Arch Linux

lixsuk

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 9

Backlight not changing unless using xbacklight through bash.

On my new arch install, my volume control buttons keys don't change the brightness. The screen plays an animation for brightness being changed but nothing actually happens to the screen. The brightness remains the same.

But I can change the brightness using xbacklight, no stress. It works.

I am using Intel backlight and So far I have tried the wiki suggested way to add 20-intel-backlight to the xorg configuration files.

I had this same issue on my previous install of arch as well as my debian. As usual windows doesn't sweat, everything works like butter. Which is what's bothering me. I just push it away and ignore the problem but thought maybe someone will help me this time to get to the roots of it.

Best solution I came up with was adding a keybinding to execute the xbacklight command to increase and decrease the brightness. But it always felt like seeping the problem under the rug.

What commands and outputs should I attach? Sorry I am relatively new to all this.

wellohead

Member

Registered: 2011-06-30

Posts: 11

Re: Backlight not changing unless using xbacklight through bash.

Hi. When you say you use intel backlight and xbacklight, do you mean you use the regular xbacklight, the acpilight package as your xbacklight, or use the xf86-video-intel driver, or something else entirely?

Just so there's no confusion.

lixsuk

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 9

Re: Backlight not changing unless using xbacklight through bash.

Hi. When you say you use intel backlight and xbacklight, do you mean you use the regular xbacklight, the acpilight package as your xbacklight, or use the xf86-video-intel driver, or something else entirely?

Just so there's no confusion.

TL;DR - I can change brightness using the xbacklight command through the terminal and manually modifying values of Intel_backlight/brightness and I have the installed the driver xf86-video-intel but I have no clue about the api thing.

The only way I can change the backlight is, by using the xbacklight command in the terminal. When I say Intel backlight, I mean the folder that's in the /something/class/backlight directory. I have two folders in that directory. Intel_backlight and dell_backlight. Changing the value of the brightness folder inside the Intel backlight folder changes the actual screen brightness but doing the same in the dell_backlight folder has no effect on the screen brightness. Hence, I said I use Intel backlight. When I alter screen brightness using xbacklight command in the terminal it also changes the values in the intel_backlight/brightness folder.

I don't know what acpi is or what that package does but the youtuber I was following while installing arch made me install the xf86-video-intel driver using Pacman.

Last edited by lixsuk (2021-04-25 15:16:41)

wellohead

Member

Registered: 2011-06-30

Posts: 11

Re: Backlight not changing unless using xbacklight through bash.

Well, the fact that you have two entries (dell and intel) for the backlight, combined with what you said earlier that your DE shows a notification as if it's adjusting the brightness but nothing happening, lead me to think that your DE (Desktop Environment) chose the dell backlight to adjust instead of the intel (ie, it registers your keypress correctly and tries to act accordingly but doesn't produce the result). The best solution would probably be to solve this, although I'm not gonna be able to help much with this.

Someone else might jump in and lead you along this avenue.

If you should go the keyboard shortcut way, I'd recommend the following instructions (from, or linked to from, the wiki):

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xbindkeys
https://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Co … media_Keys

All the best!

lixsuk

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 9

Re: Backlight not changing unless using xbacklight through bash.

Well, the fact that you have two entries (dell and intel) for the backlight, combined with what you said earlier that your DE shows a notification as if it's adjusting the brightness but nothing happening, lead me to think that your DE (Desktop Environment) chose the dell backlight to adjust instead of the intel (ie, it registers your keypress correctly and tries to act accordingly but doesn't produce the result). The best solution would probably be to solve this, although I'm not gonna be able to help much with this.

Someone else might jump in and lead you along this avenue.

If you should go the keyboard shortcut way, I'd recommend the following instructions (from, or linked to from, the wiki):

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xbindkeys
https://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Co … media_Keys

All the best!

Sure. I'll give it a shot again, for the time being. I am not sure about getting any help though. The thread has been up for 3 days now. I shouldn't get my hopes up.

Thank you for your help!! (:. Cheers