Broken Suspend to RAM in Slackware 14.2
In my tinkering with Slackware 14.2 with the intent of updating from 14.1, I ran into problems with triggering the Thinkpad T400 into sleep mode. I use the default Fn+F4 and lid to place the laptop into sleep. I use the Fn key and the lid to resume from sleep.
This all works great on 14.1 but was broken in 14.2.
In 14.2, closing and then opening the lid resulted in the laptop returning to sleep. Pressing the Fn key awakened from the second sleep. Annoying. As Hell.
The NetworkManager took about 20 seconds to restore the network connection. In 14.1, restoring the network was snappy at about 5 seconds.
Apparently the ACPI daemon support had changed.
In 14.1 a single lid event handled the closing and opening of the lid. In 14.2 this fails. The solution is to create two separate events.
Slackware 14.1:
/etc/acpi/events/lid
event=lid
Slackware 14.2:
/etc/acpi/events/lid-close
event=button/lid LID close
/etc/acpi/events/lid-open
event=button/lid LID open
Typically I boot my Slackware systems to the command line rather than use a login manager. Next I discovered that while I could place the laptop into sleep with the lid, the Fn+F4 hotkey failed. The hotkey worked fine in X. Using acpi_listen command, I discovered the Fn+F4 hotkey output had changed as well.
Slackware 14.1:
event=ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001004
Slackware 14.2:
event=button/sleep SBTN 00000080 00000000 K
I noticed the output for the power button had changed too.
Slackware 14.1:
event=button/power PWRF 00000080 00000001
Slackware 14.2:
event=button/power PBTN 00000080 00000000
I modified my acpi event files and restarted the ACPI daemon. Fn+F4 again worked as expected at the console.
There are days when I really get mad at free/libre software.
I repeat: One thing in free/libre software is certain. Some developer somewhere will declare something “deprecated” and remove support without asking anybody. Something is always broken.
This is why the Year of the Linux Desktop never arrives. Linux operating systems are high maintenance. People just want to get things done.
Posted: Category: Usability Tagged: Slackware
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