Best way to load a module AFTER X loads

matthew_TKA · 2016-06-12 21:04:08

UPDATE: See my second post for the updated solution once again using bbswitch only this time not crashing. I still may need to find a decent way to automate it unless I can get it to auto load and not barf on X login.

Ok Ok hear me out here. I know this is not ideal and very hacky, but it is the only solution I have currently to disable my discrete GPU and greatly increase my battery life on my MSI GS40 hybrid graphics laptop.

So I found that I can load only the graphics drivers from the PRIME wiki page. In my case: xf86-video-nouveau AND xf86-video-intel. Then I also install mesa and mesa-libgl as per the Intel Graphics wiki.

I then need to blacklist nvidia and nouveau with an added modprob.conf file in /etc/modprobe.d/:

blacklist nvidia
blacklist nouveau

Run a "mkinitcpio -p linux" and profit.

Then when I log into X I can disable my discrete GPU by loading the nouveau module:

sudo modprobe nouveau

It takes a few seconds but my indicator light changes and my battery life greatly increases. I also no longer have the noisy fan every few seconds.

So my question is. What is the best way to automate the modprobe call above after X has already started? (if I do not blacklist nouveau it will hang on boot with no logs)

Note: I have already tried PRIME (as per the advice in the wiki linked previously), Bumblebee (bbswitch hangs X on boot), and every combination of not installing/not installing nvidia/intel graphics drivers. I have also tried numerous other workarounds people have posted with similar issues, short of raw APCI calls.

Thanks!

Last edited by matthew_TKA (2016-06-13 22:14:38)

matthew_TKA · 2016-06-13 22:21:47

UPDATE

Previously I was having issues with bbswitch with bumblebee as X would hang if bbswitch was even installed.

Apparently if I follow the installation in my previous post (install both drivers mesa, mesa-libgl and use blacklist) I can then install bbswitch without hanging X.

I then add one line to the same file I have blacklists:

options bbswitch load_state=0 unload_state=1

Now I have a handy way to switch my GPU on and off:

OFF:

sudo modprobe bbswitch

ON:

sudo rmmod bbswitch

I think it is probably best to keep it off during my normal usage and turn it back on before I shutdown.

There is some information on this in the wiki, although I think my situation is a bit different here. Notice I am not using Bumblebee just yet.

It would still be nice to know what would be the least intrusive way to automate this.

Last edited by matthew_TKA (2016-06-13 23:05:12)

Arch Linux

#1 2016-06-12 21:04:08

Best way to load a module AFTER X loads

#2 2016-06-13 22:21:47

Re: Best way to load a module AFTER X loads

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