[HP ZBook Studio G5, Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS] Brightness function keys works as microphone mute function keys

Sound function keys works almost OK:
1) fn+F5 mute/unmute outgoing sound, OK, however LED inside the key is always off
2) fn+F6 decrease volume, OK
3) fn+F7 increase volume, OK
4) fn+F8 mute/unmute, OK, however LED inside the key is always off

But there are other function keys doesn't work as they should. For example:
5) fn+F12 Calendar - doesn't open the calendar, but does some weird changes to keyboard layout?
6) fn+F13 Share screen - doesn't do anything, LED inside the key is always off
7) fn+F14 "Call" mostly isn't doing anything; in Firefox it shows/hides menu bar; LED inside the key is always off
6) fn+F15 "End Call" seems not doing anything, LED inside the key is always off

Command `sudo showkey` prints following outputs:

F3
keycode 61 press
keycode 61 release

fn+F3 (identical to fn+F4, fn+F8)
keycode 190 press
keycode 190 release

F4
keycode 62 press
keycode 62 release

fn+F4 (identical to fn+F3, fn+F8)
keycode 190 press
keycode 190 release

F5
keycode 63 press
keycode 63 release

fn+F5
keycode 113 press
keycode 113 release

F6
keycode 64 press
keycode 64 release

fn+F6
keycode 114 press
keycode 114 release

F7
keycode 65 press
keycode 65 release

fn+F7
keycode 115 press
keycode 115 release

F8
keycode 66 press
keycode 66 release

fn+F8 (identical to fn+F3, fn+F4)
keycode 190 press
keycode 190 release

F12
keycode 88 press
keycode 88 release

fn+F12 (double codes?)
keycode 29 press
keycode 56 press
keycode 29 release
keycode 56 release

F13/fn+F13 (the same with and without fn; double codes?)
keycode 29 press
keycode 56 press
keycode 29 release
keycode 56 release

F14/fn+F14 (the same with and without fn; double codes?)
keycode 56 press
keycode 125 press
keycode 56 release
keycode 125 release

F15/fn+F15 (the same with and without fn; double codes?)
keycode 29 press
keycode 56 press
keycode 29 release
keycode 56 release

Guys, maybe I can somehow help you with this issue?

This change was made by a bot.

Can you please attach alsa-info?

Hi @kai.heng.feng,

Sure. Attaching alsa-info.txt.qXIkCLj45c

Ok, can you please run `evtest`, press Brightness Up/Down and Mic Mute and attach its output here.

Hi @kai.heng.feng

No problem.

I tested "event04", logs below:

$ sudo evtest
No device specified, trying to scan all of /dev/input/event*
Available devices:
/dev/input/event0: Sleep Button
/dev/input/event1: Lid Switch
/dev/input/event2: Power Button
/dev/input/event3: Power Button
/dev/input/event4: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard
/dev/input/event5: Video Bus
/dev/input/event6: SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad
/dev/input/event11: HP Wireless hotkeys
/dev/input/event12: HP HD Camera: HP HD Camera
/dev/input/event13: HP HD Camera: HP IR Camera
/dev/input/event14: SYNA307B:00 06CB:CD46 Touchpad
/dev/input/event15: ST LIS3LV02DL Accelerometer
/dev/input/event16: HP WMI hotkeys
/dev/input/event17: HDA Intel PCH Mic
/dev/input/event18: HDA Intel PCH Headphone
/dev/input/event19: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=3
/dev/input/event20: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=7
/dev/input/event21: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=8
/dev/input/event22: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=9
/dev/input/event23: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=10
/dev/input/event24: MX Master 3 Keyboard
/dev/input/event25: MX Master 3 Mouse
Select the device event number [0-25]: 4
Input driver version is 1.0.1
Input device ID: bus 0x11 vendor 0x1 product 0x1 version 0xab41
Input device name: "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard"
Supported events:
  Event type 0 (EV_SYN)
  Event type 1 (EV_KEY)
    Event code 1 (KEY_ESC)
    Event code 2 (KEY_1)
    Event code 3 (KEY_2)
    Event code 4 (KEY_3)
    Event code 5 (KEY_4)
    Event code 6 (KEY_5)
    Event code 7 (KEY_6)
    Event code 8 (KEY_7)
    Event code 9 (KEY_8)
    Event code 10 (KEY_9)
    Event code 11 (KEY_0)
    Event code 12 (KEY_MINUS)
    Event code 13 (KEY_EQUAL)
    Event code 14 (KEY_BACKSPACE)
    Event code 15 (KEY_TAB)
    Event code 16 (KEY_Q)
    Event code 17 (KEY_W)
    Event code 18 (KEY_E)
    Event code 19 (KEY_R)
    Event code 20 (KEY_T)
    Event code 21 (KEY_Y)
    Event code 22 (KEY_U)
    Event code 23 (KEY_I)
    Event code 24 (KEY_O)
    Event code 25 (KEY_P)
    Event code 26 (KEY_LEFTBRACE)
    Event code 27 (KEY_RIGHTBRACE)
    Event code 28 (KEY_ENTER)
    Event code 29 (KEY_LEFTCTRL)
    Event code 30 (KEY_A)
    Event code 31 (KEY_S)
    Event code 32 (KEY_D)
    Event code 33 (KEY_F)
    Event code 34 (KEY_G)
    Event code 35 (KEY_H)
    Event code 36 (KEY_J)
    Event code 37 (KEY_K)
    Event code 38 (KEY_L)
    Event code 39 (KEY_SEMICOLON)
    Event code 40 (KEY_APOSTROPHE)
    Event code 41 (KEY_GRAVE)
    Event code 42 (KEY_LEFTSHIFT)
    Event code 43 (KEY_BACKSLASH)
    Event code 44 (KEY_Z)
    Event code 45 (KEY_X)
    Event code 46 (KEY_C)
    Event code 47 (KEY_V)
    Event code 48 (KEY_B)
    Event code 49 (KEY_N)
    Event code 50 (KEY_M)
    Event code 51 (KEY_COMMA)
    Event code 52 (KEY_DOT)
    Event code 53 (KEY_SLASH)
    Event code 54 (KEY_RIGHTSHIFT)
    Event code 55 (KEY_KPASTERISK)
    Event code 56 (KEY_LEFTALT)
    Event code 57 (KEY_SPACE)
    Event code 58 (KEY_CAPSLOCK)
    Event code 59 (KEY_F1)
    Event code 60 (KEY_F2)
    Event code 61 (KEY_F3)
    Event code 62 (KEY_F4)
    Event code 63 (KEY_F5)
    Event code 64 (KEY_F6)
    Event code 65 (KEY_F7)
    Event code 66 (KEY_F8)
    Event code 67 (KEY_F9)...

Additionally I tested "event16", but there was no reaction (doesn't matter if using Fn + key combinations or when using Fn lock):

$ sudo evtest
No device specified, trying to scan all of /dev/input/event*
Available devices:
/dev/input/event0: Sleep Button
/dev/input/event1: Lid Switch
/dev/input/event2: Power Button
/dev/input/event3: Power Button
/dev/input/event4: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard
/dev/input/event5: Video Bus
/dev/input/event6: SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad
/dev/input/event11: HP Wireless hotkeys
/dev/input/event12: HP HD Camera: HP HD Camera
/dev/input/event13: HP HD Camera: HP IR Camera
/dev/input/event14: SYNA307B:00 06CB:CD46 Touchpad
/dev/input/event15: ST LIS3LV02DL Accelerometer
/dev/input/event16: HP WMI hotkeys
/dev/input/event17: HDA Intel PCH Mic
/dev/input/event18: HDA Intel PCH Headphone
/dev/input/event19: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=3
/dev/input/event20: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=7
/dev/input/event21: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=8
/dev/input/event22: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=9
/dev/input/event23: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=10
/dev/input/event24: MX Master 3 Keyboard
/dev/input/event25: MX Master 3 Mouse
Select the device event number [0-25]: 16
Input driver version is 1.0.1
Input device ID: bus 0x19 vendor 0x0 product 0x0 version 0x0
Input device name: "HP WMI hotkeys"
Supported events:
  Event type 0 (EV_SYN)
  Event type 1 (EV_KEY)
    Event code 138 (KEY_HELP)
    Event code 141 (KEY_SETUP)
    Event code 148 (KEY_PROG1)
    Event code 153 (KEY_DIRECTION)
    Event code 224 (KEY_BRIGHTNESSDOWN)
    Event code 225 (KEY_BRIGHTNESSUP)
    Event code 226 (KEY_MEDIA)
    Event code 240 (KEY_UNKNOWN)
    Event code 358 (KEY_INFO)
  Event type 4 (EV_MSC)
    Event code 4 (MSC_SCAN)
  Event type 5 (EV_SW)
Properties:
Testing ... (interrupt to exit)

In addition to that, please test latest mainline kernel:
https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.5/

@kai.heng.feng can you provide me some short instruction how to safely install this kernel and then uninstall it from my machine? I use this laptop for my work and it must be functional...

These are regular debs, so please use `dpkg -i` to install, and `apt purge` to purge them afterwards.

@kai.heng.feng I installed new kernel and observed no changes in brightness and mic mute keys behaviour.

$ uname -a
Linux marcin-HP-ZBook-Studio-G5 5.5.0-050500-generic #202001262030 SMP Mon Jan 27 01:33:36 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ sudo evtest
No device specified, trying to scan all of /dev/input/event*
Available devices:
/dev/input/event0: Sleep Button
/dev/input/event1: Lid Switch
/dev/input/event2: Power Button
/dev/input/event3: Power Button
/dev/input/event4: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard
/dev/input/event5: Video Bus
/dev/input/event6: SynPS/2 Synaptics TouchPad
/dev/input/event7: HP Wireless hotkeys
/dev/input/event8: SYNA307B:00 06CB:CD46 Mouse
/dev/input/event9: SYNA307B:00 06CB:CD46 Touchpad
/dev/input/event10: HP HD Camera: HP HD Camera
/dev/input/event11: HP HD Camera: HP IR Camera
/dev/input/event12: HP WMI hotkeys
/dev/input/event13: HDA Intel PCH Mic
/dev/input/event14: HDA Intel PCH Headphone
/dev/input/event15: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=3
/dev/input/event16: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=7
/dev/input/event17: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=8
/dev/input/event18: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=9
/dev/input/event19: HDA Intel PCH HDMI/DP,pcm=10
/dev/input/event20: ST LIS3LV02DL Accelerometer
/dev/input/event21: MX Master 3 Keyboard
/dev/input/event22: MX Master 3 Mouse
Select the device event number [0-22]: 4
Input driver version is 1.0.1
Input device ID: bus 0x11 vendor 0x1 product 0x1 version 0xab41
Input device name: "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard"
Supported events:
  Event type 0 (EV_SYN)
  Event type 1 (EV_KEY)
    Event code 1 (KEY_ESC)
    Event code 2 (KEY_1)
    Event code 3 (KEY_2)
    Event code 4 (KEY_3)
    Event code 5 (KEY_4)
    Event code 6 (KEY_5)
    Event code 7 (KEY_6)
    Event code 8 (KEY_7)
    Event code 9 (KEY_8)
    Event code 10 (KEY_9)
    Event code 11 (KEY_0)
    Event code 12 (KEY_MINUS)
    Event code 13 (KEY_EQUAL)
    Event code 14 (KEY_BACKSPACE)
    Event code 15 (KEY_TAB)
    Event code 16 (KEY_Q)
    Event code 17 (KEY_W)
    Event code 18 (KEY_E)
    Event code 19 (KEY_R)
    Event code 20 (KEY_T)
    Event code 21 (KEY_Y)
    Event code 22 (KEY_U)
    Event code 23 (KEY_I)
    Event code 24 (KEY_O)
    Event code 25 (KEY_P)
    Event code 26 (KEY_LEFTBRACE)
    Event code 27 (KEY_RIGHTBRACE)
    Event code 28 (KEY_ENTER)
    Event code 29 (KEY_LEFTCTRL)
    Event code 30 (KEY_A)
    Event code 31 (KEY_S)
    Event code 32 (KEY_D)
    Event code 33 (KEY_F)
    Event code 34 (KEY_G)
    Event code 35 (KEY_H)
    Event code 36 (KEY_J)
    Event code 37 (KEY_K)
    Event code 38 (KEY_L)
    Event code 39 (KEY_SEMICOLON)
    Event code 40 (KEY_APOSTROPHE)
    Event code 41 (KEY_GRAVE)
    Event code 42 (KEY_LEFTSHIFT)
    Event code 43 (KEY_BACKSLASH)
    Event code 44 (KEY_Z)
    Event code 45 (KEY_X)
    Event code 46 (KEY_C)
    Event code 47 (KEY_V)
    Event code 48 (KEY_B)
    Event code 49 (KEY_N)
    Event code 50 (KEY_M)
    Event code 51 (KEY_COMMA)
    Event code 52 (KEY_DOT)
    Event code 53 (KEY_SLASH)
    Event code 54 (KEY_RIGHTSHIFT)
    Event code 55 (KEY_KPASTERISK)
    Event code 56 (KEY_LEFTALT)
    Event code 57 (KEY_SPACE)
    Event code 58 (KEY_CAPSLOCK)
    Event ...

Have you ever tried this under Windows?

All brightness up/down and micmute reports the same scancode.

Let's assume it's not a hardware defect, it probably needs special WMI hotkey driver to generate brightness hotkey events.

Please raise the issue to the vendor.

Under Windows 10 everything works perfectly.

I'm just an individual who means nothing to them. I bought their product which they claim fully support linux (whatever this means).

Honestly, I thought that Ubuntu Team has capabilities to contact vendors like HP and ask for solutions/help? :(

Can you please try BIOS 01.10.00 Rev.A?

Hi @kai.heng.feng

Just updated BIOS and kernel. Unfortunately there are still no changes in special keys behavior.

$ sudo dmidecode -s bios-version
Q71 Ver. 01.10.00

$ uname -a
Linux marcin-HP-ZBook-Studio-G5 5.3.0-40-generic #32~18.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Mon Feb 3 14:05:59 UTC 2020 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Hi Marcin,

Try to perform a power reset: https://support.hp.com/ph-en/document/c01684768
That is: turn the computer off, remove all cables, press and hold down
the power button for 15 seconds. Turn the computer on and reconnect
the cables. The brightness buttons should start working.

Worked for me with the exactly same computer with Ubuntu 19.10.

Hi Jarkko,

Thank you very much for your response! I did the procedure you described and it solved the problem! Brightness function keys started working properly in Ubuntu.
I repeated this procedure on other ZBook Studio G5 laptops we have here and it also did the job.
However! I have dual boot - after logging into Windows 10 (where buttons always work perfectly fine) and then logging again into Ubuntu brightness keys stopped working again (they were recognized as Microphone key, again). I had to do the Power Reset procedure once more which fixed the issue in Ubuntu.
After testing multiple restarts Ubuntu -> Ubuntu: brightness function keys are always working fine.
After just one Ubuntu -> Windows -> Ubuntu restart: brightness function keys stop working in Ubuntu (but work fine in Windows).

So each time after I used Windows I must do the Power Reset procedure if I want to have brightness function keys working in Ubuntu.

Hi,

The same happens to me as well. Since I rarely boot to Windows,
I only discovered it now. There does not seem to be any other visible difference
between the working and non-working states, though. There
are no (essential) differences between 'dmesg' or 'sudo fwts acpidump -'
results. So, maybe Windows initialises some device in a weird way,
and this is only reset after a power reset. I don't know how to debug
this further.

It looks like Linux isn't properly initializing some device (keyboard?) or driver or something else. Under Windows it works after each reboot, so I guess drivers in Windows must be doing something more in case of device initialization.
I think HP should look at this. But how to make them interested in this issue?

I do observe the exactly same on a HP elitebook 840 G6 with the phone pickup and hangup keys and other HP fancy keys i usually do not need. They either mapp to left_ctrl left_meta or left_ctrl elft_alt.

Event: time 1594376396.025858, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 1d
Event: time 1594376396.025858, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 29 (KEY_LEFTCTRL), value 1
Event: time 1594376396.025858, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------
Event: time 1594376396.026015, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 38
Event: time 1594376396.026015, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 56 (KEY_LEFTALT), value 1
Event: time 1594376396.026015, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------
Event: time 1594376396.026120, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 65
Event: time 1594376396.026120, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------

Event: time 1594376622.906330, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 38
Event: time 1594376622.906330, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 56 (KEY_LEFTALT), value 0
Event: time 1594376622.906330, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------
Event: time 1594376622.906498, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 66
Event: time 1594376622.906498, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------
Event: time 1594376622.906682, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value db
Event: time 1594376622.906682, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 125 (KEY_LEFTMETA), value 0
Event: time 1594376622.906682, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------

Checking the scanvalue it turns out that pressing left_alt and left_ctrl produce the same individual key codes as returned for one key press of the special HP keys.

Event: time 1594376291.093583, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 38
Event: time 1594376291.093583, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 56 (KEY_LEFTALT), value 1
Event: time 1594376291.093583, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------
Event: time 1594376291.240595, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 38
Event: time 1594376291.240595, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 56 (KEY_LEFTALT), value 0
Event: time 1594376291.240595, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------
Event: time 1594376295.981981, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 1d
Event: time 1594376295.981981, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 29 (KEY_LEFTCTRL), value 1
Event: time 1594376295.981981, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------
Event: time 1594376296.095764, type 4 (EV_MSC), code 4 (MSC_SCAN), value 1d
Event: time 1594376296.095764, type 1 (EV_KEY), code 29 (KEY_LEFTCTRL), value 0
Event: time 1594376296.095764, -------------- SYN_REPORT ------------

Looking at the scans it seems as if these special keys would produce three keystrokes at the same time

code 0x1d, 0x38, 0x65
code 0x38, 0x66, 0xdb

The codes 0x65 and 0x66 seem to be ignored by the kernel or udev and thus the keypress is seems to be shortened to

code 0x1d, 0x38 -> which maps to <ctrl><alt> and this is fatal in my case cause directly underneath the phone hangup button with too little space in between is the backspace button located. Yes!!! whenever i hit inbetween the two keys the X-Server thinks I requested him to zap.

Looking at the event code table printed by evtest it seems as if the code 101 = 0x65 is not used or mapped.

I tried to make an appropriate udev rule to map 0x65 and 0x66 to s...

We are working with HP on this issue. Please stay tuned.

This change was made by a bot.

Can confirm the power reset thing worked on Xubuntu 20.04 on an HP Elite Dragonfly. Well done, thanks!
Prior to that both keys were giving the same code (465 iirc but can't repeat it now)

Is there already a solution other than power reset? I have this problem on Ubuntu 20.04.2 after logging to Windows 10.

I'm also experiencing this issue dual booting Windows/Ubuntu on 20.04 on an HP Elitebook X360 1040

From this ticket, I'm awared there are many HP platforms shared this issue.

Here is the platform list I found here:
1. HP ZBook Studio G5 by Marcin [1]
2. a HP Elite Dragonfly by Michael
3. a HP Elitebook X360 1040 by Nova [2]

If you could help to find your machines on the Ubuntu certification page[3] then it will help (please also share if any component is different).

Back to this issue, we did face this issue during the certification on some HP machines and as the comment#19,20, it's also HP told us the way to workaround this issue.

FWIK, this issue is caused by HP's firmware.
HP has a windows application which will configure the HP EC (embedded controller) as a something like Windows mode.
In this mode, EC will send the different keycode when you pressed the function key.
After pressing the power button roughly 15 seconds, it will reset EC to something like default(normal?) mode which working good in Linux.

That's why it impacts the dual boot users as you reported.

For comment#24, we communicated with HP many times and would like to ask HP to provide the detailed specification of what HP did in Windows then we could implement it in Linux as well but unfortunately, HP didn't provide further information and announced the issue is fixed in latest BIOS (01.04.01 in the other HP platform - 440 G7).
Thus, could you please help to upgrade your BIOS to latest to see if the issue presents?
If so and if your machine is listed on Ubuntu certification page[3] then I can help you to escalate this issue.

BTW, this issue is only happen on "a machine did boot to Windows with HP application".
Thus, it'll probably not happen in Ubuntu certification process.
If any of you meet the issue on Ubuntu certified platforms then feel free to report a bug.

[1] https://ubuntu.com/certified/201810-26540/18.04%20LTS
[2] https://ubuntu.com/certified/202105-29122
[3] https://ubuntu.com/certified

Hi, I have the exact same problem with the latest BIOS : the brightness keys work after power reset but when booting to Windows ( where all keys work ) and back to Linux, the keys for brightness switch the microphone.