[SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

Issa · 2014-12-14 14:10:34

Hello everyone!

After running arch (x86) smoothly on my old t400 I started last week to brace myself to finally bring it on my work laptop.

System:
Lenovo T420s
graphics: NVS4200M and intel
display: 1600x900 px
cpu: core-i7
hdd: 300GB-HDD

After carefully re-reading beginners guide and relevant wikis sites (covering Xorg, nvidia, nouveau, intel, optimus) I am now close to give up as the last ideas have left me on where to search and what to try to finally startx.

What I have done so far:
* installed arch linux on third partition (dual-boot scenario with windows 7) - working
* installed arch linux following beginners guide
* installed Xorg following wiki-artikel about Xorg
* installed nouveau in order to use PRIME as explained in wiki (read article about nouveau and PRIME)
* installed intel driver alongside nouveau (for PRIME obviously)
* run Xorg :0 -configure
-> didn't work (startx failed with can't connect)
* installed nvidia after stuff didn't work, removed "nouveau" from /etc/mkinitcpio.conf and rebuild initram (rebooted the sysem)
* installed intel-ucode - updated grub (after reading something about it in the forum)
* rebooted again
* run nvidia-xconfig
> doesn't work (startx fails with: (EE) no screens found(EE) )

That sums it pretty much up. Below content of /var/log/Xorg.0.log, lspci | grep VGA and xorg.conf:

/var/log/Xorg.0.log

[   795.081] 
This is a pre-release version of the X server from The X.Org Foundation.
It is not supported in any way.
Bugs may be filed in the bugzilla at http://bugs.freedesktop.org/.
Select the "xorg" product for bugs you find in this release.
Before reporting bugs in pre-release versions please check the
latest version in the X.Org Foundation git repository.
See http://wiki.x.org/wiki/GitPage for git access instructions.
[   795.083] 
X.Org X Server 1.16.2.901 (1.16.3 RC 1)
Release Date: 2014-12-09
[   795.088] X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[   795.089] Build Operating System: Linux 3.17.2-1-ARCH x86_64 
[   795.091] Current Operating System: Linux t420s_arch 3.17.6-1-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sun Dec 7 23:43:32 UTC 2014 x86_64
[   795.091] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=9c89e4b2-2290-4901-ab13-5e7b8862b769 rw resume_offset=90112 quiet
[   795.094] Build Date: 10 December 2014  02:34:24PM
[   795.096]  
[   795.098] Current version of pixman: 0.32.6
[   795.101] 	Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
	to make sure that you have the latest version.
[   795.101] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
	(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[   795.107] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sun Dec 14 15:04:26 2014
[   795.109] (==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
[   795.111] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[   795.111] (==) ServerLayout "Layout0"
[   795.111] (**) |-->Screen "Screen0" (0)
[   795.111] (**) |   |-->Monitor "Monitor0"
[   795.111] (**) |   |-->Device "Device0"
[   795.111] (**) |-->Input Device "Keyboard0"
[   795.111] (**) |-->Input Device "Mouse0"
[   795.111] (==) Automatically adding devices
[   795.111] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[   795.111] (==) Automatically adding GPU devices
[   795.111] (==) FontPath set to:
	/usr/share/fonts/misc/,
	/usr/share/fonts/TTF/,
	/usr/share/fonts/OTF/,
	/usr/share/fonts/Type1/,
	/usr/share/fonts/100dpi/,
	/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/
[   795.111] (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
[   795.111] (WW) Hotplugging is on, devices using drivers 'kbd', 'mouse' or 'vmmouse' will be disabled.
[   795.111] (WW) Disabling Keyboard0
[   795.111] (WW) Disabling Mouse0
[   795.111] (II) Loader magic: 0x818d80
[   795.111] (II) Module ABI versions:
[   795.111] 	X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
[   795.111] 	X.Org Video Driver: 18.0
[   795.111] 	X.Org XInput driver : 21.0
[   795.111] 	X.Org Server Extension : 8.0
[   795.114] (II) systemd-logind: took control of session /org/freedesktop/login1/session/c1
[   795.114] (II) xfree86: Adding drm device (/dev/dri/card1)
[   795.114] (II) systemd-logind: got fd for /dev/dri/card1 226:1 fd 8 paused 0
[   795.115] (II) xfree86: Adding drm device (/dev/dri/card0)
[   795.115] (II) systemd-logind: got fd for /dev/dri/card0 226:0 fd 9 paused 0
[   795.117] (--) PCI:*(0:0:2:0) 8086:0126:17aa:21d3 rev 9, Mem @ 0xf1400000/4194304, 0xe0000000/268435456, I/O @ 0x00005000/64
[   795.117] (--) PCI: (0:1:0:0) 10de:1056:17aa:21d3 rev 161, Mem @ 0xf0000000/16777216, 0xc0000000/268435456, 0xd0000000/33554432, I/O @ 0x00004000/128, BIOS @ 0x????????/524288
[   795.118] (WW) Open ACPI failed (/var/run/acpid.socket) (No such file or directory)
[   795.118] (II) LoadModule: "glx"
[   795.118] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so
[   795.128] (II) Module glx: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[   795.129] 	compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[   795.129] 	Module class: X.Org Server Extension
[   795.129] (II) NVIDIA GLX Module  343.36  Mon Dec  1 15:50:02 PST 2014
[   795.129] (II) LoadModule: "nvidia"
[   795.129] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/nvidia_drv.so
[   795.129] (II) Module nvidia: vendor="NVIDIA Corporation"
[   795.129] 	compiled for 4.0.2, module version = 1.0.0
[   795.129] 	Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[   795.129] (II) NVIDIA dlloader X Driver  343.36  Mon Dec  1 15:28:39 PST 2014
[   795.129] (II) NVIDIA Unified Driver for all Supported NVIDIA GPUs
[   795.129] (++) using VT number 1

[   795.129] (--) controlling tty is VT number 1, auto-enabling KeepTty
[   795.129] (EE) No devices detected.
[   795.129] (EE) 
Fatal server error:
[   795.129] (EE) no screens found(EE) 
[   795.129] (EE) 
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
	 at http://wiki.x.org
 for help. 
[   795.129] (EE) Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information.
[   795.129] (EE)

content of xorg.conf

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 343.36  (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-09)  Mon Dec  1 16:47:14 PST 2014

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0"
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Unknown"
    HorizSync       28.0 - 33.0
    VertRefresh     43.0 - 72.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

lspci | grep VGA

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GF119M [NVS 4200M] (rev a1)

Any help is appreciated and I know that probably something in my xorg.conf is wrong, but I am honestly not able to work out the right settings just by comparing dozens of different versions and flavors that come up when I search for Xorg problems and optimus or for "no screens found" and Xorg.

Last edited by Issa (2014-12-26 17:57:23)

Lone_Wolf · 2014-12-14 16:59:30

* run Xorg :0 -configure
-> didn't work (startx failed with can't connect)

running Xorg :0 -configure was probably the reason of the fail.

Basically you got 2 options on an nvidia optimus system :
- use intel + nouveau
- disable intel card and use nvidia card with proprietary driver .
The archwiki on optimus has more info.

Issa · 2014-12-14 17:09:46

Ah ok - so if I use nvidia-driver I won't be able to switch dynamically between intel and nvidia gpu. Now that I read it again (after jogging) it makes sense again. So i'll uninstall nvidia-driver, make sure that configuration does not block nouveau and then give nouveau another try.

Will do that now and update with results. Thanks for the hint.

dice · 2014-12-14 17:25:55

In addition to Lone_Wolf's suggestions there is also bumblebee which I prefer to use for intel + nvidia drivers. Although I don't use the nvidia chip much in linux

Issa · 2014-12-14 21:40:42

Installed nouveau as described in the wiki.
Rebooted the system.
backed up /etc/X11/xorg.conf
created a new xorg.conf by running: Xorg -configure and copied it to /etc/X11/
different error this time.

For now I just gave up and am installing manjaro to be able to work tomorrow. However I'll get back to this on friday morning and would like to use this thread as a log to write down the steps to get it running. Hope is, that I can write this down one time to be prepared the next time (and use it for my private blog). probably I'll start in a virtual box though.

Any help is still very much appreciated!

Issa · 2014-12-14 23:18:22

Ok - another update.

After manjaro crashed for no good reason I killed gnome-shell and gdm which brought me back to terminal.
In the terminal I typed

startx

to see how it would work here and maybe also to get a /log/var/Xorg.0.log that could give me more hints for next arch session. What I found was, that it would not work here either... That makes me curious to see how it is solved there! A first hint is, that manjaro indeed seems to use bumblebee - so I'll read more about this (I just thought it to be deprecated as no further development is taking place).

dice · 2014-12-15 00:08:09

Xorg should work fine with just the default config using intel gpu. So try NOT to create /etc/X11/xorg.conf

And no one (except manjaro people) knows how they configure xorg there..

Issa · 2014-12-19 10:50:58

Thank you for the hint @Dice.

So I'll start over again now. But first I'm gone save some details about the current configuration of manjaro. I still think that it might contain some hints on where to look and what to do.

So please watch carefully the title for each code-paste that I might add, to make sure if the code is taken from my arch installation or from the manjaro setup!

Issa · 2014-12-26 17:56:25

Ok, I have now managed to start a very simple x session! I seem to have had some guirks in my first setup and writing everything down and doing the install step-by-step has helped a lot.

I think the main things that I forgot (or got wrong) the first time were:

not configuring acpi (Wiki article on acpid)
configure /etc/pacman.conf to enable multilib
install both drivers: intel (xf86-video-intel) and nouveau (xf86-video-nouveau)
install xterm, twm xclock
consequently install everything as a normal user using sudo command executing startx as normal user

I learned a lot to get where I am now (must useful: creating full backups using rsync as described here but I'm still not finished yet.

I want to install gnome as desktop environment and I thought that after being able to start an x session that would be no big deal but I seem to run in some other errors, that probably have to do with graphics setup.

However - as the problem stated in this thread is solved I'll mark this thread as solved and open a new one to describe my current question. Thanks to all who provided feedback!

Arch Linux

#1 2014-12-14 14:10:34

[SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

#2 2014-12-14 16:59:30

Re: [SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

#3 2014-12-14 17:09:46

Re: [SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

#4 2014-12-14 17:25:55

Re: [SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

#5 2014-12-14 21:40:42

Re: [SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

#6 2014-12-14 23:18:22

Re: [SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

#7 2014-12-15 00:08:09

Re: [SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

#8 2014-12-19 10:50:58

Re: [SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

#9 2014-12-26 17:56:25

Re: [SOLVED]Problems configuring Xorg (t420s, nvidia optimus)

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