problems with screen brightness

[john2006]

I am a linux newbie and have just installed fedora core 5 on my sony vaio VGN-FJ58GP, I have been able to get everything working well except for the screen brightness, I read that spicctrl can give me control over screen brightness through using the terminal, I used this command

# yum install spicctrl

and it seemed to install fine but when I tried to use spicctrl to change the screen brightness this happened:

# spicctrl -b 230
bash: spicctrl: command not found

Any help would be much appreciated, but please explain things really clearly because I just started using linux, thanks in advance.

[Dan]

Just guessing, don't have a Sony. But if it installed OK, I wonder if that needs run by root?

[sailor]

or if it needs to be run as root...you should start the root session with:
su -
this will include the path so the command can be found.

[Dan]

Uh... yeah... That's what I meant!?!

Morning Sailor!

[sailor]

Morning...

[john2006]

I tried running the command in normal user and root user mode and it just gives me this message

[John@localhost ~]$ spicctrl -b 230
bash: spicctrl: command not found
[John@localhost ~]$ su
Password:
[root@localhost John]# spicctrl -b 230
bash: spicctrl: command not found

I searched for spicctrl on the add/remove programs menu and it had a tick next to the name so it has been installed, I'm really at a loss about what to do.

Thanks in advance.

[Dan]

Try using "su -" There is a difference. To gain access to the root path, you need to include the space and the minus sign.

[john2006]

I have used su - and this is the output

[John@localhost ~]$ su -
Password:
[root@localhost ~]# spicctrl -b 230
/dev/sonypi: No such file or directory
[root@localhost ~]#

Thanks for any advice you are able to give me.

[Dan]

Sorry it took so long to get back, John. Been a bit busy. At this point, though, I'm not sure what to say. I don't know what to try next. Maybe drill down with the file manager and see if the files are actually there??

Dan

[john2006]

Ok, thanks for your help anyway, I booted windows and changed the screen brightness there and it has affected the screen brightness in Fedora so at least it is at a bearable level now.