernel
[    0.359793] ACPI: Table DSDT replaced by host OS

Now try to use Fn brightness keys. This should work =)

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