Difference between revisions of "ThinkLight"

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[[Image:Thinklight.jpg|thumb|ThinkLight]]
 
[[Image:Thinklight.jpg|thumb|ThinkLight]]
The ThinkLight is a little LED light integrated into the top edge of the display frame in A, R, T and X series Thinkpads. Its purpose is to enlighten the Thinkpads keyboard so that you can type in the dark without using an external light source. The ThinkLight can be controlled via the Fn-PageUp key combination or via ACPI on more recent models.
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The ThinkLight is a little LED light integrated into the top edge of the display frame in the A, R, T and X ThinkPad models. It illuminates the ThinkPad's keyboard so that one can type in the dark without using an external light source. The ThinkLight can be controlled via the Fn-PageUp key combination or via ACPI on some of the newer models.
Note that the ThinkLight is not available in G series Thinkpads.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
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Note that the ThinkLight is not available on the G series ThinkPads.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
  
 
==Linux Support==
 
==Linux Support==
Control via keyboard works on all systems since it's entirely done by the BIOS. Just press Fn-PageUp to toggle its state between on and off.
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Controlling the ThinkLight with the keyboard works on all systems since it relies on the BIOS exclusively. Just press Fn-PageUp to toggle its state between on and off.
  
Control via ACPI is supported by [[ibm-acpi]]. After installing it a simple
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Support for controlling the light with ACPI is provided by [[ibm-acpi]]. After installing it, a simple
 
  echo on > /proc/acpi/ibm/light
 
  echo on > /proc/acpi/ibm/light
 
switches it on and a
 
switches it on and a
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switches it off again.
 
switches it off again.
  
This way you can control it even by scripts. Unfortunately no known Thinkpad so far comes with a light sensor. ;)
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This allows one to control the light in scripts. Unfortunately, no known ThinkPad comes with a light sensor (yet). ;)
  
  
 
[[Category:A20m]] [[Category:A20p]] [[Category:A21e]] [[Category:A21m]] [[Category:A21p]] [[Category:A22e]] [[Category:A22m]] [[Category:A22p]] [[Category:A30]] [[Category:A30p]] [[Category:A31]] [[Category:A31p]] [[Category:R30]] [[Category:R31]] [[Category:R32]] [[Category:R40]] [[Category:R50]] [[Category:R50p]] [[Category:R50e]] [[Category:R51]] [[Category:R51p]] [[Category:T20]] [[Category:T21]] [[Category:T22]] [[Category:T23]] [[Category:T30]] [[Category:T40]] [[Category:T40p]] [[Category:T41]] [[Category:T41p]] [[Category:T42]] [[Category:T42p]] [[Category:X20]] [[Category:X21]] [[Category:X22]] [[Category:X23]] [[Category:X24]] [[Category:X30]] [[Category:X31]] [[Category:X40]]
 
[[Category:A20m]] [[Category:A20p]] [[Category:A21e]] [[Category:A21m]] [[Category:A21p]] [[Category:A22e]] [[Category:A22m]] [[Category:A22p]] [[Category:A30]] [[Category:A30p]] [[Category:A31]] [[Category:A31p]] [[Category:R30]] [[Category:R31]] [[Category:R32]] [[Category:R40]] [[Category:R50]] [[Category:R50p]] [[Category:R50e]] [[Category:R51]] [[Category:R51p]] [[Category:T20]] [[Category:T21]] [[Category:T22]] [[Category:T23]] [[Category:T30]] [[Category:T40]] [[Category:T40p]] [[Category:T41]] [[Category:T41p]] [[Category:T42]] [[Category:T42p]] [[Category:X20]] [[Category:X21]] [[Category:X22]] [[Category:X23]] [[Category:X24]] [[Category:X30]] [[Category:X31]] [[Category:X40]]

Revision as of 16:08, 16 February 2005

ThinkLight

The ThinkLight is a little LED light integrated into the top edge of the display frame in the A, R, T and X ThinkPad models. It illuminates the ThinkPad's keyboard so that one can type in the dark without using an external light source. The ThinkLight can be controlled via the Fn-PageUp key combination or via ACPI on some of the newer models. Note that the ThinkLight is not available on the G series ThinkPads.




Linux Support

Controlling the ThinkLight with the keyboard works on all systems since it relies on the BIOS exclusively. Just press Fn-PageUp to toggle its state between on and off.

Support for controlling the light with ACPI is provided by ibm-acpi. After installing it, a simple

echo on > /proc/acpi/ibm/light

switches it on and a

echo off > /proc/acpi/ibm/light

switches it off again.

This allows one to control the light in scripts. Unfortunately, no known ThinkPad comes with a light sensor (yet). ;)