Using bumblebee and bbswitch, discrete video card (Nvidia) is still on by default.
 

I tried to improve my battery life using Slackware Nvidia optimus docs. I exactly followed the documentation (the manual way).
However, it made my battery life even worse. I realized that my Nvidia gpu is still on since
returns:

Bumblebee status: Ready (3.2.1-2013-04-26-Format:%h$). X inactive. Discrete video card is on.

- I believe that the default status of Nvidia GPU should be off. Could someone please give me the output of optirun --status on their optimus laptop?

- I managed to optimise the power consumption by turning Nvidia GPU off manually:

Now optirun --status returns:

Bumblebee status: Ready (3.2.1-2013-04-26-Format:%h$). X inactive. Discrete video card is off.

- Furthermore, I don't need to turn the 2nd GPU on manually when I need it, because it is automatically turned on on demand (But unofrotunately, it remains on again since then). Therefore, what I intend to do is to set bumblebee and bbswitch to turn the 2nd GPU off when it is not used, but I have no idea how to do that. Could someone help me with this?

Many thanks.

Do you have a script that is loading those nvidia kernel modules? Those modules are not loaded here unless I'm actually using my nvidia card, and they seem to be removed automatically.

$ lsmod | grep nvidia
$ optirun --status
Bumblebee status: Ready (3.2.1-2013-04-26-Format:%h$). X inactive. Discrete video card is off.

$ optirun glxinfo | head
name of display: :0.0
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
server glx version string: 1.4
server glx extensions:
GLX_ARB_context_flush_control, GLX_ARB_create_context,
GLX_ARB_create_context_profile, GLX_ARB_create_context_robustness,
GLX_ARB_fbconfig_float, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_buffer_age,
GLX_EXT_create_context_es2_profile, GLX_EXT_create_context_es_profile,

$ lsmod | grep nvidia
$ optirun --status
Bumblebee status: Ready (3.2.1-2013-04-26-Format:%h$). X inactive. Discrete video card is off.
$ more /proc/acpi/bbswitch
0000:01:00.0 OFF

For what it is worth, I upgraded my kernel to 4.8.11 and upgraded bumblebee to use NVIDIA 375.20.

libbsd-0.8.3-x86_64-1_bbsb.txz
bumblebee-3.2.1-x86_64-1_bbsb.txz
bbswitch-0.8_4.8.11-x86_64-1_bbsb.txz
primus-0.1.7-x86_64-1_bbsb.txz
nvidia-kernel-375.20_4.8.11-x86_64-1_bbsb.txz
nvidia-bumblebee-375.20-x86_64-1_bbsb.txz

I have the same output as before. No nvidia kernel modules loaded normally.
$ optirun glxinfo | head -n 40 | grep -v ^\
name of display: :0.0
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
server glx version string: 1.4
(bit snipped)
OpenGL vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL renderer string: GeForce GTX 765M/PCIe/SSE2
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 375.20
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.50 NVIDIA

$ optirun --status
Bumblebee status: Ready (3.2.1-2013-04-26-Format:%h$). X inactive. Discrete video card is off.

$ more /proc/acpi/bbswitch
0000:01:00.0 OFF

$ lsmod | grep nvidia

Shouldn't we all be using primusrun at this point? It is considerably better. Anyway, your issue seems related to this one:

https://github.com/WhiteWolf1776/Bum...ilds/issues/13

I think the OP disappeared. What is the difference between primusrun and optirun? I haven't noticed any difference between the two. They both seem to work fine on my laptop.

You should get a much higher frame rate with primusrun.

@BradReed
There is no such scrip. I installed bumblebee on a fresh install of Slackware. In fact, for no reason nvidia card tends to remain on! Furthermore, when I turn it off, after each time I use nvidia card, it again remains on. I always have to execute
after startup and after each usage.

Yes, but how may I check nvidia card status using primusrun?

My problem is kind of different since I'm able to switch off nvidia card. I just don't realize why nvidia kernel modules are loaded by default and why the card remains on after each usage!