Support for Linux

[wilporta]

I work in the IT industry and - like many people - I prefer to have both Windows and UNIX operating systems on a laptop. The Sony Vaio is a very nice laptop, but it there are a number of problems relating to Linux support. The main one which makes the laptop unpleasant to use is that the brightness of the monitor cannot be controlled. The hot keys do not work and there are a number of posts to NVIDIA, who make the GeForce card, Suse and Ubuntu relating to difficulties in getting the brightness control to work. I am surprised that Sony do not work with NVIDIA and Linux groups to resolve this problem. I am sure that a better support for Linux would be cheap to provide and would result in more sales.

There seem to be a number of half-hearted attempts to fix this problem with sonypi and spicctrl (which don't seem to work and which may apparently damage the laptop hardware). This is unsatisfactory.

I would be interested in knowing whether Sony's plans to support Linux better. Can I look forward to a time when I can use my Sony Vaio in Linux without wearing sunglasses?

Surely all that Sony and NVIDIA need to do is to make the interface specifications available to the Linux community so that these people can include the support? And this information must already exist because the brightness control works under other platforms like Windows Vista. What are the problems in making this information more widely available?

I quite understand that Sony recommend that Windows Vista be used as an operating system for the VGN-NR21Z. However, it would be useful if basic support were provided for other common platforms as well.

[IntuitiveNipple]

I'm the author of the in-development SNC driver for Linux, which is the subject of the Ubuntu forums thread "Calling all Vaio Owners" mentioned earlier. The aim is to provide 100% of the functionality seen by Vista users for every Vaio model that uses SNC. The work is being done by systematically observing how the Windows SNC and SXBIOS drivers behave and then implementing that same functionality in the snc.ko Linux driver, so that the driver will work with *all* Vaio models - past present and future.

The current sony-laptop kernel-module maintained by Mattia Dongili implements things in an ad-hoc way that requires constant patching to add support for new models, and doesn't support all the functionality available via the SNC for each model.

Benste, if you could get the Sony people to simply agree to co-operate with me to create the Linux driver based on the SNC Windows drivers, we could have 100% Linux functionality very quickly at no cost to Sony and with positive benefits for the Linux-on-Vaio users.

For LCD brightness issues, I've just updated the Gnome panel-applet that supports smartdimmer brightness control for GeForce Go 7600 and similar video adapters. The Ubuntu forums thread has the latest source-code and instructions for building it and I'm in the process of creating an Ubuntu package in my PPA to make it easy to install for all users.

Those having problems with the MotionEye, have you tried the r5u870 driver being maintained by Alex Hixon ? Alex is also working with me on analysing some of the SNC functionality and developing tools for Windows to identify capabilities.

[benste]

I think it will be difficult to get Sony working with someone of you it may be much easier if you ask specific questions. I hope we'll get a statement soon but this weeks we've got summer holidays so it will be not easy to get an answer asap. After holidays I'll ask again what sony says to 2nd level OS drivers.


@ Innutive Nuipple -
how did you get the brightness button for a Go7600 card working - I'm owner of a FE series which includes this card so please help me. (It may be easier to contact me for this problem via IM or E-Mail but don't expect replys till next saturday - normally I'm offline in my holidays.)

[AkeCake]

Registered just to post on this thread

And to ask sony to give developpers some hints on how to write drivers for their acpi
it shouldn't be that difficult.
the screen is too strong when you are in a dark room you need to keep the light on :s

Thanx in advance

[wilporta]

It is now almost the end of September. Do you have any news on support for Linux or on providing driver information to Linux groups so that drivers can be written? I understand that in other areas, Sony is a supporter of Linux (Playstation, OIN, etc.) and am surprised that limited support is available for Vaio Laptops.
William Portal.

[benste]

I have some good and bad news,
1st Sony didn't publish anything yet, but I'll ask on the next Clubvaio conference again.
2nd. Now there are 3 seperated Bug report in Lunchpad with a lot of people and at minimum one developing something, e.g. the Keys are working as an event for me now :-.)

Nvidia 7 series: https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/277589
Nvidia 8 series: https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/95444
Intel:https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/173652

PS: launchpad is the bug tracking site for ubuntu

[nielsslot]

Since today we got a working version of NVClock Smartdimmer for GeForce 8. See the launchpad bug ( https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/95444 ) for that (also for non Ubuntu users).

[benste]

🙂 I added a thread into german and englsih tipps direction yesterday 🙂


For all those who are reading this and thinking of changeing to Linux,
This BUg report means, that there is now a way to change brightness on different vaio models with a nvidia chipset. Before there wasn't a way because sony didn't (doesn't) anything.

[benste]

Great news, the work on the sony proprietary devices has been partly finished.
With the upcoming release of Ubuntu 9.04 all Issues concerning FN-Keys and Brightness should be solved.

Only the memorystick slot is not working atm.

[ggar]

Hi benste,

Great news indeed....could you tell me where did you find this information???

Best regards
gga

[benste]

Hi ggar, just check the 3 launchpad (ubuntu bugtracking) links above there're seperated into Intel, Nvidia 7- and Nvidia 8+

By the way in the latest Beta of 9.04 Ubuntu someone created a shortcut between HAL and smartdimmer, so now smartdimmer tries to dim with HAL and HAL wants to use smartdimmer, but don't worry the problem is known and may be patched before stable release.