I have kernel 2.4.20 running on a Compaq presario 724 EA. I patched it with ACPI support and that works. Fan is not always on and it doesn't run hot or any ugly stuff like that.

The laptop power button and the lid switch both generate an ACPI event but the Fn button in combination with F3 (should control VGA output for use with beamers) and Fn + F7 or Fn + F8 (brightness) do not. In fact, Fn + F3 or F7, F8 is similar to only F3, F7 or F8 without the Fn button. So it seems the Fn button is just not recognized.

Does anyone have an idea what the problem might be here?

HC

To the best of my knowledge, something like Fn+F7 to control brightness has nothing to do with what kernel you're running. I think that's purely a hardware issue. You don't happen to have a dual boot system to check if the buttons are working under windows or something do you?

I have win XP on it too and I checked it. They don't work in XP either.
Funny thing is I messed around with hooking my laptop up to a TV when I had just bought it and it the VGA output button (Fn + F3 in this case) was working then.

I have checked compaq support and google. But there isn't any real useful info. What I did find is that this button is, as you say, hardwired.

Maybe I'll try calling compaq tech support tomorrow.

Thanks for you reply!

HC

...well at least a partial oops.
I figured out that in windows it is alt+Fn+F? to get it working.

Still....in linux I get no ACPI event though.

I hooked it up to the CRT downstairs and when I reboot I see the same thing, without changing the video output. So at least that works.

HC

Alt+Fn... that's odd (and seemingly inconvenient) for a laptop. As far as ACPI... I'm not too sure... (I'm an apm guy myself). I would probably just recommend reading over the acpi documentation as much as possible. Its very possible that a configuration file somewhere needs altered.

anyone else know more about acpi??

yeah....working on that. I found a webpage where someone did this with the same computer on Debian and kernel 2.4.20 and the buttons did work.

Could this be a distro related problem.....that seems very odd to me...

Thanks for your tips.

HC

I solved it: Fn+ctrl and then a function key (stupid stupid stupid!)

See also this thread

HC

Interesting stuff.

Glad you got it figured out.

well interesting is a bit too much credit for such a silly problem I guess.
It's still useful though, especially the vga output key if you have to do a presentation (could use windows but where's the fun in that eh?)

HC