Optimus Graphics works great - Mint 17.2

[mint-me]

Hi, just some feedback and a few tips for Optimus graphics, tested on the latest Linux Mint 17.2 “Rafaela” Cinnamon & MATE versions (64bit). The hardware I use is listed below in my signature.

Thanks to Clem and team, for providing an easy built-in control for Optimus graphics cards. Great, no more Bumblebee required!

Nouveau
Upon a clean install (reboot and run updates), the desktop comes up fine. Then using the command "inxi -xG" I noticed it was running on Intel, and had 'nouveau' installed for the Nvidia card - but it reported it as "failed". I recommend using Nvidia drivers over Nouveau as they always seem to work better.

Driver Manager
Next step, I opened the "Driver Manager" to change the driver. I select the latest Nvidia 346.72 version and it installs. You can see which versions are Recommended/Certified for your hardware by checking here:
GeForce Drivers

Optimus Nvidia/Intel Selection
After a reboot, the desktop comes up running on the Nvidia card, using the Nvidia driver. A new icon appears on the panel, its an Nvidia logo. Clicking on it brings up Nvidia Settings GUI where Nvidia settings can be made. You can also select to run the Intel card instead. When selecting Intel or Nvidia, you are prompted to logout/in to activate it.

I really love this latest version - its stable, fast and cool - best ever!

[areynaldos]

Hi there. I have always had trouble when running Optimus in my setup. I have an Nvidia NVS 4200M card.

Do you have Optimus enabled ? I am guessing yes, but just checking.

For me, if I have Optimus enabled, Cinnamon won't work. It will say it is running in "Fallback Mode" and it looks like regular Gnome, with "Applications" and "Places" as the only available options in the menu, and Gnome-style submenus. Then I disable Optimus and Cinnamon runs fine, but without the new Rafaela functionality with the Applet, etc.

[mint-me]

Hi areynaldos, when you say "Optimus enabled" I guess you mean you switch it on (muxed) in BIOS? On my machine there is no such function, its always on at boot time (muxless).

I suggest try the following:

1. Enable Optimus
2. Boot into OS and go
Menu > Admin > Driver Manager
3. Select/Install an Nvidia driver (check compatability GeForce Drivers or ALL Nvidia)
4. Reboot. Now Nvidia icon should appear in panel, and all works.
5. Toggle between Intel/Nvidia by clicking the icon.

Done!

[Dave B]

...I really love this latest version - its stable, fast and cool - best ever!

Really hope it's not the best ever! That would mean all versions to follow won't be as good.

[LucaCava]

My laptop does nothing of what you said I own a optimus-compatible gpu (610M), I select the latest nvidia drivers (same problem with older ones), I reboot, but I see no icon, no possibility to switch between integrated gpu and geforce... It used to work great with bumblebee and 331 drivers, but I just upgraded to 17.2 and I wanted to use this new feature, so I removed bumblebee. What do you suggest me? Thanks

[Pjotr]

My laptop does nothing of what you said I own a optimus-compatible gpu (610M), I select the latest nvidia drivers (same problem with older ones), I reboot, but I see no icon, no possibility to switch between integrated gpu and geforce... It used to work great with bumblebee and 331 drivers, but I just upgraded to 17.2 and I wanted to use this new feature, so I removed bumblebee. What do you suggest me? Thanks

Try the nvidia-352 driver by means of the mamarley PPA:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... nvidia-PPA
(item 1, left column)

[LucaCava]

Done, but nothing changed still no icon

[xfrank]

I have a laptop with nVidia, works great with Bumblebee and 331 driver. I just digit "optirun" in the terminal when I need to start a program with the nVidia card, otherwise the card is switched off. LM 17.2 did not force to load the newer nVidia driver.

[LucaCava]

So you are suggesting me to reinstall the old-but-gold bumblebee with 331 or 331-updates drivers and the applet, right?

[mint-me]

Hi all, mine worked fine on clean install. If upgrading I would suggest the following:

1. Remove/purge Bumblebee (make sure bbswitch is removed).
2. Install Nvidia driver.
3. Make sure the following commands appear in System Settings > Startup Applications:

NVIDIA X Server Settings

Code: Select all

sh -c '/usr/bin/nvidia-settings --load-config-only'

Support for NVIDIA Prime

Code: Select all

/usr/lib/nvidia-prime-applet/nvidia-prime

4. Use Update Manager to upgrade kernel to "3.16.0-38-generic"
5. Reboot

Now it should work!

[xfrank]

So you are suggesting me to reinstall the old-but-gold bumblebee with 331 or 331-updates drivers and the applet, right?

Maybe. Bumblebee works fine, so why change it?
Just curious: what are the advantages of Optimus vs Bumblebee?

[mint-me]

The difference - can run entire desktop on Nvidia!

[xfrank]

The difference - can run entire desktop on Nvidia!

But nVidia is useful for specific tasks, not generically. For example, to improve photo or video editing, watching HD video, and so on.
I spend 99.5% of the time browsing, writing or reading (LibreOffice, pdf viewers...) and hearing music (Banshee), all tasks that can perform very well with the Intel IGPU. nVidia would be useful only occasionally (Gimp, VLC, Inkscape, a game...).

[mint-me]

Yes, these are the differences, and the user has choice.

Another thing I noticed with the new implementation, on Intel graphics now my machine runs a few degrees cooler. Its winter here now, summer will be the real test.

One more tip for running good stable high-performance graphics:

CPU Scaling Driver : intel_pstate

Code: Select all

cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_driver

CPU Scaling Governor : performance

Code: Select all

cat /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor

If you want to know how to modify these I will do another post for it.

[sunderen]

I had installed the nvidia-346 driver and the nvidia icon was showing up fine. Even the intel icon showed up when I switched to power saving and re logged in. However when I changed it back to high performance and re logged in the applet icon turned into an X mark and said active graphic card unknown. I cant switch back to high performance mode (nvidia). Can someone please help me regain optimus functionality

[LucaCava]

I CAN'T EVEN COME BACK TO BUMBLEBEE, NOTHING IS WORKING, I'M GOING CRAZY!

[mint-me]

If upgrading, try these commands to clear old stuff and make way for the new.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get purge bumblebee
sudo apt-get purge bbswitch
sudo apt-get purge nvidia*
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get autoclean

Then go ahead and install Nvidia driver from Driver Manager. Reboot.

PS:
* Check to make sure the 2 entries appear in "Startup Applications" as described in the above post:
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 4#p1038489
* Use Update Manager to upgrade kernel to "3.16.0-38-generic"

[LucaCava]

If upgrading, try these commands to clear old stuff and make way for the new.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get purge bumblebee
sudo apt-get purge bbswitch
sudo apt-get purge nvidia*
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get autoclean

Then go ahead and install Nvidia driver from Driver Manager. Reboot.

PS:
* Check to make sure the 2 entries appear in "Startup Applications" as described in the above post:
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 4#p1038489
* Use Update Manager to upgrade kernel to "3.16.0-38-generic"

I'll try again as soon as I can, but I actually did it every time, and I tried hundreds of times thank you again, I'll let you know.

[Dupo]

Hi,

the support for Optimus works great in Linux Mint 17.2.

Thanks to Clem and the Linux Mint Team.

Will it be possible in the futur to have a quick switchable option like prime-indicator ? See it : http://www.webupd8.org/2014/01/prime-in ... witch.html.

[GuizmoPhil]

I hadn't noticed that was a new feature from 17.2, since I just upgraded from 17.1 ans was already using nvidia-prime with prime-indicator.

But since I did upgrade to 17.2, I am now unable to switch GPU, it's always on the Intel GPU, but always shows the nvidia logo in the "system tray".

I'm no Linux god, does anyone know how to completely uninstall the nvidia-prime and prime-indicator I had, in order to reinstall correctly the one included in Mint 17.2? Right now it seems there's a conflict somewhere.