Screen found but none have a usable configuration

[Anodescu]

Hi everyone,

It has been now a year and a half I have this computer and I have not been able to make Optimus to run. I decided to give it a try again with 17.1. I installed the nvidia-331 driver through the user interface in Cinnamon settings and when I reboot, X totally fails starting. I found at the bottom of /var/log/Xorg.0.log the line "Screen(s) found but none have a usable configuration". I managed my way back to using Nouveau, thus having a graphical interface. Then I tried installing the nvidia-331 driver again and before rebooting, I opened nvidia-settings ; the NVIDIA radio button was checked. I check the Intel button and it did not crash after reboot. Opening nvidia-settings again, when I try checking back the NVIDIA button, I get a dialog box without a message, simply the red square with the cross ; I'd bet my hand it's an error as the button remained unchecked. Trying again after having opened nvidia-settings from the terminal, I can now have the print of the previous error which is : "ERROR" (<--- some serious coding skills behind this). And that is where I am now. Unfortunately, I do not have anymore the entire /var/log/Xorg.0.log as it is rewritten at start-up (well, that is the conclusion I came to).

More data about my computer follows.
Manufacturer : LDLC
Linux Mint 17.1 Cinnamon edition 64-bit, updated from 17 through the update manager.

Code: Select all

> inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: anode-W150ER Kernel: 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.8.2) 
           Desktop: Gnome Distro: Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca
Machine:   Mobo: CLEVO model: W150ER Bios: American Megatrends version: 4.6.5 date: 11/21/2012
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i7-3632QM CPU (-HT-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 17560.7 
           Clock Speeds: 1: 1200.00 MHz 2: 1200.00 MHz 3: 1200.00 MHz 4: 1200.00 MHz 5: 1200.00 MHz 6: 2201.00 MHz 7: 1500.00 MHz 8: 1200.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0 
           Card-2: NVIDIA GK107M [GeForce GTX 660M] bus-ID: 01:00.0 
           X.Org: 1.15.1 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1920x1080@59.9hz 
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ivybridge Mobile GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card: Intel 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.13.0-24-generic
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller 
           driver: r8169 ver: 2.3LK-NAPI port: d000 bus-ID: 04:00.2
           IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230 driver: iwlwifi ver: in-tree: bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 870.2GB (10.6% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: KINGSTON_SV300S3 size: 120.0GB 
           2: id: /dev/sdb model: WDC_WD7500BPVT size: 750.2GB 
Partition: ID: / size: 14G used: 8.9G (69%) fs: ext4 ID: /home size: 95G used: 77G (86%) fs: ext4 
           ID: swap-1 size: 2.00GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap 
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 66.0C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A 
Info:      Processes: 212 Uptime: 15 min Memory: 1516.7/15941.6MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.2 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.4

Thank you for your time.

[halregen]

Can you go into your BIOS setup and disable the intel graphics card? Are there 2 different ports on your computer one for intel the other for nvidia. If so boot into BIOS setup, with the monitor connected to intel port, see if you can disable intel graphics. You might also need to change the setting which device to load first igfx or pcie. Save the changes and shut down the computer. Connect the monitor to the nvidia graphics port, boot up to login screen. If you already have the nvidia driver installed, then go into console mode ctrl + f1 and type: sudo nvidia-xconfig. Reboot and you should have a working desktop at correct native resolution.

[Anodescu]

I tried going into the BIOS setup but no, I cannot disable the intel graphics card from there. I am also running a laptop, so I do not have access to what the screen is connected to.

[halregen]

It might be that the radeon driver is blocking the nvidia proprietary driver. If you go to this link: How to install the latest Nvidia drivers on Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr http://www.binarytides.com/install-nvid ... ntu-14-04/
It will automatically blacklist the radeon nouveau driver as well installing the latest. Also if there is no way to disable your intel graphics, is there a way to start the pcie slot or igfx graphics first, at boot up, in the BIOS. If there is that should be selected. I am not all that familiar with laptops so it might be a different slot type than pcie for discrete graphics cards. Whichever type it is it should be selected.

[halregen]

When I typed in optimus in synaptic, as well as listing optimus it listed bumblebee. Do you have this installed as well? I say this because optimus is installed on my computer but bumblebee is not. It might be because mine is a desktop and yours is a laptop but if it is not a dependency of optimus and not installed in your laptop, this might throw some light on things. The short discription for bumblebee is:"Nvidia optimus support for Linux". Part of the longer discription is: "It disables the discrete graphics card if no client is detected, and start
an X server making use of NVIDIA card if requested"
Anyway if this helps solve your problem, I don't think it will on its own. You should go to that link I gave above and install the latest proprietary drivers which will stop the nouveau driver from blocking nvidia driver.

[halregen]

You should probably uninstall optimus version you have now because if you install the latest nvidia drivers with the method given in the link they will install a newer version automatically but if that doesn't work see if bumblebee fixes it. I don't know why you would install the nvidia driver then tick the intel driver for use before rebooting because I don't see how it will switch to the nvidia driver successfully after a reboot when you tick that. Shouldn't it be right thing to do to tick the button for nvidia after install (you said it is already selected). Leave it at that then reboot.