Kernel: Messing With Laptop Screens
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Results of requested backlight testing for 6.1 - Hans' hacking log — LiveJournal
I have received quite a few test reports in response to my previous blog post. Many thanks to everyone who has run the tests and send me their results!
These tests show that as a result of the current 6.1 changes quite a few laptop models will end up with an empty "/sys/class/backlight", breaking users ability to control their laptop panel's brightness.
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Second request for Linux backlight testing for changes planned for 6.2 - Hans' hacking log — LiveJournal
As mentioned in my previous blog post, I have written a new patch series for 6.2 to try to avoid having multiple entries in /sys/class/backlight for a single panel again.
This new series might cause regressions on a different set of even older laptop models then the one affected by the 6.1 backlight work. So I'm again looking for people willing to run a few quick tests.
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Short Topix: Linux Kernel 5.19.12 Code Could Permanently Damage Some Laptop Screens
Chaos, a new malware written in the Go language, is causing havoc. Chaos is a cryptocurrency miner and DDoS piece of malware with backdoor capabilities, according to an article at TechRepublic. It is written for both Windows and Linux. Malware authors are using Go to write the code for the malware, since it is more difficult for security researchers to analyze.
Facebook is warning one million users that their account credentials may have been compromised by apps downloaded from the Apple and Alphabet software stores, according to an article from the Seattle Times. Meta (the parent company of Facebook) identified more than 400 malicious apps that target users to steal their login information. Apple has removed 45 of the problem apps, while Google removed all of the apps in question. The apps disguise themselves as photo editors, mobile games, or health trackers.
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According to a recent article on Ars Technica, Linux kernel 5.19.12 has the potential to damage certain laptop screens. Users of laptops that used Intel GPUs started complaining that their laptop screens would rapidly flicker after updating to the 5.19.12 kernel.
Intel engineers took a look at log files and discovered some bogus panel power sequencing delays, which were found to be responsible for the rapid flashing of the displays. They recommended immediately reverting the changes that caused the issue, and that people using laptops with Intel GPUs avoid using the 5.19.12 kernel, even if they didn't experience the display flashing.
One day later, kernel 5.19.13 was released without the screen flashing issue.
Even though kernel 5.19.12 is behind most of us now (the most recent Linux kernel in the PCLinuxOS repository at the time of the writing of this article is 6.0.6), it's reassuring that such issues as these get addressed so, so quickly, and in such a public manner. You would NEVER see this swift of a response from the "commercial" operating system vendors! And, because the "commercial" operating system vendors are close-sourced, much of the discussion and "fixes" would occur behind closed doors, away from the watchful eyes of the end users.
It makes you proud to be a Linux user!