Getting 'Invalid argument' errors

[pllop]

I have a T410 and I am running Ubuntu 15.10 with kernel 4.2.0-18 (64-bit). I compiled and inserted the module without any errors and I am able to read the current value of any setting in /sys/devices/platform/thinkpad-wmi and also all values from /sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi/bios_settings.

However, when trying set anything I get 'Invalid argument' errors. For example, trying to set PowerOnNumLock to On (just for testing):

# echo On > /sys/devices/platform/thinkpad-wmi/PowerOnNumLock
bash: echo: write error: Invalid argument

Also, when trying list_valid_choices for PowerOnNumLock:

# echo PowerOnNumLock > /sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi/argument
# cat /sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi/list_valid_choices 
cat: /sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi/list_valid_choices: Invalid argument

I don't have any passwords set. Am I missing some step needed to make it work?

[iksaif]

Any extra information in dmesg ?
Can you paste the output of bios_settings in debugfs ? (remove sensitive information if needed)

[pllop]

Nothing in dmesg. Here is bios_settings:

WakeOnLAN=ACOnly
FlashOverLAN=Enable
EthernetLANOptionROM=Enable
HarddriveDMA=Enable
WirelessLANandWiMAXRadios=On
PCIINTA=11
PCIINTB=11
PCIINTC=11
PCIINTD=11
PCIINTE=11
PCIINTF=11
PCIINTG=11
PCIINTH=11
USBBIOSSupport=Enable
AlwaysOnUSB=Enable
AlwaysOnUSBMode=Automatic
TrackPoint=Automatic
FnCtrlKeySwap=Disable
OnByAcAttach=Disable
TouchPad=Automatic
FnKeyLock=Disable
ThinkPadNumLock=Independent
PowerOnNumLock=Auto
BootDisplayDevice=LCD
GraphicsDevice=SwitchableGfx
OsDetectionForSwitchableGraphics=Enable
TimerWakeWithBattery=Disable
SpeedStep=Enable
SpeedStepModeAC=Automatic
SpeedStepModeBattery=BatteryOptimized
AdaptiveThermalManagementAC=MaximizePerformance
AdaptiveThermalManagementBattery=Balanced
CDROMSpeed=Normal
CPUPowerManagement=Automatic
PCIPowerManagement=Automatic
PCIExpressPowerManagement=Automatic
PowerControlBeep=Enable
LowBatteryAlarm=Enable
PasswordBeep=Disable
KeyboardBeep=Enable
ExtendedMemoryTest=Disable
SATAControllerMode=AHCI
CoreMultiProcessing=Enable
HyperThreadingTechnology=Enable
VirtualizationTechnology=Enable
VTdFeature=Enable
AMTControl=Enable
HostBasedConfiguration=Disable
AMTUnprovisioning=Disable
HardwarePasswordManager=Enable
Passphrase=Enable
LockBIOSSetting=Disable
MinimumPasswordLength=Disable
BIOSPasswordAtUnattendedBoot=Enable
FingerprintPredesktopAuthentication=Enable
FingerprintReaderPriority=External
FingerprintSecurityMode=Normal
FingerprintPasswordAuthentication=Enable
SecurityChip=Inactive
TXTFeature=Disable
BIOSUpdateByEndUsers=Enable
DataExecutionPrevention=Enable
EthernetLANAccess=Enable
WirelessLANAccess=Enable
WiMAXAccess=Enable
WirelessWANAccess=Enable
BluetoothAccess=Enable
ModemAccess=Enable
USBPortAccess=Enable
IEEE1394Access=Disable
ExpressCardAccess=Disable
UltrabayAccess=Enable
MemoryCardSlotAccess=Enable
SmartCardSlotAccess=Enable
IntegratedCameraAccess=Disable
MicrophoneAccess=Enable
FingerprintReaderAccess=Enable
eSATAPortAccess=Enable
ComputraceModuleActivation=Enable
ATpModuleActivation=Disable
BootMode=Quick
StartupOptionKeys=Enable
BootDeviceListF12Option=Enable
BootOrder=USBFDD:ATAPICD0:USBCD:HDD0:PCILAN:USBHDD:HDD1
NetworkBootOrder=PCILAN:USBFDD:ATAPICD0:USBCD:HDD0:USBHDD:HDD1

[iksaif]

Can you try:

In debugfs
$ echo 1 > instance
$ cat bios_setting
$ echo PowerOnNumLock > argument
$ cat list_valid_choices

In sysfs:
$ cat PowerOnNumLock

[pllop]

root@X:~# cd /sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi
root@X:/sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi# echo 1 > instance
root@X:/sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi# cat bios_setting
FlashOverLAN=Enable
root@X:/sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi# echo PowerOnNumLock > argument
root@X:/sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi# cat list_valid_choices
cat: list_valid_choices: Invalid argument
root@X:/sys/kernel/debug/thinkpad-wmi# cd /sys/devices/platform/thinkpad-wmi
root@X:/sys/devices/platform/thinkpad-wmi# cat PowerOnNumLock
Auto

root@X:/sys/devices/platform/thinkpad-wmi# 

Interestingly, writing to instance seems successful. I tried with other numbers too and the result of bios_setting is as expected.

[pllop]

Ok, I poked around the code a bit and managed to get it to change settings successfully. There were two problems:

• Newlines are not trimmed from the string containing the value. Doing echo -n can work around that.
• store_settings returns ret which is the return value of the last call to thinkpad_wmi_xxx, instead of the number of bytes written. When the calls are successful this is 0, and returning that causes an infinite loop. After changing it to return count, it works.

I still don't know what the problem with list_valid_choices is, but it is something different from the ones with changing settings.

[iksaif]

Hmmm, so somehow, we can't list valid choices. In the BIOS, what are the valid choices for PoweOnNumLock (there should be a something in the UI somewhere)

Could you send me a patch for your changes ? (I wrote this code 2 years ago, and I might have uploaded the wrong version :/)

[iksaif]

Please try with the latest version