Set Monitor Brightness with xbacklight script
I’m sure that everyone’s ubuntu-based gnome applet for brightness works, but my laptop’s x3100 doesn’t work with it. It does work with xbacklight. Here is simple script for attaching to icon for your gnome panel:
#!/bin/bash
# monitor_switcher
app=`which xbacklight`
current=`$app -get`
ans=$(zenity --scale --text "Set LCD brightness 0-100" --value "${current%%.*}");
$app -set $ans
Just name this something like monitor_switcher and put into path on your system, then you can use wherever to get a basic slider for setting your brightness. Yes, please make it shorter, prettier or just fix the brightness gnome applet which I’m too lazy to do 
I think my case is more of a BIOS/hardware incompatibility with a my Toshiba Satellite, but I might try this….
Comment by Ed — September 9, 2008 @ 5:05 pm
You just need to update to 2.23.x — XBACKLIGHT is supported there.
Comment by Richard Hughes — September 10, 2008 @ 6:49 am
God I can’t wait for this to be fixed… Richard Hughes can you elaborate on what you mean? I’d like on-the-fly control from the FN F5/6 keys with my VGN-FZ240E/B GMA965 X3100 Sony Laptop. I’ve got control via script, and this one is the best work-around I’ve seen yet, thank you.
Comment by Brian Royer — October 20, 2008 @ 3:09 am