sonypi.txt

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Sony Programmable I/O Control Device Driver Readme
--------------------------------------------------
	Copyright (C) 2001 Stelian Pop <[e-mail]>, Alc魐e
	Copyright (C) 2001 Michael Ashley <[e-mail]>
	Copyright (C) 2001 Junichi Morita <[e-mail]>
	Copyright (C) 2000 Takaya Kinjo <[e-mail]>
	Copyright (C) 2000 Andrew Tridgell <[e-mail]>

This driver enables access to the Sony Programmable I/O Control Device which
can be found in many (all ?) Sony Vaio laptops.

It will give access (through a user space utility) to some events those laptops
generate, like:
	- jogdial events (the small wheel on the side of Vaios)
	- capture button events (only on Vaio Picturebook series)
	- Fn keys
	- bluetooth button (only on C1VR model)
	- back button (PCG-GR7/K model)
	- lid open/close events (Z600NE model)

Those events (see linux/sonypi.h) can be polled using the character device node
/dev/sonypi (major 10, minor auto allocated or specified as a option).

A simple daemon which translates the jogdial movements into mouse wheel events
can be downloaded at: <http://www.alcove-labs.org/en/software/sonypi/>

This driver supports also some ioctl commands for setting the LCD screen
brightness and querying the batteries charge information (some more 
commands may be added in the future).

This driver can also be used to set the camera controls on Picturebook series
(brightness, contrast etc), and is used by the video4linux driver for the 
Motion Eye camera.

Please note that this driver was created by reverse engineering the Windows
driver and the ACPI BIOS, because Sony doesn't agree to release any programming
specs for its laptops. If someone convinces them to do so, drop me a note.

Module options:
---------------

Several options can be passed to the sonypi driver, either by adding them
to /etc/modules.conf file, when the driver is compiled as a module or by
adding the following to the kernel command line (in your bootloader):

	sonypi=minor[[[[,camera],fnkeyinit],verbose],compat]

where:

	minor: 		minor number of the misc device /dev/sonypi, 
			default is -1 (automatic allocation, see /proc/misc
			or kernel logs)

	camera:		if you have a PictureBook series Vaio (with the
			integrated MotionEye camera), set this parameter to 1
			in order to let the driver access to the camera

	fnkeyinit:	on some Vaios (C1VE, C1VR etc), the Fn key events don't
			get enabled unless you set this parameter to 1.
			Do not use this option unless it's actually necessary,
			some Vaio models don't deal well with this option.
			This option is available only if the kernel is 
			compiled without ACPI support (since it conflicts
			with it and it shouldn't be required anyway if 
			ACPI is already enabled).

	verbose:	print unknown events from the sonypi device

	compat:		uses some compatibility code for enabling the sonypi
			events. If the driver worked for you in the past
			(prior to version 1.5) and does not work anymore,
			add this option and report to the author.

Module use:
-----------

In order to automatically load the sonypi module on use, you can put those
lines in your /etc/modules.conf file:

	alias char-major-10-250 sonypi
	options sonypi minor=250

This supposes the use of minor 250 for the sonypi device:

	# mknod /dev/sonypi c 10 250

Bugs:
-----

	- several users reported that this driver disables the BIOS-managed
	  Fn-keys which put the laptop in sleeping state, or switch the
	  external monitor on/off. There is no workaround yet, since this
	  driver disables all APM management for those keys, by enabling the
	  ACPI management (and the ACPI core stuff is not complete yet). If
	  you have one of those laptops with working Fn keys and want to 
	  continue to use them, don't use this driver.

	- some users reported that the laptop speed is lower (dhrystone
	  tested) when using the driver with the fnkeyinit parameter. I cannot
	  reproduce it on my laptop and not all users have this problem.
	  This happens because the fnkeyinit parameter enables the ACPI 
	  mode (but without additionnal ACPI control, like processor 
	  speed handling etc). Use ACPI instead of APM if it works on your
	  laptop.
	
	- since all development was done by reverse engineering, there is
	  _absolutely no guarantee_ that this driver will not crash your
	  laptop. Permanently.