GNOME X11 NVIDIA eGPU Stopped working

datafatmunger · 2022-08-14 10:47:31

Hello all,

I performed a system update yesterday, and my eGPU stopped working. I've been following NVIDIA guide here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA#Installation, but I'm still having issues.

GDM never gets to login screen, is black, with blinking cursor.

Details at the moment:

$ uname -a
Linux enjoypoverty 5.18.16-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Wed, 03 Aug 2022 11:25:04 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ lspci | grep -E 'VGA|3D'
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation HD Graphics 620 (rev 02)
07:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GA104 [GeForce RTX 3070] (rev a1)

xorg.conf generated via

$ sudo nvidia-xconfig

€ sudo cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 515.65.01

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"
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BusID          "PCI:7:0:0"
EndSection

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

Addressing Intel "bug", ibt?:

€ sudo cat /boot/loader/entries/arch-encrypted.conf 
title Arch Linux Encrypted
linux /vmlinuz-linux
initrd /initramfs-linux.img
options cryptdevice=UUID=XXX:lvm root=/dev/mapper/vols-root rw button.lid_init_state=open ibt=off

Honestly, not sure about NVIDIA Optimus, didn't need it before.

If I kill the xorg.conf, GDM can get to login screen, but without the external display connected to the graphics card.

Thank you!

Last edited by datafatmunger (2022-08-14 11:02:28)

seth · 2022-08-14 13:13:32

Post a system journal from a failed boot, eg.

sudo journalctl -b -1 | curl -F 'file=@-' 0x0.st

for the previous ("-1") boot.
Also see https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA … de_setting (parameter and early loading)

Also remove the xorg.conf and post the xorg log for the resulting boot, https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xorg#General and the output of

xrandr --listproviders

Finally make sure to https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GDM#Use_Xorg_backend (though I guess the xorg.conf wouldn't have any impact if you were not doing that right now)

datafatmunger · 2022-08-14 15:42:48

Thank you for the response!

Boot with xorg.conf, and black screen:
http://0x0.st/o23h.txt

Boot w/o xorg.conf, GDM is successful (w/o external display):
http://0x0.st/o235.txt

$ xrandr --listproviders
Providers: number : 1
Provider 0: id: 0x45 cap: 0xf, Source Output, Sink Output, Source Offload, Sink Offload crtcs: 3 outputs: 4 associated providers: 0 name:modesetting

Thank you again!

Last edited by datafatmunger (2022-08-14 15:45:54)

seth · 2022-08-14 19:23:57

Aug 14 17:32:35 enjoypoverty /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[782]: (WW) NVIDIA(GPU-0): This device is an external GPU, but external GPUs have not
Aug 14 17:32:35 enjoypoverty /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[782]: (WW) NVIDIA(GPU-0):     been enabled with AllowExternalGpus. Disabling this device
Aug 14 17:32:35 enjoypoverty /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[782]: (WW) NVIDIA(GPU-0):     to prevent crashes from accidental removal.
Aug 14 17:32:35 enjoypoverty /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[782]: (EE) NVIDIA(G0): Failing initialization of X screen

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nvidia.conf

 /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nvidia.conf
Section "Device"
    Identifier "GeForce RTX 3070"
    Driver	"nvidia"
    Option	"AllowExternalGpus" "True"
EndSection

instead of the static server config should do.

Re-check "xrandr --listproviders" afterwards (also check the xorg log again to see which GPU the X11 server runs on and whether you'd like to change that, eg. run on the intel chip instead and only "prime-run" games or so)
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Optimus

datafatmunger · 2022-08-15 06:39:48

Definitely better, thank you! The external display, via the eGPU is working, but as this is a laptop the built-in screen, connected to the internal Intel GPU has stopped working. Just a blinking cursor there. Perhaps this is where I need something like NVIDIA Optimus? Or missing a section in X11 to define that screen?

seth · 2022-08-15 07:02:46

seth wrote:

Re-check "xrandr --listproviders" afterwards

and also the xorg log.
Because there's now a reference to the nvidia driver, but not the intel one, the server might be running on the nvidia chip now (therefore the external display is working) but does not or cannot redirect the output to the intel chip.

Arch Linux

#1 2022-08-14 10:47:31

GNOME X11 NVIDIA eGPU Stopped working

#2 2022-08-14 13:13:32

Re: GNOME X11 NVIDIA eGPU Stopped working

#3 2022-08-14 15:42:48

Re: GNOME X11 NVIDIA eGPU Stopped working

#4 2022-08-14 19:23:57

Re: GNOME X11 NVIDIA eGPU Stopped working

#5 2022-08-15 06:39:48

Re: GNOME X11 NVIDIA eGPU Stopped working

#6 2022-08-15 07:02:46

Re: GNOME X11 NVIDIA eGPU Stopped working

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