NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

gautamadude · 2014-03-03 14:34:07

*EDIT*

Okay so apparently the solution I'm looking for isn't a proprietary nvidia solution but is developed by Canonical, a package called nvidia-prime (git: http://github.com/tseliot/nvidia-prime.git), so I'm looking into it now if it's too complicated or not to adjust it to work for Arch, any thougths on that would be welcomed.

----------

*EDIT2*

After looking into using the nvidia-prime package on Arch it seems a bit too complicated to do, but perhaps I don't need it: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NV … ing_nvidia

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On Ubuntu I can use my NVIDIA Optimus dual GPU setup (nvidia+intel) doing the following:

sudo apt-get install nvidia-319 nvidia-settings-319 nvidia-prime

And then reboot.

I'm not sure what's going on here, if nvidia drivers 319+ have optimus support or if the nvidia-prime package in addition makes it work, or who's responsible for the nvidia-prime package or what it does. What I am sure of however is that I like this setup better then using bumblebee, so I am wondering, can I have the same kind of setup in Arch? I don't want to get half way through the install and realize it's not supported.

Description of the nvidia-prime package:

This is a set of tools which will enable
NVIDIA's Prime on MUXless systems.

More info:
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-prime
http://packages.ubuntu.com/trusty/nvidia-prime
https://github.com/tseliot/nvidia-prime

Files installed by nvidia-prime:

/etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/90-nvidia.conf
/sbin/hybrid-power
/usr/share/doc/nvidia-prime/changelog.gz
/usr/share/doc/nvidia-prime/copyright

Contents of /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/90-nvidia.conf

[SeatDefaults]
# Force using traditional X
type=xlocal

Contents of /usr/share/doc/nvidia-prime/copyright

Format: http://dep.debian.net/deps/dep5
Upstream-Name: nvidia-prime
Source: git://github.com/tseliot/nvidia-prime.git

Files: *
Copyright: 2013 Canonical Ltd.
License: GPL-3.0

Files: debian/*
Copyright: 2013 Canonical Ltd.
License: GPL-3.0

License: GPL-3.0
 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
 it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
 the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
 (at your option) any later version.
 .
 This package is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
 but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
 MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
 GNU General Public License for more details.
 .
 You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 .
 On Debian systems, the complete text of the GNU General
 Public License version 3 can be found in "/usr/share/common-licenses/GPL-3".

Last edited by gautamadude (2014-03-03 16:14:50)

AnAkkk · 2014-03-03 17:15:52

It's not developed by Canonical. The Ubuntu package just has some scripts that does the exact same thing which is described on the ArchLinux wiki.

mwgg · 2014-05-06 13:43:10

AnAkkk wrote:

It's not developed by Canonical. The Ubuntu package just has some scripts that does the exact same thing which is described on the ArchLinux wiki.

I have a laptop (Dell 17R SE / 7720) with which I was not able to get the NVIDIA GPU working under Arch with any solution available (even Bumblebee is a pain in the thorax). The only way the laptop is usable under Arch is by not installing the NVIDIA driver and using only Intel graphics (which is no good for gaming).

However, under Ubuntu the nvidia-prime somehow does its magic and NVIDIA just works out of the box. So it certainly does something that we are not aware of.

I also tried making the nvidia-prime working under Arch (to no avail), tried copying Xorg configs from Ubuntu, tried every possible thing, with the same result of X refusing to start.

I wish someone with capacity to understand the innerworkings of whatever's going on in Ubuntu can replicate the solution for Arch, and save the few of us with badly designed muxless Optimus laptops.

brebs · 2014-05-06 18:32:55

mwgg wrote:

X refusing to start

Show an error message. Look in /var/log/Xorg.0.log

mrunion · 2014-05-06 23:21:21

Yeah, I have an Optimus setup and I've had no issues getting it to work -- both with Bumblebee and using ONLY the nVidia card. My BIOS does NOT have an option to enable/disable wither of the cards. I don't know why you are having so many troubles, mwgg.

brebs · 2014-05-07 05:47:44

mrunion wrote:

had no issues

You're just lucky. There's bugs in xorg-video-intel, bugs in xorg-server, bugs in nvidia, bugs in the kernel - bugs everywhere, and Optimus in a cross-fingers-and-hope state.

mwgg · 2014-05-07 07:47:52

brebs wrote:

mwgg wrote:
X refusing to start
Show an error message. Look in /var/log/Xorg.0.log

Depending on the particular config I use it's either "Screen 0 deleted because of no matching config section" or "No devices detected". I've tried different configs and suggestions, playing with different combinations of nvidia/modesetting/intel drivers. Literally spent days trying to make it work. It only works if I get rid of nvidia drivers/configs, no luck getting nvidia fired up.

P.S. Searching this forum and the internet shows quite a few people having issues with this particular laptops, unable to get nvidia working.

Last edited by mwgg (2014-05-07 07:56:09)

mrunion · 2014-05-07 16:47:58

brebs wrote:

mrunion wrote:
had no issues
You're just lucky. There's bugs in xorg-video-intel, bugs in xorg-server, bugs in nvidia, bugs in the kernel - bugs everywhere, and Optimus in a cross-fingers-and-hope state.

Ah, I didn't realize it was that hit-or-miss. I installed Bumblebee and used it since I got the laptop last January (2013). Just two weeks ago, I removed Bumblebee and followed the Wiki and used nVidia only. OP, sorry I can't help more. FWIW, I have an Acer i7, V3-771G if that helps anyone out there (doubt it).

CyberNhull · 2014-06-17 11:23:39

See if this works for you..i was having trouble to a while back...https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=177580

ic3man5 · 2014-06-26 03:28:13

So I looked into this also (running the current solution in the wiki although I'm on debian jessie).

The nvidia-prime package does more than this. It allows on the fly switching (via a tray icon I believe) to switch between intel/nvidia (I think I seen amd support in there also).

I was going to try and port the package to debian jessie (assumed it would be easy considering ubuntu is based off of debian), but it looks like it depends heavily on ubuntu-drivers-common package.

What I believe is happening is its generating two Xorg configs and with the combination of bbswitch restarting X on switch. Sadly I don't have the time or the knowledge, Figured I'd post it here as a heads up for anyone looking into this.

ic3man5 · 2014-06-30 08:25:46

I had a little bit of time to at least look into how it works and this should be reproducible on any system.

Here is the generic list of steps:

Switch to Intel:
-kill lightdm (login manager)
-rmmod nvidia
-echo "OFF" >> /proc/acpi/bbswitch
-Switch xorg.conf over to Intel version (Probably don't need one)
-start lightdm

Switch to Nvidia:
-kill lightdm
-modprobe nvidia
-echo "ON >> /proc/acpi/bbswitch
-Switch xorg.conf over to Nvidia version
-start lightdm

Arch Linux

#1 2014-03-03 14:34:07

NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#2 2014-03-03 17:15:52

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#3 2014-05-06 13:43:10

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#4 2014-05-06 18:32:55

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#5 2014-05-06 23:21:21

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#6 2014-05-07 05:47:44

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#7 2014-05-07 07:47:52

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#8 2014-05-07 16:47:58

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#9 2014-06-17 11:23:39

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#10 2014-06-26 03:28:13

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

#11 2014-06-30 08:25:46

Re: NVIDIA Optimus using a proprietary solution (no bumblebee)?

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