Dell Mini 9

[bmarkus]

Compiling HAL its Dell Backlight feature is optional and requires libsmbios > 0.13.4 according to configure.

[Juanito]

That's something I didn't know about - reading up, I also saw this in the tc .config:

Code: [Select]

# CONFIG_DELL_RBU is not set
# CONFIG_DCDBAS is not set
..which might influence the use of libsmbios, etc

[curaga]

The bios updater certainly doesn't affect this, and I'm 80% sure the SMI part doesn't either. Those two are really enterprise options (remote shutdowns and bios updates).

[Juanito]

I compiled libsmbios, which also includes a number of python scripts - one the scripts looks like it could adjust the lcd backlighting, but needs one or other of the dell_rbu/dcdbas modules.

I'll tidy things up and post libsmbios and the modules

Note that on my d430, I can adjust the backlighting with the function keys using both Xvesa and Xorg without doing anything special. Using the function keys does not generate acpi events.

[Juanito]

Using the libsmbios extension, you can adjust the backlight like this:

Code: [Select]

$ sudo smbios-lcd-brightness --password=xxx -a --value=7
Reading current AC mode setting
    current: 3
        min: 0
        max: 7
Write new AC mode setting
Reading current AC mode setting
    current: 7
        min: 0
        max: 7
Note that the backlight adjustment cannot be set to "auto" for this to work.
ac = "-a"
battery = "-b"
xxx = bios power-on password

[h-munster]

Thank you to everyone for their efforts in trying to solve the Mini 9 backlight adjustment problem.

I tried acpid extension, and it didn't solve the problem.

By the way, when I first attempted acpid, errors appeared stating that a directory and subdirectory didn't exist, and acpid wouldn't run.  I had to mkdir the directory and sub-directory to get acpid to run.

I am also sorry to report that I tried the dell_rbu and dcdbas modules both separately and together, and they didn't help.  The smbios-lcd-brightness command/messages seemed to function (with the ac and battery flags), but there was no effect on the backlight brightness.

The key seems to be doing whatever it takes to make the  /sys/class/backlight directory appear.

[Juanito]

By the way, when I first attempted acpid, errors appeared stating that a directory and subdirectory didn't exist, and acpid wouldn't run.  I had to mkdir the directory and sub-directory to get acpid to run.

In the latest version of the acpid extension, the start-up script should take care of this - could you confirm which version you were using?

[h-munster]

In the latest version of the acpid extension, the start-up script should take care of this - could you confirm which version you were using?

I was using acpid-1.0.10 with the 2.6.29.1-tinycore kernel.

[Juanito]

If you look at /usr/local/tce.installed/acpid, do you see a script that creates /usr/local/etc/acpid/events (or something like that)?

If not, then you don't have the latest version of the extension.

[h-munster]

Thank you for your help.

/usr/local/tce.installed/acpid is an empty file -- no script

/usr/local/etc/acpid/events/ are the directory and subdirectory which do not exist

Here is the error when trying to start acpid:

Code: [Select]

root@box:~# acpid -d
acpid: starting up
acpid: opendir(/usr/local/etc/acpi/events): No such file or directory


/tmp/tcloop/acpid/usr/local/etc/init.d/acpid is this script:

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/sh

start() {
if [ ! -d /usr/local/etc/acpi/events ]; then
mkdir -p /usr/local/etc/acpi/events
fi
if [ ! -e /var/run/acpid.pid ]; then
/usr/local/sbin/acpid
fi
}

stop() {
killall acpid 2>/dev/null
}

status() {
if [ -e /var/run/acpid.pid ]; then
echo -e "\nacpid is running.\n"
else
echo -e "\nacpid is not running.\n"
fi
}

case $1 in
start) start
;;
stop) stop
;;
status) status
;;
restart) stop; start
;;
*) echo -e "\n$0 [start|stop|restart|status]\n"
;;
esac

Thanks.

[Juanito]

Ah- so much for my memory, I see the problem now. The init.d script creates the missing directory, but the start-up script does not, which means if you load the extension and run the daemon manually it will fail.

It would have been smarter to do things differently - I'm traveling at the moment, but I'll have a look at this when I get back.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Juanito]

updated acpid posted

[h-munster]

updated acpid posted

Thanks!

[nick65go]

Hi,

Thank you very much for Tiny Core! I love it, I think this will be the future for linux distributions...
It boots up in 12 seconds, from grub menu until I can move the mouse pointer. My grub menu.lst

title Tiny Core Linux tce home opt
root (hd0,1)
kernel /tiny/bzImage ht=on hpet=disabled embed tce=hda2 home=hda2 opt=hda2 norestore noswap nodhcp max_loops=255 quiet
initrd /tiny/tinycore.gz

I use TC 2.7 on dell mini 910. In /tce I have only 915resolution.tcz, wl.tcz +depenencies.
All tcz updated are into /tce/optional. I use the new ondemand script for menu/mount them.
I can see wifi as eth1 in iwconfig and ifconfig, but I can not connect to essid with WEP/WPA.

cat /opt/wlan0.sh
#!/bin/sh
modprobe lib80211_crypt_tkip
modprobe lib80211_crypt_wep
modprobe lib80211_crypt_ccmp
modprobe wl
route add default gw 192.168.1.1
echo nameserver 213.154.124.1 > /etc/resolv.conf
echo nameserver 193.231.252.1 >> /etc/resolv.conf
pkill udhcpc
iwconfig eth1 essid qubs key restricted 1122334455
ifconfig eth1 192.168.1.105 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 192.168.1.255 up

sudo iwlist txpower
eth1     2 available transmit-powers :
     0 dBm     (1 mW)
     25 dBm     (255 mW)
          Current Tx-Power:32 dBm     (1496 mW) ; hmm bugy

Also there are 11 chanels, not 13 when sudo iwlist channel.
I did not use yet wap_client or wpa_passphare...I would like to go with out it.

EDIT: solved buggy WL wireless driver.  (In bootlocal.sh is nothing to run)
in the end  of setup, eth0=wire and eth1=wireless
Initial lsmod shows that not all lib_cript_* are loaded, only tkip.
1. Initial sudo ifconfig do not show eth0 neither eth1. (Buggy, should show eth1, as WL is loaded)
2. Then sudo iwconfig trigger eth0 to show up, but not eth1. buggy aslo.
3. Now sudo ifconfig show up eth1 only.
4. Now sudo iwconfig show both eth0 and eth1 (not linked to ESSID).
We need something to arrive here quickly...
5. sudo /opt/wlan0.sh will associate with AP now.
I wait the new TC kernel, to eliminate broadcom proprietary wifi...

Thank you.

[roberts]

Not sure of the point of having both wired eth0 and wireless eth1 both up at the same time on the same network.

I always boot my mini with nodhcp and wireless works as I posted in the first message (no scripts needed)  in this topic. I am behind a firewall router.

Perhaps you need static IPs. Unless wireless is rarely used, I would have my wireless extensions in the tce directory not in tce/optional

Anyway, for kicks, I plugged in wired booted with the default dhcp request and had my wireless disabled. After boot with eth0 up. I see the same result as you for eth1. All trafic is on eth0 and my wireless access point is "Not-Associated".

But using one or the other works as expected.