Keyboard conflict

[ServiTec]

Hi everyone, I have a Vaio laptop and I decided to install the last MX version on it, everything works fine except for the keyboard. The problem is not present exactly when the system starts up. First of all this laptop model (SVE14126CXB) does not have the typical function key to activate the keyboard backlight, it just works by software, the problem I have is when the system initially starts up the keyboard backlight doesn't work, as I mentioned before there is no function key to activate it, the curious thing is when the laptop enters the sleeping mode, when the system returns from sleeping mode the keyboard backlight starts working but not the keyboard writing function, so the keyboard is not responding in writing but the backlight is turned on. I have to describe that during the boot process the keyboard backlight works normally, it seems like the function verification works fine but once the system finally enters the operating system the keyboard backlight turns off and there is no way to get it working again. Thank you.

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.10.0-11-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 10.2.1 
  parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-11-amd64 
  root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash 
  Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.20.5 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 7 dm: SDDM 
  Distro: MX-21_KDE_x64 Wildflower October 20  2021 
  base: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye) 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Sony product: SVE14126CXB v: C10FR8L5 
  serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Sony model: VAIO serial: <filter> UEFI-[Legacy]: Insyde 
  v: R0200D5 date: 09/26/2016 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT1 charge: 41.0 Wh (100.0%) condition: 41.0/63.3 Wh (64.8%) 
  volts: 4.0 min: 11.1 model: SONY Corp. VGP-BPS26A type: Li-ion 
  serial: <filter> status: Full 
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Wireless Mouse M185 
  serial: <filter> charge: 55% (should be ignored) rechargeable: yes 
  status: Discharging 
CPU:
  Info: Dual Core model: Intel Core i5-3210M bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Ivy Bridge family: 6 model-id: 3A (58) stepping: 9 microcode: 21 
  cache: L2: 3 MiB 
  flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 19954 
  Speed: 1348 MHz min/max: 1200/3100 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 1348 
  2: 1348 3: 1357 4: 1345 
  Vulnerabilities: Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled 
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, 
  SMT vulnerable 
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable 
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI 
  Type: spec_store_bypass 
  mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl and seccomp 
  Type: spectre_v1 
  mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization 
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Full generic retpoline, IBPB: 
  conditional, IBRS_FW, STIBP: conditional, RSB filling 
  Type: srbds status: Vulnerable: No microcode 
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics vendor: Sony 
  driver: i915 v: kernel bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0166 
  class-ID: 0300 
  Device-2: Chicony USB2.0 Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo 
  bus-ID: 1-1.3:4 chip-ID: 04f2:b32f class-ID: 0e02 serial: <filter> 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: 
  loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa display-ID: :0 screens: 1 
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1366x768 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 361x203mm (14.2x8.0") 
  s-diag: 414mm (16.3") 
  Monitor-1: LVDS-1 res: 1366x768 hz: 60 dpi: 112 
  size: 309x174mm (12.2x6.9") diag: 355mm (14") 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 4000 (IVB GT2) 
  v: 4.2 Mesa 21.2.5 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 7 Series/C216 Family High Definition Audio 
  vendor: Sony driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 
  chip-ID: 8086:1e20 class-ID: 0403 
  Device-2: Plantronics Plantronics C110 M type: USB 
  driver: plantronics,snd-usb-audio,usbhid bus-ID: 2-4:4 
  chip-ID: 047f:c00c class-ID: 0300 
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.10.0-11-amd64 running: yes 
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 14.2 running: yes 
Network:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 Wireless Network Adapter 
  vendor: Foxconn Unex DHXA-225 driver: ath9k v: kernel modules: wl 
  port: 3040 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 168c:0032 class-ID: 0280 
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
  vendor: Sony driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 2000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 
  chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200 
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Foxconn / Hon Hai Bluetooth USB Host Controller type: USB 
  driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-1.2:3 chip-ID: 0489:e036 class-ID: e001 
  serial: <filter> 
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter> 
  bt-v: 2.1 lmp-v: 4.0 sub-v: 1 hci-v: 4.0 rev: 102 
  Info: acl-mtu: 1022:8 sco-mtu: 183:5 link-policy: rswitch hold sniff 
  link-mode: slave accept 
  service-classes: rendering, capturing, object transfer, audio 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 327.18 GiB used: 9.83 GiB (3.0%) 
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required. 
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Toshiba model: MK3265GSXN 
  size: 298.09 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B 
  speed: 3.0 Gb/s type: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter> rev: 1M 
  scheme: MBR 
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 type: USB vendor: Kingston 
  model: DataTraveler 2.0 size: 29.08 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B 
  logical: 512 B type: N/A serial: <filter> rev: PMAP scheme: MBR 
  SMART Message: Unknown USB bridge. Flash drive/Unsupported enclosure? 
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 290.08 GiB size: 284.47 GiB (98.06%) 
  used: 9.83 GiB (3.5%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1 
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) 
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 8 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) 
  priority: -2 dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 51.0 C mobo: N/A 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:
  Packages: note: see --pkg apt: 2368 lib: 1309 flatpak: 0 
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list 
  1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-updates main contrib non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list 
  1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye main contrib non-free
  2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bullseye-security main contrib non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list 
  1: deb http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/mxlinux/mx/repo/ bullseye main non-free
  2: deb http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/mxlinux/mx/repo/ bullseye ahs
Info:
  Processes: 201 Uptime: 57m wakeups: 6 Memory: 5.69 GiB 
  used: 1.54 GiB (27.0%) Init: SysVinit v: 2.96 runlevel: 5 default: 5 
  tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 10.2.1 alt: 10 Shell: quick-system-in 
  default: Bash v: 5.1.4 running-in: quick-system-in inxi: 3.3.06 

[Huckleberry Finn]

If you like, try a more recent kernel , there's 5.16 in Popular Apps tab in MX Package Installer.

[Huckleberry Finn]

Also, other than trying to install "Vaio Control Center" on Linux, here's a simple solution :)

[fabio63]

Hi ServiTec, were you able to fix the problem with the Vaio's keyboard? I have a Vaio SVF1531c5E with the same problem and i can't seem to fix it.
Thank you

[Solon]

I have the same problem with a Toshiba Laptop. Now Toshiba builds-in specialized custom Function Keys dedicated to a number of options, but when in Linux, none of them work either.
However, when I (dual) boot back into Windows, the backlight comes on, and all of the Function Keys work just fine.

I had an illuminating experience with a Zoom Call. I was all set up and started it in MX Linux. I could see and hear them, but they could neither see nor hear me. In short my camera and mic were not functioning. I had to back out of the session, re-boot into Windows, download and install Zoom, and then get back on the Call. At that point everything worked fine!!!

Put simply, this is a firmware issue in laptops, and it all depends on the OS that the Laptop came loaded with!

Now some 'workarounds' have been discovered by folks over the years, but it depends on the laptop, year, BIOS and model. Thus, it is not an issue related to MX Linux, so the people here really can't help you.

Best advice is to search around on the Internet, and try some of these 'solutions'; and hope that your computer doesn't lock-up along the way. You may succeed, but from what I have reviewed, the odds are not good.
(Most of us just end up adjusting a light nearby so that we get illumination from the outside! )

Bottom line: The company that built your laptop never intended for the system to run on another OS. They were just happy to get everything to work before they shipped it.

Perhaps some day the manufacturers will make the firmware call-outs universal, so that a Linux Angel can come along and write a Debian program flatpak that will solve this for everyone (with new construction laptops). We can all wait for that day to arrive.

[fehlix]

Hi everyone, I have a Vaio laptop and I decided to install the last MX version on it, everything works fine except for the keyboard.

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.10.0-11-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 10.2.1 
  parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.10.0-11-amd64 
  root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash 
  Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.20.5 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 7 dm: SDDM 
  Distro: MX-21_KDE_x64 Wildflower October 20  2021 
  base: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye) 

The last current official release one is "MX-21.2.1_KDE_x64 Wildflower September 18 2022"
as indicated on the Download page:
https://mxlinux.org/download-links/

and announced here:
https://mxlinux.org/blog/mx-21-2-1-wildflower-released/
At least using the last released ISO, would avoid a big update,
but may be not of help in resp. to the issue mentioned.

[fabio63]

Hi @solon
yes, I had understood that it was because Sony had only bothered to make the notebook work with Windows, by now since the winmodem days (if you have my years you'll remember...) i'm used to these things, but i was hoping someone had found a workaround. Patience, i'll use it without the backlight, it's a good notebook anyway and it works wonderfully with MX!

Anyway, thanks to you and @fehlix for taking the time to answer me.