any changes on dual video support on laptops?

[marko]

I have a Asus UL30VT (see the 3rd PC in my signature), it has both Intel and nvidia graphic hardware sets (gotten from lspci )

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 07)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GT218 [GeForce G210M] (rev a2)

This means that Fedora 13 latches onto the Nvidia G210M and the Intel graphics
is also powered on doing nothing but continuing to suck some power:

lsmod | grep nouveau
nouveau 381523 0
ttm 53215 1 nouveau
drm_kms_helper 23936 2 i915,nouveau
drm 169073 5 i915,nouveau,ttm,drm_kms_helper
i2c_algo_bit 4781 2 i915,nouveau
video 20741 2 i915,nouveau
i2c_core 24427 6 videodev,i915,nouveau,drm_kms_helper,drm,i2c_algo_ bit

There are some hacks on the internet where you run a kernel module which switches off the nvidia card but then you have headaches of also disabling nouveau correctly with rdblacklist in grub.conf and modifying the initrd and then getting the intel card to work (actually that might just work by itself since the system would then
not see the nvidia card).

So far I've put up with the laptop just running hot and sucking the battery but I'm hoping Fedora 13 will get a built-in way for the Xorg to handle this. I just wanted to ask if there's something coming out for this... maybe Gallium3D can do it?

[nyjetshead]

Mine wouldn't run on the G210 in enhanced mode but it did report and load the drivers as your showing in your post of lspci. Did you check you Xserver log, I think you will find that your using the Intel not the Nvidia.

As far as I know there has been no real changes in supporting hybrid power.
Nvida say they won't support hybrid power on Linux but they are basically abandoning Linux GPU support anyway.

There is work being done on switching check out this link.
http://airlied.livejournal.com/71012.html

I have a UL50VT, if you set the bios SATA to compatibility mode, this shuts off the Intel graphics and uses the G210, which is how I prefer to run. Pretty strange.. they should just have a bios option to enable or disable inboard and discrete graphics.

If you don't run this way the unit runs real hot, I suspect the Nvida chipset is enabled consuming power. The built-in Intel graphics chipset is a dog.

I use the Nouveau drivers and mesa... it works, I haven't tested it to see how well it preforms.

If your interested in running on the Intel and looking to shut off the discrete card to save power and extended battery life, I don't think we're there yet with Linux.

David Airlied has solution started hopefully he and others will get it finished.

[marko]

I don't think it's using the intel because I don't see intel in the lsmod list but I do see nouveau
(or more accurately, the intel related modules are for the intel sound card and not the video card which I would think would show as "intel"... I'm just seeing hda_snd_intel )

[nyjetshead]

I don't agree.

video 20741 2 i915,nouveau

I915 is the intel video driver

What does the Xlog say, that will tell you for sure which driver X is using.

Also have a look at dmesg, you are going to find an error for the video bios for the nvidia.

[jontis]

I believe kernel 2.6.34 (in rawhide now) is supposed to include the module vga switcharoo that is used to switch between onboard and discrete graphics cards.

I've just started tinkering with this on my asus ul50vt but haven't got very far yet.

I installed the kernel by adding rawhide repository and then yum it in.

I posted some questions about that here:
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?p=1371931

Will try to get further tomorrow.

Jonathan

[nyjetshead]

Good to know! I will wait till it moves into a release.
Please report back on how it works.
I assume your bios setting for SATA is enhanced mode which is the default.

[jontis]

I've tested some now with kernel 2.6.34 and my hybrid intel / nvidia graphics.

Some functionality seems to be there but not all of it. Vgaswitcheroo was able to switch off the unused graphics card.
I did not manage to switch to the nvidia card with this method and reading Airlieds blog, I think they have not completed the work on the nvidia part yet.

[LLaumgui]

Hi,

I would like to buy a UL30VT with hybrid graphics. I have some questions :
- Switch isn't possible for the time being, but is it possible to disable Nvidia card ?
- Intel card can use composite desktop ?
- Wi-Fi is an Intel card supported out-of-the-box ?
- Hybernate is possible ?
Thx

[jontis]

Based on my experiences with my Asus UL50VT, that I believe behaves as the UL30VT.

-Is it possible to disable Nvidia card
Yes, but it will take a little hacking to do it until the 2.6.34 linux kernel goes mainstream.

- Intel card can use composite desktop ?
Yes, I am using that now. No hacking, right out of the box.

- Wi-Fi is an Intel card supported out-of-the-box ?
Mine was.

- Hybernate is possible ?
Never tried. I'll be back in 5 minutes with an answer.


Read this thread on ubuntu forums. It's very thorough on linux and Asus UL 30 / 50 / 80...
http://georgia.ubuntuforums.org/show....php?t=1300562

---------- Post added at 02:35 AM CDT ---------- Previous post was at 02:30 AM CDT ----------

Ok, hibernated and resumed without any noticeable problem.
This was for an Asus UL50VT with kernel 2.6.33.5-124.fc13.x86_64 running on the onboard intel graphics card.

[LLaumgui]

Originally Posted by jontis

Based on my experiences with my Asus UL50VT, that I believe behaves as the UL30VT.

-Is it possible to disable Nvidia card
Yes, but it will take a little hacking to do it until the 2.6.34 linux kernel goes mainstream.

What is this hack ? I have find a lot of hack for Ubuntu but not for Fedora...

Originally Posted by jontis

- Intel card can use composite desktop ?
Yes, I am using that now. No hacking, right out of the box.

- Wi-Fi is an Intel card supported out-of-the-box ?
Mine was.

Nice !

Originally Posted by jontis

Ok, hibernated and resumed without any noticeable problem.
This was for an Asus UL50VT with kernel 2.6.33.5-124.fc13.x86_64 running on the onboard intel graphics card.

thax !

In summary, the series UL?0vt pose no problem in Fedora? And the integration of hybrid Graphic progressing more and more ...

[nyjetshead]

I also have a UL50 VT

Intel video:
HDMI not working or at least I didn't get it to works.
HDMI works using the nVidia and the Nouveau driver

Wireless NIC:
Was supposed to be Intel but mine came with Athros which works out of the box (ath9k)

Suspend:
Intel working.
nVidia Not working, using the Nouveau driver.

[jontis]

Hacks for turning off the discrete graphics:
Either pull Fedora kernel 2.6.34 from rawhide

or

Patch kernel 2.6.33 and compile with vgaswitcheroo (I haven't tried this but it is probably the thing you read about on the ubuntu forums).

It seems like UL?0vt works fine with Fedora, except the hybrid graphics where development is progressing as we speak.
The onboard intel works good enough so I don't really notice the inability use the discrete graphics unless I would try to play games. The touchpad could do with some tuning for my use and I don't find a control panel for it in fedora. There are hacks for this too on the forums.

[LLaumgui]

Hi,

Originally Posted by jontis

Hacks for turning off the discrete graphics:
Either pull Fedora kernel 2.6.34 from rawhide.

I have install the last 2.6.34 from Koji (http://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/b...buildID=178978) but I haven't any folder /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo. Have you an howto ?

[jontis]

If you installed 2.6.34, you skip section 1 in this tutorial where they patch the kernel and start with section 2.

This is what gives you folder (as root) /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo:

mount -t debugfs none /sys/kernel/debug

Good luck!

[LLaumgui]

Thx,

but if I do cat OFF > switche my laptop freezez.... Is there some drivers to install ?