Desktop doesn't remember brightness settings after a reboot

Question

Every time I reboot my machine the brightness goes back to 100% in Gnome. I wish it would keep the last setting. Is there anyway?

Answer 1

This is supposed to be configurable in the energy options, set the brightness to the desired level and it will always be used. If you use a laptop you will also need to configure the level for battery mode as well...

I found that Gnome has some issues about lcd panel brightness, e.g. if I run on battery mode and set the brightness manually to a given level and leave the laptop unattended for 10 seconds it will go back to the preset brightness when I take control back. Same goes when on A/C mode except it takes longer so goes unnoticed more easily. I believe all those settings should be saved somewhere and restored - at least for A/C mode.

EDIT: For gnome3 this does not work (at least for me).

Answer 2

The file /etc/rc.local should looks like:

#!/bin/sh -e
#
# rc.local
#
# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.
# Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other
# value on error.
#
# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution
# bits.
#
# By default this script does nothing.
echo 0 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness
exit 0

Not like in a first answer.

Answer 3

Here is a quick workaround for that :- edit the /etc/rc.local file by typing sudo gedit /etc/rc.local in terminal comment out the exit 0 by adding # in the begining such that it looks like this :-

    #!/bin/sh -e
#
# rc.local
#
# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.
# Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other
# value on error.
#
# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution
# bits.
#
# By default this script does nothing.

#exit 0

this is necessary otherise it wont work !

after this add the following line in the file

echo 0 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness

such that it looks like this :-

#!/bin/sh -e
#
# rc.local
#
# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.
# Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other
# value on error.
#
# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution
# bits.
#
# By default this script does nothing.

#exit 0
echo 0 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness

replace 0 with the required brightness value ( ranges from 0 to 10 )

save the file and exit.

now try testing the setting by typing this command in terminal

echo 0 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness

if the brightness changes to minimum , you have got it right ! reboot to see the changes.

Note :- you may have to replace acpi_video0 with your device code if you have a different one ( its mostly acpi_video0 ). Most of u wont need to do so.

Answer 4

This function, the backlight control, is dependent on your bios and kernel version.

Try these four things.

Kernel (boot) options

When you boot, at the grub screen, hit e to edit. To the kernel line add nomodeset acpi_backlight=vendor Some hardware may work with different options.

Intel - nomodeset acpi_backlight=intel Acer - acpi_backlight=acer_acpi or even acpi_osi=Linux acpi_backlight=legacy.

As you can see, you may need to google search for your settings.

quiet splash nomodeset acpi_backlight=vendor

If that works, edit /etc/default/grub and add those options to the default options.

# command line
sudo -e /etc/default/grub

# graphical
gksu gedit /etc/default/grub

Edit the "GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT" line so it looks like this

    GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nomodeset acpi_backlight=vendor"

Save your edit, update grub

sudo update-grub

Command line

If that does not work, you can try to manually set the brightness.

Note: Path may vary with hardware / kernel version, may be /proc/acpi/video0 ..., you may need to browse the /proc/acpi directory to find the brightness setting and adjust the following commands accordingly.

cat /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness

The output of that command varies a bit with hardware, 1 -> 10 , 1 -> 12 , 1 -> 100 ??? Choose a value and set it (choose the value for your hardware).

sudo echo 80 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness

If that works, add it to /etc/rc.local

# command line
sudo -e /etc/rc.local

# graphical
gksu gedit /etc/rc.local

Add in your setting above "exit 0"

echo 80 > /proc/acpi/video/VGA/LCD/brightness

xbacklight

You can also try xbacklight

sudo apt-get install xbacklight

You then adjust with the command line

# For 80 % brightness
xbacklight -set 80

Again, add that to /etc/rc.local

# command line
sudo -e /etc/rc.local

# graphical
gksu gedit /etc/rc.local

Add in, above "exit 0"

xbacklight -set 80

setpci

You can try to set your brightness with setpci

The general syntax is

sudo setpci -s <address> f4.B=your_setting

You identify your pci bus address with

sudo lspci | grep VGA

Example

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Cirrus Logic GD 5446

setpci -s 00:02.0 F4.B=80

If you get your setting wrong, most likely you will just loose your display, and have to reboot. As this is a hardware setting, you really need to identify your hardware and research the settings first.

Examples

Intel - https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=74914

Toshiba - http://www.linlap.com/wiki/toshiba+satellite+t130

Acer extensa - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/518002

Ubuntu man page setpci

Answer 5

Run

echo 2 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness