Arch Linux

Bilskirnir3124

Member

Registered: 2021-08-29

Posts: 14

[Solved] Optimus-manager fails to switch GPUs

Hello,

I have a HP ENVY m7 from about 2014. I installed optimus-manager to handle switching between my integrated GPU and discrete GPU. This worked well on a previous Arch install. The system runs fine on the integrated Intel GPU. When I attempt to switch to nVidia graphics it initially seems successful. I get logged out to LightDM. When I attempt to log back into MATE I get loaded to a black screen before seeing a flashing cursor at the top-left of the screen for a couple of seconds before being kicked back to LightDM. There is no output on the black screen. Rebooting from this state resets the system to Intel integrated graphics allowing me to log back into my DE.

Here are my hardware and software details:

Software:
OS: Arch Linux installed via archinstall from the official ISO.
Kernel: 5.16.8-zen1-1-zen
DM: LightDM
DE: MATE 1.26.0

Hardware:
CPU: Intel i7-5500U (4) @ 3.000GHz
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 5500 and nVidia GeForce 840M
RAM: 12GB

Relevant sudo lspci -v output for the GPUs:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation HD Graphics 5500 (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
    DeviceName: Intel(R) Graphics GT2
    Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 229d
    Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 53
    Memory at c3000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
    Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
    I/O ports at 6000 [size=64]
    Expansion ROM at 000c0000 [virtual] [disabled] [size=128K]
    Capabilities: [90] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
    Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2
    Capabilities: [a4] PCI Advanced Features
    Kernel driver in use: i915
    Kernel modules: i915

0a:00.0 3D controller: NVIDIA Corporation GM108M [GeForce 840M] (rev a2)
    DeviceName: NVIDIA GeForce GT 840M
    Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 229d
    Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 55
    Memory at c4000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
    Memory at b0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
    Memory at c0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
    I/O ports at 3000 [size=128]
    Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
    Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
    Capabilities: [78] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
    Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel
    Capabilities: [258] L1 PM Substates
    Capabilities: [128] Power Budgeting <?>
    Capabilities: [600] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=024 <?>
    Kernel driver in use: nvidia
    Kernel modules: nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia

Installed nVidia and optimus packages:
       egl-wayland 2:1.1.9+r3+g582b2d3-1 (I don't know why this is installed. To the best of my knowledge Arch is still xorg-based. Not messing with it though.)
       lib32-nvidia-utils 510.47.03-1
       nvidia-dkms 510.47.03-3
       nvidia-utils 510.47.03-3
       lib32-mesa 21.3.5-1
       libvdpau 1.4-1
       libxnvctrl 510.47.03-1
       mesa 21.3.5-1
       mesa-demos 8.4.0-7
       optimus-manager 1.4-3
       optimus-manager-qt 1.6.4-1
       xf86-video-nouveau 1.0.17-2

I'll be happy to post any additional details you may need.

Thanks for the help.

Last edited by Bilskirnir3124 (2022-02-23 18:02:36)

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 14,849

Re: [Solved] Optimus-manager fails to switch GPUs

Do things work if you boot directly to nivida by adding optimus-manager.startup=nvidia as kernel parameter ?

Welcome to archlinux forums

---

Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

clean chroot building not flexible enough ?
Try clean chroot manager by graysky

Bilskirnir3124

Member

Registered: 2021-08-29

Posts: 14

Re: [Solved] Optimus-manager fails to switch GPUs

Thanks for the response. Sorry for dropping this thread. I got busy for a couple of days after posting last, then over the weekend I fired the laptop up and ran an update. It ended up fixing the problem. There was an nvidia-utils, Linux-zen, and dkms upgrade installed, and that seemed to take care of the problem.

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 14,849

Re: [Solved] Optimus-manager fails to switch GPUs

np, glad it's solved.

Please edit the first post and prepend [Solved] to the title (you may have to remove some of the exsiting text for it to fit)

---

Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

clean chroot building not flexible enough ?
Try clean chroot manager by graysky

Bilskirnir3124

Member

Registered: 2021-08-29

Posts: 14

Re: [Solved] Optimus-manager fails to switch GPUs

np, glad it's solved.

Please edit the first post and prepend [Solved] to the title (you may have to remove some of the exsiting text for it to fit)

Knew I forgot to do something. Thanks.