PC Manufacturers Finally Embracing Linux, Sort Of

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=545266 http://lenovoblogs.com/insidethebox/?p=98

I put a comment on that blog, but I would like to reiterate here.

I want all those hardware-function buttons to work. Screen dimming, LCD/VGA-out, sound volume, all those pretty blue buttons on my mother's new laptop that give a little beep when pushed, but do nothing else because the function has been removed from hardware and put into software drivers written only for Windows.

It's sad that the laptop I have from 1998 has _more_ hardware functionality than the one I bought for my mom, because I cannot dim her screen.

With Dell it's still in the hardware. All that stuff worked on my previous D610 and also works on my current D520.

Those buttons still work, the problem is since each laptop is distinct and linux installs are fairly generic you have to go and map them, and in atleast one case with the volume buttons there is a module that needs to be loaded as well. I ran across a how-to awhile ago on the issue, I'll see if I can find it again.

Thanks. Yes, I know that the buttons still "do" what they always did. What is missing is the interpreter that will do the right things.

Sadly, the KDE "screen dimming" function says that the hardware is not supported.

So what I was asking Lenovo to consider was that they have to write that software driver for Windows, don't forget to write it for Linux too. Or at least to provide the specs.

Dell still does it in hardware? Fantastic! I will certainly be looking at Dell next time I need a machine. See? It's a real selling point. :^)

Quoting:Dell still does it in hardware?

From the looks of it yes. It could be software but in that case the drivers would be in the kernel tree, because the screen dimming functionality and related functions have all worked out of the box on all my Dell laptops with distros I have tried.