Backlight doesn't come back on, 11.10 with Asus S62FP

Can you give the output of:

lsmod; lsb_release -a

When the light is ok?

Have you contacted System76 for support?

System76 support:

d'oh. I'll check with them. I've had this thing for so long I just assumed they wouldn't be interested -- but who knows?

lsmod; lsb_release -a :

Module Size Used by
bnep 17923 2
rfcomm 38408 4
bluetooth 148839 10 bnep,rfcomm
snd_hda_codec_analog 75090 1
joydev 17393 0
ppdev 12849 0
pcmcia 39822 0
snd_hda_intel 24262 1
snd_hda_codec 91754 2 snd_hda_codec_analog,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep 13276 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 80468 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec
arc4 12473 2
i915 505108 2
iwl3945 73329 0
snd_seq_midi 13132 0
iwl_legacy 71499 1 iwl3945
psmouse 73673 0
mac80211 272785 2 iwl3945,iwl_legacy
snd_rawmidi 25241 1 snd_seq_midi
yenta_socket 27428 0
pcmcia_rsrc 18367 1 yenta_socket
serio_raw 12990 0
snd_seq_midi_event 14475 1 snd_seq_midi
pcmcia_core 21511 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,pcmcia_rsrc
snd_seq 51567 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
binfmt_misc 17292 1
snd_timer 28932 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
parport_pc 32114 0
cfg80211 172392 3 iwl3945,iwl_legacy,mac80211
drm_kms_helper 32889 1 i915
drm 192226 3 i915,drm_kms_helper
snd_seq_device 14172 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
asus_laptop 19050 0
snd 55902 11 snd_hda_codec_analog,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
soundcore 12600 1 snd
i2c_algo_bit 13199 1 i915
sparse_keymap 13658 1 asus_laptop
snd_page_alloc 14115 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
video 18908 1 i915
lp 17455 0
parport 40930 3 ppdev,parport_pc,lp
firewire_ohci 35854 0
r8169 43104 0
firewire_core 56937 1 firewire_ohci
crc_itu_t 12627 1 firewire_core
sdhci_pci 13658 0
sdhci 27360 1 sdhci_pci
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 11.10
Release: 11.10
Codename: oneiric

You could try unloading and loading various modules above, use:

sudo modprobe -r name; sleep 2; sudo modprobe name

I suggest you try asus_laptop first. Did you contact System76? They ship laptops with ubuntu pre-installed

What should I be looking for?

Are you suggesting that I run this, try closing the lid and opening it, then reboot each time it fails to come back on? For every module on the list? Ouch! Is that the only diagnostic I can try?

That takes an awful long time, and if I try it for the listings that don't end in zero I get a nastygram from modprobe to the effect that the module is in use.