This issue has been solved for me. Despite not having loaded Windows in months, somehow the Alienware FX settings changed while in Linux. I have no idea how as I do next to nothing with the Windows partition.
When I booted to Linux today, a lighted zone that has been shut off for (2? 3 years?) lit up. Lacking the controls in Linux to turn the FX on or off, I booted to Windows, launched the Alienware FX configuration and presto the zone turned off. Upon booting back into Linux the FN+ F5 & F6 buttons were working normally. CTRL+ALT+F2 still doesn't work (blank screen) but... can't have everything. Seems unlikely, but I hope this helps someone else. (And here I was, ready to blame Nvidia. Eh, seemed reasonable.) -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel Packages, which is subscribed to linux in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1267368 Title: FN+F5 - F6 not working Status in “linux” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete Bug description: One day they worked, the next day they didn't. I had not updated my system, nor had I booted to Windows. I had not installed anything, nor run any new programs. On the day prior to and the day FN+F5 & F6 stopped working, I ran Nautilus, VLC, Rhythmbox, Firefox, LibreOffice, GPointing Device Settings (3-button emulation setting does not stick - nothing new), KNetwalk, and Appearance (to change my desktop background, which I have done frequently since Thanksgiving), also World of Warcraft via Wine. I have run all of these programs repeatedly (most of them daily) since my previous update, with no ill effects. FN+F5 & F6 do nothing (other FN+F# keys function normally) Upon my next start-up, I noticed that whatever it is that replaces the log-in background with the desktop background was not working, I am seeing the default log-in background. Clearly these are not deal breakers. When World of Warcraft is working well, I do not update my system - too many instances of updates making the game crash. Despite the game working perfectly, I decided to update today. Kernels were held back via apt-get upgrade, Muon fixed that, everything installed without complaint. However the two issues were not fixed either. *(See below) A new kernel for me means a new Nvidia driver. NVIDIA-Linux-x86-331.20.run When I pressed CTRL+ALT+F2 I got a completely blank screen, not a black screen - as in there was no signal being sent to the monitor. I do not know how long this issue may have been present, as I have not used CTRL+ALT+F2 in a few months, since my last update and video driver installation. I rebooted (I know the sequence by heart and was able to enter my username, password and sudo reboot, password again and reboot blind), which means that TTY2 was working, it simply was not displaying. I booted to the recovery kernel, ran DPKG - no complaints, ran the one that tries to make more disk space (sorry, I do not recall the entry name) to remove old kernels, and for the heck of it, I updated GRUB. I then installed my video driver via root. lsb_release -rd Description: Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS Release: 12.04 Alienware M17x *I may not have needed to update my video card driver, as the card is disabled in the BIOS and I am using intergrated graphics, but I have been running my machine this way for well over a month and these issues began three days ago. Somehow something broke without anything new having happened, at least nothing that was reported to me. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04 Package: linux-image-3.2.0-58-generic-pae 3.2.0-58.88 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-58.88-generic-pae 3.2.53 Uname: Linux 3.2.0-58-generic-pae i686 NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia wl AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24. ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.6 Architecture: i386 ArecordDevices: **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices **** card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog] Subdevices: 1/1 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0 AudioDevicesInUse: USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC0: mightiemousie 2024 F.... pulseaudio Card0.Amixer.info: Card hw:0 'NVidia'/'HDA NVidia at 0xf0880000 irq 17' Mixer name : 'IDT 92HD73C1X5' Components : 'HDA:111d7675,102802a1,00100103' Controls : 29 Simple ctrls : 16 Date: Thu Jan 9 00:27:56 2014 HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=b069516a-fe77-4462-a466-bf91c81fe573 InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012) MachineType: Alienware M17x MarkForUpload: True ProcEnviron: TERM=xterm PATH=(custom, no user) LANG=en_US.UTF-8 SHELL=/bin/bash ProcFB: ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-58-generic-pae root=UUID=5d98b1fd-b83c-46e0-b96b-c3502d77f1a6 ro quite nomodeset RelatedPackageVersions: linux-restricted-modules-3.2.0-58-generic-pae N/A linux-backports-modules-3.2.0-58-generic-pae N/A linux-firmware 1.79.9 SourcePackage: linux UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) dmi.bios.date: 08/21/2009 dmi.bios.vendor: Alienware dmi.bios.version: A02 dmi.board.vendor: Alienware dmi.board.version: A02 dmi.chassis.type: 8 dmi.chassis.vendor: Alienware dmi.chassis.version: A02 dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAlienware:bvrA02:bd08/21/2009:svnAlienware:pnM17x:pvrA0223:rvnAlienware:rn:rvrA02:cvnAlienware:ct8:cvrA02: dmi.product.name: M17x dmi.product.version: A0223 dmi.sys.vendor: Alienware To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1267368/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages Post to : kernel-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
