Unable to setup graphic drivers

[ashwin_nat]

I have installed ubuntu 10.04. I have a Dell Inspiron N5110. It has a dual GPU system. An nvidia GT 525M and an Intel HD 3000. I have 2 graphics related problems.


1)I have installed the driver from the nvidia site. But the graphic utility says "You do not appear to be using the NVIDIA X driver. Please edit your X configuration file (just run `nvidia-xconfig` as root), and restart the X server." I did the nvidia-xconfig. After doing that and restarting the X server, the problem still persists. This is how my xorg.conf looks like:

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 290.10 (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-07.nvidia.com) Wed Nov 16 20:32:22 PST 2011


Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "Unknown"
HorizSync 28.0 - 33.0
VertRefresh 43.0 - 72.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection


2) I have no idea how to setup the driver for the Intel GPU.

Please Help

Thanks

[crazy bird]

Try this:

First add the following PPA:
- Open a terminal
- Type in: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
- press enter and type your password

- Then type the following: sudo apt-get remove nvidia-current
- Then type the following: sudo apt-get purge nvidia-*

- Then type the following: sudo apt-get update
- Then type: sudo apt-get upgrade

This should install a newer version of the nvidia drivers. Make sure you remove all of the installed nvidia drivers before upgrading! Only reboot your machine after you did the upgrade!

[Mark Phelps]

IF the fixes supplied so far don't work, that's likely because you have a PC that has switchable graphics -- which basically does not work well in Ubuntu.

You could read the link below and see if any of that helps you:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/06/bumblebee-gets-a-ppa-brings-nvidia-optimus-graphics-switching-to-ubuntu/

[MAFoElffen]

Try this:

First add the following PPA:
- Open a terminal
- Type in: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
- press enter and type your password

- Then type the following: sudo apt-get remove nvidia-current
- Then type the following: sudo apt-get purge nvidia-*

- Then type the following: sudo apt-get update
- Then type: sudo apt-get upgrade

This should install a newer version of the nvidia drivers. Make sure you remove all of the installed nvidia drivers before upgrading! Only reboot your machine after you did the upgrade!
@crazy bird --> If you look at the version number (1.90.10) in the header of his xorg.conf file... he already is using the latest driver. I hate to say this, but that is not going to get him anywhere.

@ashwin_nat
You have a hybred/switched graphics laptop (Optimus). Your Sandy Bridge Chip is on all the time. Your discreet chip (NVidia) might be switched on via a BIOS switch if it has that options. The only laptops I know that have that is HP. I don't know about Dell. With that BIOS Swith, you have two copies of your xorg.conf file,. One for the Sandy Bridge, with a PCI BusID for it and pointing to the "intel" Driver. The Nvidia styled conf file, pointing to the "nvidia" driver and declare the PCI BusID. Then you copy the respective xorg.conf file into place depending if you have the nvidia GPU switched on or not. Default for that Laptop is "not."

Alternate to the bios switch, in Linux, there is Bumblebee and Ironhide. Google on these. What they do is use BIOS ACPI calls to switch the discreet chipset on and off, then copies the appropriate xorg.conf file into place to be used.

Without all that you're limited to your Intel Sandy Bridge GPU chipset.

[crazy bird]

I hate to say this
No, you don't.

[MAFoElffen]

No, you don't.
LOL You're right. I guess I didn't have to say it... But I did.

Linux / Hybrid Graphics still haven't caught up with an elegant solution yet for nVidia. Even with Bumblebee and Ironhide- No clear instructions or guides out there.

[rajeeja]

http://scientificlinuxforum.org/m/index.php/t669.html

THis"NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M graphics card with 1GB DDR3 VRAM and NVIDIA Optimus Technology for smooth HD playback and Direct X 11 causal gaming with smart, battery-saving efficiency"

Has problems..


Nvidia settings panel says: "You do not appear to be using the NVIDIA X driver. Please edit your X configuration file (just run `nvidia-xconfig` as root), and restart the X server."

On hardware it says Nvidia is installed and current !
not sure what to do, this is ASUS - http://www.amazon.com/U31SD-AH51-13-3-Inch-Light-Laptop-Black/dp/B005UUS5PC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324617309&sr=8-1 with Ubuntu 10.04

[Lekensteyn]

LOL You're right. I guess I didn't have to say it... But I did.

Linux / Hybrid Graphics still haven't caught up with an elegant solution yet for nVidia. Even with Bumblebee and Ironhide- No clear instructions or guides out there.

Good instructions already existed since September 2011: http://askubuntu.com/a/36936/6969

Since this machine is an Optimus one, do not try to install the nvidia driver from nvidia.com unless you know what you're doing. Running nvidia-xconfig breaks 3D on the Intel card as well. The linked answer above explains how to recover after such mistakes.