Slackware and Nvidia Optimus
 

I have an Asus X53SV which I think has the Nvidia Optimus graphics system, it has the Nvidia GT540M but also has the integrated Intel GPU.

There is no option to select which of the two graphics devices to use in the BIOS, thus I imagine this must be done somehow with software, e.g. using the so-called Bumblebee project?

Nevertheless, before I struggle to get the highly experimental Bumblebee project working on this system I have to at least get either of the graphics devices working -- i.e. assuming one of them is "enabled" by default. I suspect this is the integrated graphics system from searching on information for this issue.

However, I am unable to get anything beyond the VESA driver working. I've tried the proprietary nvidia driver, the nv driver and the intel driver, for all possible combinations for the two available PCI devices.

In some cases I get a black display, and in some configurations I just get the typical error "No screens found" -- this is probably due to an illegal combination though, such as trying to use the intel driver on the Nvidia (GT540M) device.

I simply cannot live with using just the VESA driver, it will only give me 1024x768, even if I attempt to force it up to 1366x768 it will not go beyond 1024x768.

The following graphics devices are present on the system (excerpt from lspci output):

Any ideas on how I can get at least the integrated GPU solution working properly?

I have a GT520 and it does not work with 13.37. I read somewhere that it needs a nouveau driver. On their freedesktop.org sit you can check the work for this cards, but they recomend a kernel 3.1.

http://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/CodeNames#NVC0

rgds
Saxa

I would disable agpgart in the kernel and install the latest nvidia drivers. The hardest thing to do would be to try to make only the Intel card work, IMO. At least on my ASUS netbook it was easy to get the nvidia card working this way.

The correct solution to just get the Intel graphics system to work is to compile the kernel with KMS.

However, this makes the display go black during booting, and it will only turn on again when X performs the graphics initialization it does. I.e. using runlevel 3 will leave the user with a completely black display, using runlevel 4 will keep the display black for roughly half of the boot process, and then turn it on once X starts.

I don't know why the display is blank/blank, it does not seem to be an issue with the backlight turned off -- I have taken a torch to the display and tried looking at it from different angles to determine if the display is on, but the backlight is off. The display itself seems to be turned off.

I think I've spent at least 10 maybe 12 hours trying to get it working now. If anyone knows why this happens please tell me.

I also have both intel and nvidia card on my laptop. I don't use proprietary drivers.
In my case, if nouveau loads before i915, it causes black screen.
So my solution is to blacklist nouveau driver.

Hope this works for you.

Thanks, but this does not work in my case. I already have the nouveau driver blacklisted.

Nvidia Optimus is not really supported at this time on any level because the hardware relies on a software muxer to control both cards independently which does not exist yet on Linux, using an Nvidia Optimus powered laptop for Linux is actually still ill-advised, but if you wish to brave a non-working or half-working system, go for it.

You can try BlackListing both the nouveau and i915 drivers to get the Nvidia proprietary driver working. However, the Nvidia proprietary driver is currently the only known module to work with this graphics solution.

Using Kernel 3.1.x is highly advised, as is using the latest libdrm build, and the latest Mesa driver (if you stick to nouveau). Be warned that you will only be able to use one graphics card with this with the other card disabled (the other graphics card will still be powered so you will have a reduced battery life). The i915 driver in most cases will require being blacklisted and you may have to load the nouveau (or nvidia) kernel module at boot time using initrd to have a runlevel 3 sequence.

Thanks for the tip, I didn't think of just trying to blacklist the i915.

This actually resolved this problem:

Now the display does not go black during booting, which is what I wanted. However, the i915 is still loaded by X when it starts -- despite having it blacklisted.

Bumblebee 3.0 new packages for slackware 13.37 64 bit
http://www.teoxonline.com/appunti.php?id=25

edit - moved my related question about this..


to a new thread here:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...53#post4600253

as this thread is marked solved.....


:)