CentOS - Dec 2011 - asus-wmi.ko for Asus G73Sw running CentOS 6.2

Hi List,
Just loaded our favorite OS onto my new ASUS laptop.
Practically everything worked out of the box - I used the live DVD to 
check things out and installed from there.
I have followed
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/553474-g73-asus-wmi-linux-driver-i-need-your-help-6.html
to get suspend working and also to get function keys working for LCD 
screen backlight controls working (Fn F5 and Fn F6).
Upon further searches I find that there is a kernel module asus-wmi.ko 
available in some distros that also allows some of the other Asus 
functions to operate - of particular interest is the keyboard backlight 
(Fn F3 and Fn F4) as well as the master backlight on/off key to function.

Question, does anyone know where and how to locate this (asus-wmi.ko) 
and get it functioning under CentOS 6.2?

I am prepared to set up the required build environment - but need some 
assistance as this is really at the limits of my experience. I have 
rebuilt the kernel to remove patches with some success previously and 
will have to dust off this knowledge if required.

TIA

On 12/29/2011 05:27 AM, Rob Kampen wrote:
> Hi List,
> Just loaded our favorite OS onto my new ASUS laptop.
> Practically everything worked out of the box - I used the live DVD to
> check things out and installed from there.
> I have followed
>
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/553474-g73-asus-wmi-linux-driver-i-need-your-help-6.html
> to get suspend working and also to get function keys working for LCD
> screen backlight controls working (Fn F5 and Fn F6).
> Upon further searches I find that there is a kernel module asus-wmi.ko
> available in some distros that also allows some of the other Asus
> functions to operate - of particular interest is the keyboard backlight
> (Fn F3 and Fn F4) as well as the master backlight on/off key to function.
>
> Question, does anyone know where and how to locate this (asus-wmi.ko)
> and get it functioning under CentOS 6.2?
>
> I am prepared to set up the required build environment - but need some
> assistance as this is really at the limits of my experience. I have
> rebuilt the kernel to remove patches with some success previously and
> will have to dust off this knowledge if required.
>
Best course of action is to ask help from ElRepo repository. they build 
and maintain many kernel modules.


-- 

Ljubomir Ljubojevic
(Love is in the Air)
PL Computers
Serbia, Europe

Google is the Mother, Google is the Father, and traceroute is your
trusty Spiderman...
StarOS, Mikrotik and CentOS/RHEL/Linux consultant

On 29/12/11 04:27, Rob Kampen wrote:
> Hi List,
> Just loaded our favorite OS onto my new ASUS laptop.
> Practically everything worked out of the box - I used the live DVD to
> check things out and installed from there.
> I have followed
>
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus-gaming-notebook-forum/553474-g73-asus-wmi-linux-driver-i-need-your-help-6.html
> to get suspend working and also to get function keys working for LCD
> screen backlight controls working (Fn F5 and Fn F6).
> Upon further searches I find that there is a kernel module asus-wmi.ko
> available in some distros that also allows some of the other Asus
> functions to operate - of particular interest is the keyboard backlight
> (Fn F3 and Fn F4) as well as the master backlight on/off key to function.
>
> Question, does anyone know where and how to locate this (asus-wmi.ko)
> and get it functioning under CentOS 6.2?
>
Well, lets see if it's a part of el6:

$ find /lib/modules/ -name asus-wmi.ko

No, that doesn't find it.

Looking at more recent kernel sources, I see it's present in 
kernel-2.6.39 but not present in 2.6.35, so it was introduced somewhere 
between the two.
> I am prepared to set up the required build environment - but need some
> assistance as this is really at the limits of my experience. I have
> rebuilt the kernel to remove patches with some success previously and
> will have to dust off this knowledge if required.
>
As mentioned previously, this is exactly what elrepo.org does, so if you 
pop over to:

http://elrepo.org/bugs

and file an RFE against el6 for asus-wmi.ko we will attempt to backport 
the module to el6 for you. All we ask in return is that you test the 
module and provide feedback as to whether it works for you.

Thanks.