How to get Nvidia geforce 420M working?

[asdir]

After some reading on the nVidia linux support forums I have found that nvidia has no intention of ever supporting systems with optimus technology. Looks like I just spent $1500 on a laptop I can't use linux on. Yay!!
Post #2 is the winner: http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/show...77#post2183477

How come then, that the guy who started this thread got his optimus card to work? Is the difference maybe that there is a second card involved whenever it is not working?

[realzippy]

How come then, that the guy who started this thread got his optimus card to work? Is the difference maybe that there is a second card involved whenever it is not working?

He did not get the nvidia driver to work with hybrid graphics,he must have disabled the intel.
Optimus basics:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1657660

[TuxOfGermany]

I'd really like getting to know how to disable intel graphics. Anyone knowing a solution?

[realzippy]

...read the above given link.
You need a "switch" in your BIOS,otherwise:
No way.

[TuxOfGermany]

Tanks. So I'm not able to use the Nvidia graphics. I hope someday Acer will publish a BIOS update where we can choose such options.

[TuxOfGermany]

I've contacted Acer about an BIOS update fixing the problem of having no choice to deactivate intel graphics. Their answer was:

Informationen ob es ein entsprechendes BIOS geben wird, liegen aktuell noch nicht vor. Sobald es zu diesem Thema konkrete Informationen gibt, werden diese auf der Acer Webseite www.acer.de veröffentlicht.

In English:

They can't say if there will be an BIOS update anytime. If it's aviable it will be published on www.acer.com

If this would help us. But that's typical Acer answer

[T3Ra]

I am on a Dell L501X ... I have tired installing/activating the NVIDIA drivers both manually (from the .run file) and from the "Additional Drivers" utility.
The drivers seems to have been installed .. but X keeps giving me "No screen found" error... the only workaround i found was to remove the Driver "nvidia" from the Xorg Conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf

I am just not able to dim my screen ,,, and i guess my eyes are about to pop out
Please help!

[realzippy]

Welcome!
..please read the "nvidia optimus" links from this thread to get a clue about the problem.You will not be able to use the nvidia-driver,maybe you can switch off your nvidia card to save battery power.

[T3Ra]

I have tired what realzippy suggested but i am Still not able to dim by screen....

I think (not sure) but i have turned down nvidia .. as suggested here : https://lists.launchpad.net/hybrid-g.../msg00450.html

My batter usage has come from 2000mW to ~ 1480 mW

But the problem remains ... the screen is just too bright !

Suggestions?Fixes?!

[realzippy]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1636959

Edit:
congrats for 2000mW to ~ 1480 mW;
On my laptop this doesnot work unfortunately...