Is there an iMac brightness gadget/widget?

Question

So I'm running Ubuntu 12.04.1 on an iMac G5 with PowerPC architecture. I know there's this thing called fblevel that can adjust screen brightness, but I don't really know how to use it, and I really hate starting at the terminal all day long.

Is there a slider that one can install for this?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I wrote a simple script to adjust the brightness om my iMac 27" running Ubuntu 11.10 oneiric. The script is using the gsd-backlight-helper thats also available in Ubuntu precise 12.10 so I suppose this also works in 12.10. (let me know)

My solution is to add two brightness icons on the gnome-panel. One for brightness-up and one for brightness-down. (see screenshot)

Copy the script imac-brightness.sh in your /home/USER/ directory

#!/bin/bash

# get the brightness as it is now
BRIGHTNESS=$(pkexec /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon/gsd-backlight-helper --get-brightness)

# Get the maximum possible brightness to set
MAXBRIGHTNESS=$(pkexec /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon/gsd-backlight-helper --get-max-brightness )

# If the user want to set the brightness higher than now the
# script is calles with the argument --up 
# ./imac_brightness.sh --up 
if [ $1 == "--up" ];
   then
    # Check if we got more brightness steps left to raise the brightness
    if [ $BRIGHTNESS -lt $MAXBRIGHTNESS ] ;
        then    
        pkexec /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon/gsd-backlight-helper --set-brightness $(($BRIGHTNESS + 1 ));
    fi  
fi

# If the user want to set the brightness lower than now the
# script is calles with the argument --down 
# ./imac_brightness.sh --down 
if [ $1 == "--down" ]
   then
    # Check if the brightness is't  as low as 1.
    # We won't go lower than 1
    if [ $BRIGHTNESS -gt 1 ] ;
        then    
       pkexec /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon/gsd-backlight-helper --set-brightness $(($BRIGHTNESS - 1 ));
    fi
fi

Make the script executable

chmod 755 ./imac-brightness.sh

Copy the brightness-icons in your home directory (or wherever you want, as long if you know where you put them)

Now add the icons to the gnome panel (Mouse pointer on the gnome-panel and press left Alt key + right mouse button)

For Brightness DOWN

• add to panel
• Custom Application Launcher
• Name: Brightness Down
• Command: /home/USER/imac_brightness.sh --down
• Select the Brightness Down icon

For Brightness UP

• add to panel
• Custom Application Launcher
• Name: Brightness Up
• Command: /home/USER/imac_brightness.sh --up
• Select the Brightness Up icon

Notice the double "-" (minus sign) in --up and --down

Now you got two Icon on your gnome-panel. Simply click the Up or Down to adjust the brightness.