From bug https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=32742 I learned that the from Kernel 3.15 the Fn+Z function should be working on my Toshiba Qosmio X500, so I installed 3.16.1 and it does work: I can turn the keyboard backlight on and off. The only problem is that if it is off, eventually it will turn itself on by itself after a short period of time.
This does not seems to be an ACPI problem. does the keyboard backlight work if you blacklist toshiba-acpi driver?
ping...
I created a file called /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-toshiba-acpi with the content: 'blacklist toshiba_acpi' (with no quotes and underscore). After reboot, the output of 'lsmod | grep 'toshiba" gives me: toshiba_bluetooth 12867 0 toshiba_acpi 28375 0 sparse_keymap 13890 1 toshiba_acpi wmi 19379 1 toshiba_acpi The backlight keyboard does work after doing that.
(In reply to Zhang Rui from comment #1) > This does not seems to be an ACPI problem. > does the keyboard backlight work if you blacklist toshiba-acpi driver? Right, the driver only exposes a LED device, but the kernel does not control such LED (unless a distro specific patch is applied and controls it, which I really doubt it), it's up to userspace apps, daemons, etc., to turn it on/off. (In reply to Marcelo Ruiz from comment #3) > I created a file called /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-toshiba-acpi with the > content: > 'blacklist toshiba_acpi' (with no quotes and underscore). > After reboot, the output of 'lsmod | grep 'toshiba" gives me: > > toshiba_bluetooth 12867 0 > toshiba_acpi 28375 0 > sparse_keymap 13890 1 toshiba_acpi > wmi 19379 1 toshiba_acpi > > The backlight keyboard does work after doing that. AFAIK, all the files under modprobe.d MUST have the .conf extension in order to get loaded, that's why toshiba_acpi is not blacklisted at all.
re-assign to the toshiba_acpi driver experts.
Sorry, my bad. I renamed the file to end in .conf Now the output of lsmod | grep 'toshiba' returns only: toshiba_bluetooth 12867 0 The keyboard backlight still works when I press Fn+Z. Anything else that need to be tested?
(In reply to Marcelo Ruiz from comment #6) > Sorry, my bad. I renamed the file to end in .conf > Now the output of lsmod | grep 'toshiba' returns only: > > toshiba_bluetooth 12867 0 > > The keyboard backlight still works when I press Fn+Z. Well, that's new, your model and mine (X505) share the same motherboard and BIOS, and I was really expecting the keyboard backlight not to work anymore, which seems an indications that is being controlled internally via embedded firmware. > Anything else that need to be tested? Just make sure you are on the latest BIOS, IIRC, it shoud be 1.90
My BIOS version is 1.90