How to Use the Command `ybacklight` for Managing Screen Brightness (with Examples)

ybacklight is a versatile command-line utility designed to manage the backlight brightness of your screen. Its primary function is to adjust the brightness levels to suit your preferences or needs, whether you’re trying to save battery life, reduce eye strain, or simply set the perfect ambiance for your viewing environment. It offers fine-grained control over brightness settings and can be used in various operating contexts, particularly for laptops and computers with adjustable backlights. Here are some practical use cases that illustrate how ybacklight can be applied effectively in your day-to-day computing tasks.

Use case 1: Print Current Brightness and Maximal Brightness

Code:

ybacklight Sc/Sm

Motivation: Understanding your screen’s current brightness level alongside its maximum capability can be pivotal for several reasons. For instance, this information is useful when calibrating display settings to ensure you aren’t overusing battery power on an already bright screen, or when you want to make informed adjustments for reducing glare in dimly lit environments.

Explanation:

• The command ybacklight is called with the arguments Sc/Sm.
• Sc returns the current brightness level of the screen.
• Sm gives the maximal brightness level that the screen can achieve.
• The slash / separates these two outputs for easier reading and comparison.

Example Output:

450/900

This output indicates that the screen’s current brightness is set to 450, whereas the maximum capacity is 900.

Use case 2: Specify the Brightness

Code:

ybacklight s420

Motivation: Specifying the brightness level directly allows users to set the display to a precise level without having to cycle through increments. This can be very useful if you’re adjusting your screen to match specific lighting conditions, or replicating a brightness setup that you find comfortable and effective.

Explanation:

• The argument s420 tells the ybacklight utility to set the screen brightness to exactly 420.
• The prefix s stands for “set”, indicating an explicit value follows.

Example Output:

Brightness set to 420

The output confirms that the screen brightness has been adjusted to the specified level of 420.

Use case 3: Increase the Brightness by a Set Number of Big Steps

Code:

ybacklight Si42

Motivation: Sometimes it’s useful to increase your screen brightness incrementally but in larger, more noticeable steps. Whether it’s for readability in sunlight or seeing fine details in dark images, this command effectively achieves quick results without manually entering specific levels.

Explanation:

• Si42 comprises the command ybacklight with arguments that modify the brightness.
• The capital S indicates a special mode switching to emphasize “increment” or “increase”.
• The lowercase i confirms an increment operation.
• The number 42 denotes the number of “big steps” to increase. By default, each “big step” equals 100, totaling a brightness change of 4200.

Example Output:

Brightness increased by 4200

The output reflects the significant increase in brightness, achieved rapidly through 42 big steps.

Use case 4: Decrease the Brightness by a Specific Amount

Code:

ybacklight d300

Motivation: Decreasing the screen brightness by a particular value allows for quick adjustment in response to changing ambient light conditions or to minimize energy consumption. This is especially advantageous in mobile computing scenarios where saving battery life is a priority.

Explanation:

• The d300 argument had been selected for its specific functionality- decreasing brightness.
• d stands for “decrease”, and specifies that the command should reduce brightness.
• 300 specifies the exact numerical value by which the brightness should be reduced.

Example Output:

Brightness decreased by 300

This feedback indicates the brightness has been lowered by the desired amount of 300.

Conclusion:

The ybacklight command provides a straightforward and powerful means for managing screen brightness directly from the terminal. With its varied functionalities—from displaying current settings to making precise adjustments—it offers users significant control over the screen’s display properties. These use cases highlighted above showcase the flexibility and utility of ybacklight, catering to both general use and specific needs effectively.