Benjamin Hilton, as per http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/Product/xps-15 an update is available for your BIOS (A08). If you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BiosUpdate , does it change anything?
If not, could you please both specify what happened, and provide the output of the following terminal command: sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date Please note your current BIOS is already in the Bug Description, so posting this on the old BIOS would not be helpful. For more on BIOS updates and linux, please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette . Thank you for your understanding. ** Description changed: - I'm using a Dell XPS 15, 13.04, kernel version 3.8.0.22.38. In order to get my backlight brightness control to work I have to use "acpi_backlight=vendor dell_laptop.backlight=0". The brightness controls don't work properly without 'dell_laptop.backlight=0'. 'acpi_backlight=vendor' means that if I quickly and repeatedly press the key to change brightness, it eventually lowers, but sometimes the down key makes it higher and visa versa, making it difficult to change. Adding 'dell_laptop.backlight=0' makes the controls work perfectly normally. - But when I boot, I get the message: dell_laptop: '0' invalid parameter for 'backlight', at which my computer then continues to boot and works normally, with the brightness control working. - It seems that I can change the '0' to anything, get the same message with the '0' changed to whatever I changed it to, and the brightness control still works (e.g. I tried changing the '0' to 'hiimbarhilton': the brightness controls still worked properly, and I still got the error message, just with 'hiimbarhilton' instead of '0'). The parameter makes the brightness work even though it seems to be invalid. + My backlight does not work by default. + + WORKAROUND: Use both kernel parameters: + acpi_backlight=vendor dell_laptop.backlight=0 + + Having just 'acpi_backlight=vendor' means that if I quickly and + repeatedly press the key to change brightness, it eventually lowers, but + sometimes the down key makes it higher and visa versa, making it + difficult to change. Adding 'dell_laptop.backlight=0' makes the controls + work perfectly normally. But when I boot, I get the message: + dell_laptop: '0' invalid parameter for 'backlight', at which my computer + then continues to boot and works normally, with the brightness control + working. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04 Package: linux-image-3.8.0-22-generic 3.8.0-22.33 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-22.33-generic 3.8.11 Uname: Linux 3.8.0-22-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8 Architecture: amd64 AudioDevicesInUse: USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC1: benjamin 4172 F.... pulseaudio /dev/snd/controlC0: benjamin 4172 F.... pulseaudio Date: Thu May 30 19:07:26 2013 HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=74004122-cb29-4972-92c0-8bd036223958 InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-04-26 (34 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424) MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS L501X MarkForUpload: True ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-22-generic root=UUID=df9e5312-fd68-4a0f-99fb-8b6667021bea ro quiet splash acpi_backlight=vendor dell_laptop.backlight=0 RelatedPackageVersions: linux-restricted-modules-3.8.0-22-generic N/A linux-backports-modules-3.8.0-22-generic N/A linux-firmware 1.106 RfKill: 0: phy0: Wireless LAN Soft blocked: no Hard blocked: no SourcePackage: linux UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) dmi.bios.date: 10/15/2010 dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc. dmi.bios.version: A03 dmi.board.name: 00CKNG dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc. dmi.board.version: A03 dmi.chassis.type: 8 dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc. dmi.chassis.version: A03 dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA03:bd10/15/2010:svnDellInc.:pnXPSL501X:pvrA03:rvnDellInc.:rn00CKNG:rvrA03:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrA03: dmi.product.name: XPS L501X dmi.product.version: A03 dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc. ** Tags added: bios-outdated-a08 ** Tags removed: kernel-bug-exists-upstream ** Tags added: kernel-bug-exists-upstream-v3.10-rc4 needs-upstream-testing ** Changed in: linux (Ubuntu) Status: Triaged => Incomplete ** Summary changed: - invalid parameter for 'backlight' message on boot + 8086:0046 [Dell XPS 15 L501x] Unable to change backlight by default ** Description changed: - My backlight does not work by default. + While I disabled my nvidia card in BIOS, I am unable to change the + backlight by default. WORKAROUND: Use both kernel parameters: acpi_backlight=vendor dell_laptop.backlight=0 Having just 'acpi_backlight=vendor' means that if I quickly and repeatedly press the key to change brightness, it eventually lowers, but sometimes the down key makes it higher and visa versa, making it difficult to change. Adding 'dell_laptop.backlight=0' makes the controls work perfectly normally. But when I boot, I get the message: dell_laptop: '0' invalid parameter for 'backlight', at which my computer then continues to boot and works normally, with the brightness control working. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04 Package: linux-image-3.8.0-22-generic 3.8.0-22.33 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-22.33-generic 3.8.11 Uname: Linux 3.8.0-22-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8 Architecture: amd64 AudioDevicesInUse: USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC1: benjamin 4172 F.... pulseaudio /dev/snd/controlC0: benjamin 4172 F.... pulseaudio Date: Thu May 30 19:07:26 2013 HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=74004122-cb29-4972-92c0-8bd036223958 InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-04-26 (34 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424) MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS L501X MarkForUpload: True ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-22-generic root=UUID=df9e5312-fd68-4a0f-99fb-8b6667021bea ro quiet splash acpi_backlight=vendor dell_laptop.backlight=0 RelatedPackageVersions: linux-restricted-modules-3.8.0-22-generic N/A linux-backports-modules-3.8.0-22-generic N/A linux-firmware 1.106 RfKill: 0: phy0: Wireless LAN Soft blocked: no Hard blocked: no SourcePackage: linux UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) dmi.bios.date: 10/15/2010 dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc. dmi.bios.version: A03 dmi.board.name: 00CKNG dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc. dmi.board.version: A03 dmi.chassis.type: 8 dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc. dmi.chassis.version: A03 dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA03:bd10/15/2010:svnDellInc.:pnXPSL501X:pvrA03:rvnDellInc.:rn00CKNG:rvrA03:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrA03: dmi.product.name: XPS L501X dmi.product.version: A03 dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel Packages, which is subscribed to linux in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1185927 Title: 8086:0046 [Dell XPS 15 L501x] Unable to change backlight by default Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete Bug description: While I disabled my nvidia card in BIOS, I am unable to change the backlight by default. WORKAROUND: Use both kernel parameters: acpi_backlight=vendor dell_laptop.backlight=0 Having just 'acpi_backlight=vendor' means that if I quickly and repeatedly press the key to change brightness, it eventually lowers, but sometimes the down key makes it higher and visa versa, making it difficult to change. Adding 'dell_laptop.backlight=0' makes the controls work perfectly normally. But when I boot, I get the message: dell_laptop: '0' invalid parameter for 'backlight', at which my computer then continues to boot and works normally, with the brightness control working. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04 Package: linux-image-3.8.0-22-generic 3.8.0-22.33 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-22.33-generic 3.8.11 Uname: Linux 3.8.0-22-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8 Architecture: amd64 AudioDevicesInUse: USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC1: benjamin 4172 F.... pulseaudio /dev/snd/controlC0: benjamin 4172 F.... pulseaudio Date: Thu May 30 19:07:26 2013 HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=74004122-cb29-4972-92c0-8bd036223958 InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-04-26 (34 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424) MachineType: Dell Inc. XPS L501X MarkForUpload: True ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-22-generic root=UUID=df9e5312-fd68-4a0f-99fb-8b6667021bea ro quiet splash acpi_backlight=vendor dell_laptop.backlight=0 RelatedPackageVersions: linux-restricted-modules-3.8.0-22-generic N/A linux-backports-modules-3.8.0-22-generic N/A linux-firmware 1.106 RfKill: 0: phy0: Wireless LAN Soft blocked: no Hard blocked: no SourcePackage: linux UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) dmi.bios.date: 10/15/2010 dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc. dmi.bios.version: A03 dmi.board.name: 00CKNG dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc. dmi.board.version: A03 dmi.chassis.type: 8 dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc. dmi.chassis.version: A03 dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA03:bd10/15/2010:svnDellInc.:pnXPSL501X:pvrA03:rvnDellInc.:rn00CKNG:rvrA03:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrA03: dmi.product.name: XPS L501X dmi.product.version: A03 dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc. To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1185927/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages Post to : kernel-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
