AlienFX on Ubuntu?

I'd like to be able to run Alien FX on my computer to change the lights on my Alienware MX 14 R2. I see several links in a Google search, but none of them seem to work. This one looks promising, but it's only for newer models. This one looks like exactly what I want but it won't work for me--either because it's for an older version of Linux or it just only works with the original model of my computer and not the R2 one.

Has anyone seen any other Alien FX programs for Linux? Or does anyone think they could edit one of these to work with my computer? I know it'll be hard to answer this question since you basically need my exact computer to see if it will work.

Thanks in advance for any help.

3 Answers

Update: July 20 2019

A deleted answer below points out how AW13R3 is not supported. It appears that AlienFXLite and PyALienFX have both been abandoned for a number of years.

I've found a github page for AKBL (Alienware Keyboard Lights) to control Alienware Light Effects. AKBL was updated just 10 days ago:

Sadly I've had this AW17R3 laptop for almost two years but have never found time to "play with" the light effects. This new program AKBL looks promising as it's written in Python and does some cool thing such as change light colors depending on the weather outside.

Some cool ideas off the top of my head would be setting colors based on CPU%:

• <10%=green, 10-20%=blue, 20-30%=yellow, 30-4%0=orange, 40-50%=purple, 50+%=red.

Original Answer

I found this package: AlienFxLite

This software was initially developed for M15x and M17x laptops. The latest modifications were tested on the M14x R2 and R3 laptops.

Disadvantage as you need to compile it.

There is also a newer package: alienfx

Advantages:

• Comes with .deb package for Ubuntu installation
• Last updated 1 months ago (July 2018).
• Your laptop appears supported as device #10 and mine as device #14:

I'll try to test this on my AW17R3 soon and report back.

Finally found something that works.

Clone the above repo and run:

cd hack-alienfx
make all
sudo ./run seq/snooze

But above program is written for device id 187c:0527 so in the source code replace it with your own alienfx device ids.

run $lsusb to find your alienfx device id:

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 187c:0529 Alienware Corporation

cd hack-alienfx
grep -rin "0527" ./

I replaced all occurances of 0527 with 0529 in the source files.

make all
sudo ./run seq/snooze
sudo ./run seq/afx-godark
sudo ./run seq/afx-off
sudo ./run seq/afx-allblue

The commands in seq/ folder are written for device 187c:0527. So it doesn't behave according to command name. But at least I can now turn on/off lights.

Based in an old alienfx I have the only this zones for 0528 I have alienware 15 R1

Z13 special function left Z14 Turbine right z15 Turbina left  z20 Logo ALIENWARE screen z21 logo and lines back z23 keyboard 1 left to right z24 keyboard 2
z25 keyboard 3
z26 keyboard 4

some one have another with the new version dont work but win old aliewn fx 1 this coomand work

Alien 15 :         sudo alienfx -P 0528 -c  z00f117 blue Alien 15 off:    sudo alienfx -P 0528 -c  z00f000