HOWTO_sony_vaio_backlight_dimming

This guide is mainly for the Sony Vaio VGN FS285M but should be applicable to any of the Sony Vaio FS series.

• Setting up a Portage overlay is a recommended read.

1. Download the FSFN Gentoo Portage overlay and extract in your portage overlay directory- usually /usr/local/portage. You should now have /usr/local/portage/app-laptop with fsfn and sonyacpi.

2. Unmask sonyacpi (and optionally fsfn if you wish to have Sony Vaio function keys functioning).

 echo "app-laptop/sonyacpi ~x86" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords

3. Run

 emerge sonyacpi

4. Run

 echo sonyacpi >> /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6

5. When you load the module either by restarting or using modprobe sonyacpi, you should now have a new /proc/acpi/sony directory. You should see 3 files; brightness, brightness_default and fnkey.

Lowest brightness:

 echo 1 > /proc/acpi/sony/brightness

Highest brightness:

 echo 8 > /proc/acpi/sony/brightness