How to Enable Backlight Control on Laptops [Clover/OpenCore]

[EliteMacx86]

How to Enable Backlight Control on Laptops [Clover/OpenCore]

An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - This guide covers implementation of Backlight Control on Laptops using Clover and OpenCore.

Overview

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With using a laptop, backlight control is necessary to make it suitable for the user and to save the battery when using it up. Depending on the user, some may require to have a full backlight and some may want to have a medium or low backlight level.

We all know that ACPIBacklight.kext or IntelBacklight.kext were used to serve this purpose. But with the release of Sierra 10.12.4 update, these methods were broken and are in no longer use. Another method which was in use was the AppleBacklightInjector. But a new method is introduced, called AppleBacklightFixup.

Once again, a great contribution from RehabMan for introducing AppleBacklightFixup.

Requirements

Graphics	Intel HD/UHD Graphics
Intel CPU Generation	Arrandale and Later
macOS version	macOS Sierra or Later
GPU rename	GFX0 to IGPU and VID to IGPU

Notes:

• Any other kexts such as IntelBacklight, ACPIBacklight must be removed from S/L/E or L/E or your EFI partition.
• If you've already patched your DSDT or SSDT with "Brightness fix", then you must remove it for this method to work. You'll also need to remove if you're using Clover's AddPNLF_1000000.
• Make sure your graphics has been renamed to GFX0, VID to IGPU. See DSDT and SSDT patching guide:

GUIDE - How to Patch Laptop DSDT and SSDTs

How to Patch Laptop DSDT and SSDTs An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - This guide covers patching of Laptop DSDT and SSDTs for macOS. Overview To enable macOS features and various hardware and maintain stability, DSDT and SSDT patching is required. By patching the DSDT and SSTDs, it makes the...

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This method uses two components to work with the conjunction in order to enable backlight. The two components are listed below.

• SSDT-PNLF.aml
• AppleBacklightFixup.kext

Installing Backlight Kext

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Mount your ESP.
Download AppleBacklightFixup from the downloads section of this forum.

For Clover:
If you're using Clover, copy SSDT-PNLF.aml to EFI/Clover/ACPI/Patched
Copy AppleBacklightFixup.kext to EFI/Clover/kexts/Other

For OpenCore:
If you're using OpenCore, copy SSDT-PNLF to EFI/OC/ACPI. You'll also need to add the SSDT-PNLF entry in ACPI>Add section of your config.plist.
Copy ApppleBacklightFixup.kext to EFI/OC/Kexts. You'll also need to add the kext entry in Kernel>Add section of your config.plist.

Notes:

• Make sure that the SSDT-PNLF.aml is added and it should be loaded after all the OEM SSDTs.
• Download the latest version for better support.
• Use the kext from the Release folder only.

For Whiskey Lake and Later

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Instead of using the packaged SSDT-PNLF.aml, compile the SSDT for the backlight from here: https://github.com/RehabMan/OS-X-Clover-Laptop-Config/blob/master/hotpatch/SSDT-PNLFCFL.dsl

Restart your System

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After performing all the above steps, restart your system for the applied changes to take effect.
You should see a brightness slider under System Preferences>Displays


Brightness Hotkeys

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After enabling the backlight control, your brightness will be controlled but the brightness hotkeys may not work. To fix this, follow the guide here:

How to Remap Brightness Hotkeys on Laptops

How to Remap Brightness Hotkeys on Laptops An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - This guide covers mapping of Brightness Hotkeys on Laptops Overview After enabling the backlight which results in adding slider in SysPrefs->Displays, the brightness hotkeys will not work. This guide will enable the...

www.elitemacx86.com

Problem Reporting

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Details:

1. macOS version
2. Copy of IOReg
3. Kextcache output

Screen shots:

• DPCIManager/Status
• About This Mac
• System Information/Graphics/Displays

Files:

• For Clover, compress EFI/Clover, exclude the themes folder.
• For OpenCore, compress EFI/OC.

Notes:

• Do not include complete EFI folder.
• Put all files in a folder with your name, compress files as Zip and attach files using site attachments only.
• Do not use any external links.

 

[mark]

I tried method 1 and 2, but it does not work.
Earlier i used the config.plist from GitHub, created for my laptop, but it has some graphics problems, so I am creating a new config.plist. This older config.plist has keyboard backlighting, and everything works, but my new config.plist does not support backlighting.
I think, i just need found some parameters in the old_config.plist, who are responsible for keyboard backlight, and i could write it for my new config.plist, it is true?
If i replace this configs, and start system, old_config running backlight, without some patches for .aml

 

[EliteMacx86]

I tried method 1 and 2, but it does not work.
Earlier i used the config.plist from GitHub, created for my laptop, but it has some graphics problems, so I am creating a new config.plist. This older config.plist has keyboard backlighting, and everything works, but my new config.plist does not support backlighting.
I think, i just need found some parameters in the old_config.plist, who are responsible for keyboard backlight, and i could write it for my new config.plist, it is true?
If i replace this configs, and start system, old_config running backlight, without some patches for .aml

A config.plist does not control brightness. No PR files attached.
Also, the config.plist is not as per the guide.

 

[mark]

Attached. I get if from RehabMan GitHub, he said get it.

 

[EliteMacx86]

Attached. I get if from RehabMan GitHub, he said get it.

The config.plist is not upto the mark. The ACPI is not patched properly. You should follow the installation guide and use config.plist from Rehabman's config. As mentioned in the Backlight guide, you must use only one method, NOT both. Your files proves that both the methods are being used at the same time which is conflicting. You cannot expect it to work. A patch is there in DSDT which should be removed too. That patch should be used in KextsToPatch section of your config.plist
Also, you've installed duplicates kexts in L/E and the same kexts exists in Clover/Kexts/Others which is wrong. Either install all to L/E or to Clover/kexts/Others

 

[mark]

Hello again. Today I tried to turn on the keyboard backlight all day, but nothing came of it. I decided to use the old Dsdt generated for my laptop, with which the old config worked. I copied all the dsdt patches into the new config, and the backlight is expected to work. But there was an old problem associated with the display of graphics. I have a bad understanding of hakintosh, this is my first time. I tried to copy these dsdt patches one by one, so that using the exception method make the keyboard work with the new config, but without success. I want to understand which of these patches makes the keyboard work, can you help with this? Sorry for my English.

 

[EliteMacx86]

Hello again. Today I tried to turn on the keyboard backlight all day, but nothing came of it. I decided to use the old Dsdt generated for my laptop, with which the old config worked. I copied all the dsdt patches into the new config, and the backlight is expected to work. But there was an old problem associated with the display of graphics. I have a bad understanding of hakintosh, this is my first time. I tried to copy these dsdt patches one by one, so that using the exception method make the keyboard work with the new config, but without success. I want to understand which of these patches makes the keyboard work, can you help with this? Sorry for my English.

As per your IOReg, the backlight display is working. For the Keyboard backlight, there are some specific patches for ASUS. Also, i suggest you to use your own DSDT and SSDTs as per the ACPI patching guide.

 

[mark]

As per your IOReg, the backlight display is working. For the Keyboard backlight, there are some specific patches for ASUS. Also, i suggest you to use your own DSDT and SSDTs as per the ACPI patching guide.

Yes, it works, because I used the old configuration with DSDT patches in this configuration. When I use the new configuration, the keyboard backlight does not work, in PR My non-working config, and I asked, perhaps, to understand which DSDT patch is responsible for the keyboard backlight? And I can just copy it or something.

 

[EliteMacx86]

Yes, it works, because I used the old configuration with DSDT patches in this configuration. When I use the new configuration, the keyboard backlight does not work, in PR My non-working config, and I asked, perhaps, to understand which DSDT patch is responsible for the keyboard backlight? And I can just copy it or something.

Well, i personally don't have any Laptops with a Keyboard backlight. But the patch is from EmilyDinesh. Search for it. Google is your best friend

 

[artoks90]

help me pick up control brightness display, I use many instruction included from this thread but not working, now have slider in settings but not working. EFI