Cannot use the NVIDIA video card on my ThinkPad T420 in 12.04

[czeng7]

Hi, I am newbie in Ubuntu world. I got crazy with the screen resolution and the NVIDIA NVS 4200M video card driver.

I give some details about the problem to make it easy to solve, but if you are expert please directly go to the final questions. The process is like that:
I cannot start up the 11.10 and upgraded it under recovery mode into 12.04. Then the screen is 640*480. I googled it, a lot of people said it needs to install the video card driver. I do it step by step several times. I did it a lot of times follow different posts and majorly as:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nvidia-current
and when I run the NVIDIA setting from "Dash home": it pops up an error:
"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."
then I googled again try to solve this by:
sudo nvidia-xconfig
or reinstall the driver.
not work..

Later I gave up and tried as some posts suggested to change the Grub files manually:
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
and add an new modeline and change the resolution to 1600*900 manually.
It works once after I restart, but later I start and it return back to 1024*768; the screen is sometimes on the left-upper corner, sometimes in the middle.

Today I read another post said maybe because the NVIDIA official driver is not compatibly with the 12.04, and follow this post by using the Bumblebee:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1973025
Codes:
sudo apt-get purge nvidia*
sudo nvidia-uninstall
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:bumblebee/stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install bumblebee bumblebee-nvidia
But after installation, I cannot find a place to set up the bumblebee-nvidia.
I restart and the resolution is still 1024*768, and I change it under System --> Display as : 1600*900, then it becomes a black screen...
I uninstall the bumblebee-nvidia and restart it again,
And the funny thing happened: the screen after turn into black for a second will come back as 1024*768 first and changed into 1600*900 after some flashes.

I also notice that under the "additional drivers", I can only find "nvidia riva/TNT/Geoforce" but it is " This driver is activated but not in use" . I cannot find items like "NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver".

Then my questions are:
1.How can I make the screen resolution stable at 1600*900 ? (currently the login screen is 1600*900, and after login it will first be 1024*768, then flash several times and change into 1600*900)
2. How can I install the nvidia driver? (Is there a place need to set/start the video card in the BIOS? but my Windows 7 works perfect as dual system)

----------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the file xorg.conf:
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 304.37 (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-03.nvidia.com) Wed Aug 8 21:01:23 PDT 2012

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by failsafeDexconf, using
# values from the debconf database and some overrides to use vesa mode.
#
# You should use dexconf or another such tool for creating a "real" xorg.conf
# For example:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen 0 "Default Screen" 0 0
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "glx"
Load "v4l"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "cn"
Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
VendorName "Generic CRT Display"
ModelName "Monitor 1400x1050"
HorizSync 31.5 - 119.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 85.0
Gamma 1
ModeLine "640x480@60" 25.2 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525 -hsync -vsync
...
ModeLine "1024x768@60" 65.0 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync
# 1600x900 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 55.92 kHz; pclk: 119.00 MHz
Modeline "1600x900@60" 119.00 1600 1696 1864 2128 900 901 904 932 -HSync +Vsync

EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA"
BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce4 (generic)"
Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Configured Video Device"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "NoLogo" "True"
SubSection "Display"
Virtual 1600 900
Depth 24
Modes "1600x900@60"
EndSubSection
EndSection

[typhoon_tip]

If you want to install the driver, you have to go to the BIOS and set "Discrete only" disabling Optimus and the integrated card, otherwise it will never fully work. Have you done that already ? If yes, can you post the output of "lspci" ?

[czeng7]

If you want to install the driver, you have to go to the BIOS and set "Discrete only" disabling Optimus and the integrated card, otherwise it will never fully work. Have you done that already ? If yes, can you post the output of "lspci" ?

Hi, Thank you for the info,
I have never changed the "Discrete only" disabling Optimus , if I change it will this affect my Windows7?
here is the output of lspci:
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family DRAM Controller (rev 09)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200/2nd Generation Core Processor Family PCI Express Root Port (rev 09)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:16.3 Serial controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family KT Controller (rev 04)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #2 (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev b4)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev b4)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 4 (rev b4)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port 5 (rev b4)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation QM67 Express Chipset Family LPC Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family 6 port SATA AHCI Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 04)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GF119 [Quadro NVS 4200M] (rev a1)
03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Advanced-N 6205 (rev 34)
0d:00.0 System peripheral: Ricoh Co Ltd MMC/SD Host Controller (rev 05)
0d:00.3 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C832 PCIe IEEE 1394 Controller (rev 04)

[cprofitt]

You can re-enable optimus when you boot to Windows.

If you want Nvidia under Linux toggle the setting to discrete.
If you want Intel under Linux toggle to integrated (much longer battery life)
If you are going to run Windows use Optimus.

[typhoon_tip]

You can re-enable optimus when you boot to Windows.

If you want Nvidia under Linux toggle the setting to discrete.
If you want Intel under Linux toggle to integrated (much longer battery life)
If you are going to run Windows use Optimus.

Exactly !! Just do like that ! Windows shoul run also in Discrete only mode, as NVidia driver is installed I suppose, but battery consumption is greater (performances require a price !).

[czeng7]

Exactly !! Just do like that ! Windows shoul run also in Discrete only mode, as NVidia driver is installed I suppose, but battery consumption is greater (performances require a price !).

Thank you two for the suggestions, I will try it and report the result.

[czeng7]

Thank you two for the suggestions, I will try it and report the result.

I have tried and it still does not work. Every time I restart the screen is 1024*768. And I need to change it.

Considering a lot people say the video card drains the battery fast, and I don't need that much video game and usually write programs and read paper, I think the integrated video card is already good enough for me.
And the question still here is : even if I don't use the Nivida video card, how can I change the screen resolution back into 1600*900 and not need to change it every time?

Here is my "/etc/X11/xorg.conf" file:
# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig: version 304.37 (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-03.nvidia.com) Wed Aug 8 21:01:23 PDT 2012

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by failsafeDexconf, using
# values from the debconf database and some overrides to use vesa mode.
#
# You should use dexconf or another such tool for creating a "real" xorg.conf
# For example:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen 0 "Default Screen" 0 0
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "glx"
Load "v4l"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "cn"
Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
VendorName "Generic CRT Display"
ModelName "Monitor 1400x1050"
HorizSync 31.5 - 119.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 85.0
Gamma 1
ModeLine "640x480@60" 25.2 640 656 752 800 480 490 492 525 -hsync -vsync
ModeLine "640x480@72" 31.5 640 664 704 832 480 489 491 520 -hsync -vsync
ModeLine "640x480@75" 31.5 640 656 720 840 480 481 484 500 -hsync -vsync
ModeLine "640x480@85" 36.0 640 696 752 832 480 481 484 509 -hsync -vsync
ModeLine "800x600@56" 36.0 800 824 896 1024 600 601 603 625 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "800x600@72" 50.0 800 856 976 1040 600 637 643 666 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "800x600@75" 49.5 800 816 896 1056 600 601 604 625 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "800x600@85" 56.3 800 832 896 1048 600 601 604 631 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "800x600@60" 40.0 800 840 968 1056 600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "832x624@75" 57.3 832 864 928 1152 624 625 628 667 -hsync -vsync
ModeLine "1024x768@85" 94.5 1024 1072 1168 1376 768 769 772 808 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "1024x768@75" 78.8 1024 1040 1136 1312 768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync
ModeLine "1024x768@70" 75.0 1024 1048 1184 1328 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync
ModeLine "1024x768@60" 65.0 1024 1048 1184 1344 768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync
# 1600x900 @ 60.00 Hz (GTF) hsync: 55.92 kHz; pclk: 119.00 MHz
Modeline "1600x900@60" 119.00 1600 1696 1864 2128 900 901 904 932 -HSync +Vsync

EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA"
BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce4 (generic)"
Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Configured Video Device"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "NoLogo" "True"
SubSection "Display"
Virtual 1600 900
Depth 24
Modes "1600x900@60"
EndSubSection
EndSection

[Meschi]

hi czeng!

I think your problem is described here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...ghlight=nvidia
and in the links listed there. With the

lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 vgalspci -nnk | grep -iA2 vga

command you can see if you have two graphic cards. If this is the case you will not get the nvidia driver to worḱ like you intend to. If bumblebee is installed successfully (your installation of bumblebee seems ok to me) then your thinkpad will run the intel graphic card's driver to save energy. Only if you start a program like

optirun programname

the graphic card is activated and the nvidia driver is used. If you want to use nvidia-settings you need to run

optirun nvidia-settings -c :8

You can read all of this on
http://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Hybrid-Gr...ee?redirect=no
in detail. To configure bumblebee correctly on ubuntu you have to do some more stuff like removing the xorg.conf file (dont do that without backup) and to change some things in the /etc/bumblebee/bumblebee.conf which is described in the link above.
Maybe you want to add the repository for new nvidia drivers which is done with

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update

(This has to be done before bumblebee installation so maybe you forget it for now as you would have to remove the whole stuff again)
Hope this helps...
P.S. Run optirun with argument -vv to get some error information. Helps a lot if it does not work properly

[czeng7]

Thank you for the reply, I think you nail my problem very well.

But I still don't know what's the problem after all have done. I run the following command:

~$ optirun nvidia-settings -c :8

and here is the error:
[ 208.365403] [ERROR]Cannot access secondary GPU - error: [XORG] (EE) Failed to load module "v4l" (module does not exist, 0)

[ 208.365440] [ERROR]Aborting because fallback start is disabled.



I have run the command:

 lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 vga

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0126] (rev 09)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:21d0]
Kernel driver in use: i915
--
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GF119 [Quadro NVS 4200M] [10de:1057] (rev a1)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device [17aa:21d0]
Kernel driver in use: nvidia


I have reinstalled the bumblebee after:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update

then I remove the x config file, and edit the "bumblebee.conf " with:
Driver=nvidia
KernelDriver=nvidia

hi czeng!

I think your problem is described here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...ghlight=nvidia
and in the links listed there. With the

lspci -nnk | grep -iA2 vgalspci -nnk | grep -iA2 vga

command you can see if you have two graphic cards. If this is the case you will not get the nvidia driver to worḱ like you intend to. If bumblebee is installed successfully (your installation of bumblebee seems ok to me) then your thinkpad will run the intel graphic card's driver to save energy. Only if you start a program like

optirun programname

the graphic card is activated and the nvidia driver is used. If you want to use nvidia-settings you need to run

optirun nvidia-settings -c :8

You can read all of this on
http://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Hybrid-Gr...ee?redirect=no
in detail. To configure bumblebee correctly on ubuntu you have to do some more stuff like removing the xorg.conf file (dont do that without backup) and to change some things in the /etc/bumblebee/bumblebee.conf which is described in the link above.
Maybe you want to add the repository for new nvidia drivers which is done with

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update

(This has to be done before bumblebee installation so maybe you forget it for now as you would have to remove the whole stuff again)
Hope this helps...
P.S. Run optirun with argument -vv to get some error information. Helps a lot if it does not work properly

[Meschi]

Hi Czeng,

Sry for my late answer, had to do some things last time. Maybe your problem is still up to date. Some questions occur to me due to your post/s above:

• Did you reboot system after removing the old xorg.config file. looks to me like it is still in use because it wants to use the "v4l" module which is loaded in your old xorg.config file (by the way: where do u have this from? generated by nvidia-settings?)
• The output of

   glxspheres

  and

   optirun -vv glxspheres

  could be of interest. First one will show your frames/sec without using the nvidia-card, second one with using the nvidia-card. This should show wether the card works like intended or if any errors are thrown

• I do not know your hardware exactly but from the posts above i assume that you have bios options to completely disable the nvidia-card or the intel-processor intern card. If this is the case and the bios is configured not to use both cards then "bumblebee" is the wrong choice for you because it is made to change between both. (Then for example activate only nvidia-card, turn off intel-chip, deinstall bumblebee and use the nvidia-driver on its own)

Greetings, Meschi