Linux: Finally A Real Fix For Optimus Technology For Notebook Computers

[mc4man]

So, I just upgraded to 17.04 with Xorg 1.19.3 and nvidia 375.xx drivers. By default, Ubuntu installed a modprobe.d file to set drm modeset = 0 for the nvidia kernel module and that seem to prevent Prime Synchronization to work.

I tried to change the modeset to 1 so I could finally try the synchronization configuration, but that froze the system hard as long as lightdm booted. I installed gnome with gdm3 and I could get to gdm3 and try to login to gnome with no avail. But after a few tries (without changing anything) it just logged in, but prime synchronization was off for both the laptop screen as my TV. I did the "modprobe -v nvidia-drm" to check the modeset and it was 1, but whenever I tried to set the Prime Synchronization via xrandr, the screen went black for a sec and came back, but xrandr --verbose still displayed Prime Synchronization off.

Is there any problem with the nvidia driver in Ubuntu so the drm modeset gives this much problems? Why didn't Prime Synchronization work?

I have a Sager np9130 with a i7 3630qm and a GT 670M card.

Other than 1 user 'reporting' it works with his thinkpad (quadro gpu, unknown bios settings, etc) it just doesn't work in Ubuntu, period.
tracking bug, chime in if inclined as generally being ignored by Ubuntu..
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...e/+bug/1674304

[rogervn]

Just posted there a well. They didn't seen to notice the option to force modeset to 0 in the modprobe.d file.

[^83%u#@^]

Does Ubuntu 17.04 with 4.10 work with this? Or we need newest kernel installed?

[rogervn]

Does Ubuntu 17.04 with 4.10 work with this? Or we need newest kernel installed?

On the nvidia forums they said that the kernel needed was 4.5 onwards, so I think 4.10 should be fine.

[mc4man]

In 17.10 Prime Synchronization works in UbuntuGnome as one can enable nvidia_drm.modeset. Seen here -

$ sudo cat /sys/module/nvidia_drm/parameters/modeset
[sudo] password for doug:
Y

xrandr --verbose
Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1-1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (0x46) normal (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 345mm x 194mm
Identifier: 0x42
Timestamp: 21140
Subpixel: unknown
Gamma: 1.0:1.0:1.0
Brightness: 1.0
Clones:
CRTC: 0
CRTCs: 0 1 2
Transform: 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
filter:
_MUTTER_PRESENTATION_OUTPUT: 0
EDID:
00ffffffffffff0030e4d90200000000
00150103802313780a15d59e59509826
0e505400000001010101010101010101
0101010101017e3680b070381f403020
350059c2100000190000000000000000
00000000000000000000000000fe004c
4720446973706c61790a2020000000fe
004c503135365746312d544c4232004b
PRIME Synchronization: 1
supported: 0, 1

However in 17.10 Ubuntu nvidia_drm.modeset can never be enabled so no Prime Synchronization as here, same machine -

sudo cat /sys/module/nvidia_drm/parameters/modeset
[sudo] password for doug:
N

$ xrandr --verbose
Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
eDP-1-1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (0x46) normal (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 345mm x 194mm
Identifier: 0x42
Timestamp: 12578
Subpixel: unknown
Gamma: 1.0:1.0:1.0
Brightness: 1.0
Clones:
CRTC: 0
CRTCs: 0 1 2
Transform: 1.000000 0.000000 0.000000
0.000000 1.000000 0.000000
0.000000 0.000000 1.000000
filter:
EDID:
00ffffffffffff0030e4d90200000000
00150103802313780a15d59e59509826
0e505400000001010101010101010101
0101010101017e3680b070381f403020
350059c2100000190000000000000000
00000000000000000000000000fe004c
4720446973706c61790a2020000000fe
004c503135365746312d544c4232004b
PRIME Synchronization: 0
supported: 0, 1

What's the diff?, not sure. Most obvious is gdm vs. lightdm. Will try next in 16.04 UbuntuGnome by adding 17.10 kernel & upgrading xserver to the 19.x version.
Best test would be to use gdm in a ubuntu session with nvidia drivers but haven't figured how to get that combo to get to the greeter let alone the desktop...( just black screens

[aljosa2]

There are two new Nvidia drivers within Graphics Drivers Team PPA: 375.66 and 381.22.
Has anyone tried if they are compatible with kernel 4.11?

[mc4man]

In 17.10 Prime Synchronization works in UbuntuGnome as one can enable nvidia_drm.modeset. Seen here -


However in 17.10 Ubuntu nvidia_drm.modeset can never be enabled so no Prime Synchronization as here, same machine -


What's the diff?, not sure. Most obvious is gdm vs. lightdm. Will try next in 16.04 UbuntuGnome by adding 17.10 kernel & upgrading xserver to the 19.x version.
Best test would be to use gdm in a ubuntu session with nvidia drivers but haven't figured how to get that combo to get to the greeter let alone the desktop...( just black screens

Lasted about a week or so. Due to unintended-upgrades no clue as to what broke it, no longer really care..