[Help] Brightness keys don't "work" (DELL)

[RehabMan]

Sorry used the wrong terminology there, I meant the kernal log that can be viewed by debug or via terminal using the show log command.

I've instrumented BRT6 (to the best of my knowledge) for all of the instances that it occurs in DSDT, but pressing either the native or OS X brightness keys doesn't trigger any BRT6 related comments.

Updated debug attached.

You will need further instrumentation. BRT6 called from EV5 (so instrument EV5), EV5 called from SMEE (so instrument SMEE), SMEE called from SMIE (so instrument SMIE).

 

[amoxitine]

You will need further instrumentation. BRT6 called from EV5 (so instrument EV5), EV5 called from SMEE (so instrument SMEE), SMEE called from SMIE (so instrument SMIE).

Hi Rehabman,

Had a go at your suggestion to instrument EV5, SMEE and SMIE but none of these were appearing in the kernal log after testing, so instrumented EV4 as in previous logs I could see that this was getting called in NEVT, but only putting the Dell into sleep and then wake, as when I press the native brightness keys without going to sleep all I still get is...

ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 enter"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Store 0,GPE3"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Or GL08, 0x10, GL08"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Notify _SB.PCI0.SAT0, 0x82"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Return 0"

If I put it in sleep and then wake I get the additional entries per key press....

ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 enter"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Store 0,GPE3"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Or GL08, 0x10, GL08"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Notify _SB.PCI0.SAT0, 0x82"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Return 0"
ACPIDebug: "EC _Q66 enter"
ACPIDebug: "Enter NEVT"
ACPIDebug: "NEVT to EV4 0x0800"
ACPIDebug: "EV4 enter to WMNF"
ACPIDebug: "WMNF enter"
ACPIDebug: "_SB.AMW0 SWEV WMEV Arg0"
ACPIDebug: "WMNF SB.AMW0.SWEV"
ACPIDebug: "WMNF Notify SB.AMW0, D0"
ACPIDebug: "Exit NEVT"

So from EV4 it moves to WMNF and ends at exiting NEVT, but from there I can't seem to fathom out where it goes from exiting NEVT (and also why sleep/wake generates extra instrument calls) so any pointers as to what else to instrument would be really appreciated.

NB : for some reason 3 instrumentation instructions are now missing parentheses when you disassemble DSDT via MaciASL but even if I correct those, recompile without errors and save a new AML, when you disassemble the AML again, those entries revert back to showing without the parentheses, so wanted to mention that if you see that so you know it's not me making a mistake.

 

[RehabMan]

Hi Rehabman,

Had a go at your suggestion to instrument EV5, SMEE and SMIE but none of these were appearing in the kernal log after testing, so instrumented EV4 as in previous logs I could see that this was getting called in NEVT, but only putting the Dell into sleep and then wake, as when I press the native brightness keys without going to sleep all I still get is...

ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 enter"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Store 0,GPE3"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Or GL08, 0x10, GL08"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Notify _SB.PCI0.SAT0, 0x82"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Return 0"

If I put it in sleep and then wake I get the additional entries per key press....

ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 enter"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Store 0,GPE3"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Or GL08, 0x10, GL08"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Notify _SB.PCI0.SAT0, 0x82"
ACPIDebug: "GPE _L13 Return 0"
ACPIDebug: "EC _Q66 enter"
ACPIDebug: "Enter NEVT"
ACPIDebug: "NEVT to EV4 0x0800"
ACPIDebug: "EV4 enter to WMNF"
ACPIDebug: "WMNF enter"
ACPIDebug: "_SB.AMW0 SWEV WMEV Arg0"
ACPIDebug: "WMNF SB.AMW0.SWEV"
ACPIDebug: "WMNF Notify SB.AMW0, D0"
ACPIDebug: "Exit NEVT"

So from EV4 it moves to WMNF and ends at exiting NEVT, but from there I can't seem to fathom out where it goes from exiting NEVT (and also why sleep/wake generates extra instrument calls) so any pointers as to what else to instrument would be really appreciated.

NB : for some reason 3 instrumentation instructions are now missing parentheses when you disassemble DSDT via MaciASL but even if I correct those, recompile without errors and save a new AML, when you disassemble the AML again, those entries revert back to showing without the parentheses, so wanted to mention that if you see that so you know it's not me making a mistake.

Is your BIOS the latest available?

 

[amoxitine]

Is your BIOS the latest available?

Short answer is no, but there is a fundamental reason for that. Basically I'm currently on A12 (which was released Sep 2013), but if I try a version which is more recent (A13 thru to A20) then unfortunately the display corrupts into a sea of random colours whilst booting up OSX and it seems from what I have found posted elsewhere that version A12 is about as high as you can go with the E5430's BIOS before you get display issues such as that.

I'm beginning to wonder if this is a fruitless exercise trying to solve this and that I should instead give up using the AppleBacklight kext completely and just stick with just native brightness control without any HUD (which isn't a deal breaker tbh, just would have been nice to have it properly mapped and controlled by OSX)?

 

[RehabMan]

Short answer is no, but there is a fundamental reason for that. Basically I'm currently on A12 (which was released Sep 2013), but if I try a version which is more recent (A13 thru to A20) then unfortunately the display corrupts into a sea of random colours whilst booting up OSX and it seems from what I have found posted elsewhere that version A12 is about as high as you can go with the E5430's BIOS before you get display issues such as that.

I'm beginning to wonder if this is a fruitless exercise trying to solve this and that I should instead give up using the AppleBacklight kext completely and just stick with just native brightness control without any HUD (which isn't a deal breaker tbh, just would have been nice to have it properly mapped and controlled by OSX)?

I think you will need to update your BIOS and find another fix for the display problem.
Perhaps you failed to enable CSM/legacy boot?

 

[amoxitine]

I think you will need to update your BIOS and find another fix for the display problem.
Perhaps you failed to enable CSM/legacy boot?

Legacy boot is enabled, not sure how I could go about fixing the graphics issue if I update the BIOS as it renders OSX as inaccessible because while it may boot into it, you can't see anything discernible (plus I think problem solving that issue will well surpass my limited tech knowledge on this!).

I did read elsewhere that changing the screen from the factory fitted one to a Samsung equivalent seems to be one way of fixing the problem, but does seem to be a bit of an extreme measure.

 

[RehabMan]

...
I did read elsewhere that changing the screen from the factory fitted one to a Samsung equivalent seems to be one way of fixing the problem, but does seem to be a bit of an extreme measure.

Your choice, I guess.