From c76911bc6b0aa6280bee01ab01a7c790029c47ef Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lv Zheng Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:03:13 +0800 Subject: ACPI: Add ACPI namespace documentation ACPI is implemented as a subsystem in Linux, it creates a device tree by mapping specific ACPI namespace objects (Device/Processor/PowerResource/ThermalZone) into Linux device objects. This patch adds documentation for the ACPI device tree. Signed-off-by: Lv Zheng Signed-off-by: Rafael J. Wysocki --- Documentation/acpi/namespace.txt | 395 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 395 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Documentation/acpi/namespace.txt (limited to 'Documentation/acpi') diff --git a/Documentation/acpi/namespace.txt b/Documentation/acpi/namespace.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..260f6a3661fa --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/acpi/namespace.txt @@ -0,0 +1,395 @@ +ACPI Device Tree - Representation of ACPI Namespace + +Copyright (C) 2013, Intel Corporation +Author: Lv Zheng + + +Abstract: + +The Linux ACPI subsystem converts ACPI namespace objects into a Linux +device tree under the /sys/devices/LNXSYSTEM:00 and updates it upon +receiving ACPI hotplug notification events. For each device object in this +hierarchy there is a corresponding symbolic link in the +/sys/bus/acpi/devices. +This document illustrates the structure of the ACPI device tree. + + +Credit: + +Thanks for the help from Zhang Rui and Rafael J. +Wysocki . + + +1. ACPI Definition Blocks + + The ACPI firmware sets up RSDP (Root System Description Pointer) in the + system memory address space pointing to the XSDT (Extended System + Description Table). The XSDT always points to the FADT (Fixed ACPI + Description Table) using its first entry, the data within the FADT + includes various fixed-length entries that describe fixed ACPI features + of the hardware. The FADT contains a pointer to the DSDT + (Differentiated System Descripition Table). The XSDT also contains + entries pointing to possibly multiple SSDTs (Secondary System + Description Table). + + The DSDT and SSDT data is organized in data structures called definition + blocks that contain definitions of various objects, including ACPI + control methods, encoded in AML (ACPI Machine Language). The data block + of the DSDT along with the contents of SSDTs represents a hierarchical + data structure called the ACPI namespace whose topology reflects the + structure of the underlying hardware platform. + + The relationships between ACPI System Definition Tables described above + are illustrated in the following diagram. + + +---------+ +-------+ +--------+ +------------------------+ + | RSDP | +->| XSDT | +->| FADT | | +-------------------+ | + +---------+ | +-------+ | +--------+ +-|->| DSDT | | + | Pointer | | | Entry |-+ | ...... | | | +-------------------+ | + +---------+ | +-------+ | X_DSDT |--+ | | Definition Blocks | | + | Pointer |-+ | ..... | | ...... | | +-------------------+ | + +---------+ +-------+ +--------+ | +-------------------+ | + | Entry |------------------|->| SSDT | | + +- - - -+ | +-------------------| | + | Entry | - - - - - - - -+ | | Definition Blocks | | + +- - - -+ | | +-------------------+ | + | | +- - - - - - - - - -+ | + +-|->| SSDT | | + | +-------------------+ | + | | Definition Blocks | | + | +- - - - - - - - - -+ | + +------------------------+ + | + OSPM Loading | + \|/ + +----------------+ + | ACPI Namespace | + +----------------+ + + Figure 1. ACPI Definition Blocks + + NOTE: RSDP can also contain a pointer to the RSDT (Root System + Description Table). Platforms provide RSDT to enable + compatibility with ACPI 1.0 operating systems. The OS is expected + to use XSDT, if present. + + +2. Example ACPI Namespace + + All definition blocks are loaded into a single namespace. The namespace + is a hierarchy of objects identified by names and paths. + The following naming conventions apply to object names in the ACPI + namespace: + 1. All names are 32 bits long. + 2. The first byte of a name must be one of 'A' - 'Z', '_'. + 3. Each of the remaining bytes of a name must be one of 'A' - 'Z', '0' + - '9', '_'. + 4. Names starting with '_' are reserved by the ACPI specification. + 5. The '\' symbol represents the root of the namespace (i.e. names + prepended with '\' are relative to the namespace root). + 6. The '^' symbol represents the parent of the current namespace node + (i.e. names prepended with '^' are relative to the parent of the + current namespace node). + + The figure below shows an example ACPI namespace. + + +------+ + | \ | Root + +------+ + | + | +------+ + +-| _PR | Scope(_PR): the processor namespace + | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| CPU0 | Processor(CPU0): the first processor + | +------+ + | + | +------+ + +-| _SB | Scope(_SB): the system bus namespace + | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| LID0 | Device(LID0); the lid device + | | +------+ + | | | + | | | +------+ + | | +-| _HID | Name(_HID, "PNP0C0D"): the hardware ID + | | | +------+ + | | | + | | | +------+ + | | +-| _STA | Method(_STA): the status control method + | | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| PCI0 | Device(PCI0); the PCI root bridge + | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| _HID | Name(_HID, "PNP0A08"): the hardware ID + | | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| _CID | Name(_CID, "PNP0A03"): the compatible ID + | | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| RP03 | Scope(RP03): the PCI0 power scope + | | +------+ + | | | + | | | +------+ + | | +-| PXP3 | PowerResource(PXP3): the PCI0 power resource + | | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| GFX0 | Device(GFX0): the graphics adapter + | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| _ADR | Name(_ADR, 0x00020000): the PCI bus address + | | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| DD01 | Device(DD01): the LCD output device + | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| _BCL | Method(_BCL): the backlight control method + | +------+ + | + | +------+ + +-| _TZ | Scope(_TZ): the thermal zone namespace + | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| FN00 | PowerResource(FN00): the FAN0 power resource + | | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| FAN0 | Device(FAN0): the FAN0 cooling device + | | +------+ + | | | + | | | +------+ + | | +-| _HID | Name(_HID, "PNP0A0B"): the hardware ID + | | +------+ + | | + | | +------+ + | +-| TZ00 | ThermalZone(TZ00); the FAN thermal zone + | +------+ + | + | +------+ + +-| _GPE | Scope(_GPE): the GPE namespace + +------+ + + Figure 2. Example ACPI Namespace + + +3. Linux ACPI Device Objects + + The Linux kernel's core ACPI subsystem creates struct acpi_device + objects for ACPI namespace objects representing devices, power resources + processors, thermal zones. Those objects are exported to user space via + sysfs as directories in the subtree under /sys/devices/LNXSYSTM:00. The + format of their names is , where 'bus_id' refers to the + ACPI namespace representation of the given object and 'instance' is used + for distinguishing different object of the same 'bus_id' (it is + two-digit decimal representation of an unsigned integer). + + The value of 'bus_id' depends on the type of the object whose name it is + part of as listed in the table below. + + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | | Object/Feature | Table | bus_id | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | N | Root | xSDT | LNXSYSTM | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | N | Device | xSDT | _HID | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | N | Processor | xSDT | LNXCPU | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | N | ThermalZone | xSDT | LNXTHERM | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | N | PowerResource | xSDT | LNXPOWER | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | N | Other Devices | xSDT | device | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | F | PWR_BUTTON | FADT | LNXPWRBN | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | F | SLP_BUTTON | FADT | LNXSLPBN | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | M | Video Extension | xSDT | LNXVIDEO | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | M | ATA Controller | xSDT | LNXIOBAY | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + | M | Docking Station | xSDT | LNXDOCK | + +---+-----------------+-------+----------+ + + Table 1. ACPI Namespace Objects Mapping + + The following rules apply when creating struct acpi_device objects on + the basis of the contents of ACPI System Description Tables (as + indicated by the letter in the first column and the notation in the + second column of the table above): + N: + The object's source is an ACPI namespace node (as indicated by the + named object's type in the second column). In that case the object's + directory in sysfs will contain the 'path' attribute whose value is + the full path to the node from the namespace root. + struct acpi_device objects are created for the ACPI namespace nodes + whose _STA control methods return PRESENT or FUNCTIONING. The power + resource nodes or nodes without _STA are assumed to be both PRESENT + and FUNCTIONING. + F: + The struct acpi_device object is created for a fixed hardware + feature (as indicated by the fixed feature flag's name in the second + column), so its sysfs directory will not contain the 'path' + attribute. + M: + The struct acpi_device object is created for an ACPI namespace node + with specific control methods (as indicated by the ACPI defined + device's type in the second column). The 'path' attribute containing + its namespace path will be present in its sysfs directory. For + example, if the _BCL method is present for an ACPI namespace node, a + struct acpi_device object with LNXVIDEO 'bus_id' will be created for + it. + + The third column of the above table indicates which ACPI System + Description Tables contain information used for the creation of the + struct acpi_device objects represented by the given row (xSDT means DSDT + or SSDT). + + The forth column of the above table indicates the 'bus_id' generation + rule of the struct acpi_device object: + _HID: + _HID in the last column of the table means that the object's bus_id + is derived from the _HID/_CID identification objects present under + the corresponding ACPI namespace node. The object's sysfs directory + will then contain the 'hid' and 'modalias' attributes that can be + used to retrieve the _HID and _CIDs of that object. + LNXxxxxx: + The 'modalias' attribute is also present for struct acpi_device + objects having bus_id of the "LNXxxxxx" form (pseudo devices), in + which cases it contains the bus_id string itself. + device: + 'device' in the last column of the table indicates that the object's + bus_id cannot be determined from _HID/_CID of the corresponding + ACPI namespace node, although that object represents a device (for + example, it may be a PCI device with _ADR defined and without _HID + or _CID). In that case the string 'device' will be used as the + object's bus_id. + + +4. Linux ACPI Physical Device Glue + + ACPI device (i.e. struct acpi_device) objects may be linked to other + objects in the Linux' device hierarchy that represent "physical" devices + (for example, devices on the PCI bus). If that happens, it means that + the ACPI device object is a "companion" of a device otherwise + represented in a different way and is used (1) to provide configuration + information on that device which cannot be obtained by other means and + (2) to do specific things to the device with the help of its ACPI + control methods. One ACPI device object may be linked this way to + multiple "physical" devices. + + If an ACPI device object is linked to a "physical" device, its sysfs + directory contains the "physical_node" symbolic link to the sysfs + directory of the target device object. In turn, the target device's + sysfs directory will then contain the "firmware_node" symbolic link to + the sysfs directory of the companion ACPI device object. + The linking mechanism relies on device identification provided by the + ACPI namespace. For example, if there's an ACPI namespace object + representing a PCI device (i.e. a device object under an ACPI namespace + object representing a PCI bridge) whose _ADR returns 0x00020000 and the + bus number of the parent PCI bridge is 0, the sysfs directory + representing the struct acpi_device object created for that ACPI + namespace object will contain the 'physical_node' symbolic link to the + /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:02:0/ sysfs directory of the + corresponding PCI device. + + The linking mechanism is generally bus-specific. The core of its + implementation is located in the drivers/acpi/glue.c file, but there are + complementary parts depending on the bus types in question located + elsewhere. For example, the PCI-specific part of it is located in + drivers/pci/pci-acpi.c. + + +5. Example Linux ACPI Device Tree + + The sysfs hierarchy of struct acpi_device objects corresponding to the + example ACPI namespace illustrated in Figure 2 with the addition of + fixed PWR_BUTTON/SLP_BUTTON devices is shown below. + + +--------------+---+-----------------+ + | LNXSYSTEM:00 | \ | acpi:LNXSYSTEM: | + +--------------+---+-----------------+ + | + | +-------------+-----+----------------+ + +-| LNXPWRBN:00 | N/A | acpi:LNXPWRBN: | + | +-------------+-----+----------------+ + | + | +-------------+-----+----------------+ + +-| LNXSLPBN:00 | N/A | acpi:LNXSLPBN: | + | +-------------+-----+----------------+ + | + | +-----------+------------+--------------+ + +-| LNXCPU:00 | \_PR_.CPU0 | acpi:LNXCPU: | + | +-----------+------------+--------------+ + | + | +-------------+-------+----------------+ + +-| LNXSYBUS:00 | \_SB_ | acpi:LNXSYBUS: | + | +-------------+-------+----------------+ + | | + | | +- - - - - - - +- - - - - - +- - - - - - - -+ + | +-| * PNP0C0D:00 | \_SB_.LID0 | acpi:PNP0C0D: | + | | +- - - - - - - +- - - - - - +- - - - - - - -+ + | | + | | +------------+------------+-----------------------+ + | +-| PNP0A08:00 | \_SB_.PCI0 | acpi:PNP0A08:PNP0A03: | + | +------------+------------+-----------------------+ + | | + | | +-----------+-----------------+-----+ + | +-| device:00 | \_SB_.PCI0.RP03 | N/A | + | | +-----------+-----------------+-----+ + | | | + | | | +-------------+----------------------+----------------+ + | | +-| LNXPOWER:00 | \_SB_.PCI0.RP03.PXP3 | acpi:LNXPOWER: | + | | +-------------+----------------------+----------------+ + | | + | | +-------------+-----------------+----------------+ + | +-| LNXVIDEO:00 | \_SB_.PCI0.GFX0 | acpi:LNXVIDEO: | + | +-------------+-----------------+----------------+ + | | + | | +-----------+-----------------+-----+ + | +-| device:01 | \_SB_.PCI0.DD01 | N/A | + | +-----------+-----------------+-----+ + | + | +-------------+-------+----------------+ + +-| LNXSYBUS:01 | \_TZ_ | acpi:LNXSYBUS: | + +-------------+-------+----------------+ + | + | +-------------+------------+----------------+ + +-| LNXPOWER:0a | \_TZ_.FN00 | acpi:LNXPOWER: | + | +-------------+------------+----------------+ + | + | +------------+------------+---------------+ + +-| PNP0C0B:00 | \_TZ_.FAN0 | acpi:PNP0C0B: | + | +------------+------------+---------------+ + | + | +-------------+------------+----------------+ + +-| LNXTHERM:00 | \_TZ_.TZ00 | acpi:LNXTHERM: | + +-------------+------------+----------------+ + + Figure 3. Example Linux ACPI Device Tree + + NOTE: Each node is represented as "object/path/modalias", where: + 1. 'object' is the name of the object's directory in sysfs. + 2. 'path' is the ACPI namespace path of the corresponding + ACPI namespace object, as returned by the object's 'path' + sysfs attribute. + 3. 'modalias' is the value of the object's 'modalias' sysfs + attribute (as described earlier in this document). + NOTE: N/A indicates the device object does not have the 'path' or the + 'modalias' attribute. + NOTE: The PNP0C0D device listed above is highlighted (marked by "*") + to indicate it will be created only when its _STA methods return + PRESENT or FUNCTIONING. -- cgit v1.2.3-58-ga151 From 70e66e4df19167653aba95b4dacbcfd3254a4019 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Aaron Lu Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 00:15:59 +0200 Subject: ACPI / video: move video_extension.txt to Documentation/acpi ACPI video driver is written according to ACPI spec, appendix B: Video Extensions. So it better be put under the acpi directory instead of the power directory. This patch moves the file there without any other change. Signed-off-by: Aaron Lu Signed-off-by: Rafael J. Wysocki --- Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt | 37 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Documentation/power/video_extension.txt | 37 --------------------------------- 2 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 37 deletions(-) create mode 100644 Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt delete mode 100644 Documentation/power/video_extension.txt (limited to 'Documentation/acpi') diff --git a/Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt b/Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..b2f9b1598ac2 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +ACPI video extensions +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + +This driver implement the ACPI Extensions For Display Adapters for +integrated graphics devices on motherboard, as specified in ACPI 2.0 +Specification, Appendix B, allowing to perform some basic control like +defining the video POST device, retrieving EDID information or to +setup a video output, etc. Note that this is an ref. implementation +only. It may or may not work for your integrated video device. + +Interfaces exposed to userland through /proc/acpi/video: + +VGA/info : display the supported video bus device capability like Video ROM, CRT/LCD/TV. +VGA/ROM : Used to get a copy of the display devices' ROM data (up to 4k). +VGA/POST_info : Used to determine what options are implemented. +VGA/POST : Used to get/set POST device. +VGA/DOS : Used to get/set ownership of output switching: + Please refer ACPI spec B.4.1 _DOS +VGA/CRT : CRT output +VGA/LCD : LCD output +VGA/TVO : TV output +VGA/*/brightness : Used to get/set brightness of output device + +Notify event through /proc/acpi/event: + +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_SWITCH 0x80 +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_PROBE 0x81 +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_CYCLE 0x82 +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_NEXT_OUTPUT 0x83 +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_PREV_OUTPUT 0x84 + +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_CYCLE_BRIGHTNESS 0x82 +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_INC_BRIGHTNESS 0x83 +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_DEC_BRIGHTNESS 0x84 +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_ZERO_BRIGHTNESS 0x85 +#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_DISPLAY_OFF 0x86 + diff --git a/Documentation/power/video_extension.txt b/Documentation/power/video_extension.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b2f9b1598ac2..000000000000 --- a/Documentation/power/video_extension.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,37 +0,0 @@ -ACPI video extensions -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - -This driver implement the ACPI Extensions For Display Adapters for -integrated graphics devices on motherboard, as specified in ACPI 2.0 -Specification, Appendix B, allowing to perform some basic control like -defining the video POST device, retrieving EDID information or to -setup a video output, etc. Note that this is an ref. implementation -only. It may or may not work for your integrated video device. - -Interfaces exposed to userland through /proc/acpi/video: - -VGA/info : display the supported video bus device capability like Video ROM, CRT/LCD/TV. -VGA/ROM : Used to get a copy of the display devices' ROM data (up to 4k). -VGA/POST_info : Used to determine what options are implemented. -VGA/POST : Used to get/set POST device. -VGA/DOS : Used to get/set ownership of output switching: - Please refer ACPI spec B.4.1 _DOS -VGA/CRT : CRT output -VGA/LCD : LCD output -VGA/TVO : TV output -VGA/*/brightness : Used to get/set brightness of output device - -Notify event through /proc/acpi/event: - -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_SWITCH 0x80 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_PROBE 0x81 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_CYCLE 0x82 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_NEXT_OUTPUT 0x83 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_PREV_OUTPUT 0x84 - -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_CYCLE_BRIGHTNESS 0x82 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_INC_BRIGHTNESS 0x83 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_DEC_BRIGHTNESS 0x84 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_ZERO_BRIGHTNESS 0x85 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_DISPLAY_OFF 0x86 - -- cgit v1.2.3-58-ga151 From 86393865f0c9f7002aa1fc2b8bdce11f3aefcebe Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Aaron Lu Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 15:08:57 +0800 Subject: ACPI / video: update video_extension.txt for backlight control The ACPI video driver has changed a lot, and it doesn't export interfaces in /proc any more, so the documentation for it should be updated. This update focuses on ACPI video driver's backlight control. Signed-off-by: Aaron Lu Signed-off-by: Rafael J. Wysocki --- Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt | 121 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 95 insertions(+), 26 deletions(-) (limited to 'Documentation/acpi') diff --git a/Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt b/Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt index b2f9b1598ac2..78b32ac02466 100644 --- a/Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt +++ b/Documentation/acpi/video_extension.txt @@ -8,30 +8,99 @@ defining the video POST device, retrieving EDID information or to setup a video output, etc. Note that this is an ref. implementation only. It may or may not work for your integrated video device. -Interfaces exposed to userland through /proc/acpi/video: - -VGA/info : display the supported video bus device capability like Video ROM, CRT/LCD/TV. -VGA/ROM : Used to get a copy of the display devices' ROM data (up to 4k). -VGA/POST_info : Used to determine what options are implemented. -VGA/POST : Used to get/set POST device. -VGA/DOS : Used to get/set ownership of output switching: - Please refer ACPI spec B.4.1 _DOS -VGA/CRT : CRT output -VGA/LCD : LCD output -VGA/TVO : TV output -VGA/*/brightness : Used to get/set brightness of output device - -Notify event through /proc/acpi/event: - -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_SWITCH 0x80 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_PROBE 0x81 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_CYCLE 0x82 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_NEXT_OUTPUT 0x83 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_PREV_OUTPUT 0x84 - -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_CYCLE_BRIGHTNESS 0x82 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_INC_BRIGHTNESS 0x83 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_DEC_BRIGHTNESS 0x84 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_ZERO_BRIGHTNESS 0x85 -#define ACPI_VIDEO_NOTIFY_DISPLAY_OFF 0x86 +The ACPI video driver does 3 things regarding backlight control: +1 Export a sysfs interface for user space to control backlight level + +If the ACPI table has a video device, and acpi_backlight=vendor kernel +command line is not present, the driver will register a backlight device +and set the required backlight operation structure for it for the sysfs +interface control. For every registered class device, there will be a +directory named acpi_videoX under /sys/class/backlight. + +The backlight sysfs interface has a standard definition here: +Documentation/ABI/stable/sysfs-class-backlight. + +And what ACPI video driver does is: +actual_brightness: on read, control method _BQC will be evaluated to +get the brightness level the firmware thinks it is at; +bl_power: not implemented, will set the current brightness instead; +brightness: on write, control method _BCM will run to set the requested +brightness level; +max_brightness: Derived from the _BCL package(see below); +type: firmware + +Note that ACPI video backlight driver will always use index for +brightness, actual_brightness and max_brightness. So if we have +the following _BCL package: + +Method (_BCL, 0, NotSerialized) +{ + Return (Package (0x0C) + { + 0x64, + 0x32, + 0x0A, + 0x14, + 0x1E, + 0x28, + 0x32, + 0x3C, + 0x46, + 0x50, + 0x5A, + 0x64 + }) +} + +The first two levels are for when laptop are on AC or on battery and are +not used by Linux currently. The remaining 10 levels are supported levels +that we can choose from. The applicable index values are from 0 (that +corresponds to the 0x0A brightness value) to 9 (that corresponds to the +0x64 brightness value) inclusive. Each of those index values is regarded +as a "brightness level" indicator. Thus from the user space perspective +the range of available brightness levels is from 0 to 9 (max_brightness) +inclusive. + +2 Notify user space about hotkey event + +There are generally two cases for hotkey event reporting: +i) For some laptops, when user presses the hotkey, a scancode will be + generated and sent to user space through the input device created by + the keyboard driver as a key type input event, with proper remap, the + following key code will appear to user space: + + EV_KEY, KEY_BRIGHTNESSUP + EV_KEY, KEY_BRIGHTNESSDOWN + etc. + +For this case, ACPI video driver does not need to do anything(actually, +it doesn't even know this happened). + +ii) For some laptops, the press of the hotkey will not generate the + scancode, instead, firmware will notify the video device ACPI node + about the event. The event value is defined in the ACPI spec. ACPI + video driver will generate an key type input event according to the + notify value it received and send the event to user space through the + input device it created: + + event keycode + 0x86 KEY_BRIGHTNESSUP + 0x87 KEY_BRIGHTNESSDOWN + etc. + +so this would lead to the same effect as case i) now. + +Once user space tool receives this event, it can modify the backlight +level through the sysfs interface. + +3 Change backlight level in the kernel + +This works for machines covered by case ii) in Section 2. Once the driver +received a notification, it will set the backlight level accordingly. This does +not affect the sending of event to user space, they are always sent to user +space regardless of whether or not the video module controls the backlight level +directly. This behaviour can be controlled through the brightness_switch_enabled +module parameter as documented in kernel-parameters.txt. It is recommended to +disable this behaviour once a GUI environment starts up and wants to have full +control of the backlight level. -- cgit v1.2.3-58-ga151