Nvidia graphic adapter not detected by driver on Sony Vaio VPCZ12M9E

[dcn]

Hi folks,

I got a Sony Vaio VPCZ12M9E recently and trying to install ubuntu 10.10 x64 on it.

There is actually 2 graphic adapter on the laptop:

nbs@vaio:~$ lspci |grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GT216 [GeForce GT 330M] (rev a2)

The graphic adapter used to start up the computer is not configurable in the bios but is actually the Nvidia one.

However, after having installed the latest driver available, xorg is not starting up correctly saying:

nbs@vaio:~$ cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old |grep EE
[ 58.262] (EE) No devices detected.

Of course I ran the debug script and you can find it attached.

[AaronP]

The log file from the X server shows that it thinks the Intel chip is the primary one. You could try adding a
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
line to the Device section in xorg.conf to make it use the correct device.

[dcn]

Originally Posted by AaronP

The log file from the X server shows that it thinks the Intel chip is the primary one. You could try adding a
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
line to the Device section in xorg.conf to make it use the correct device.

Hi AaronP,

Many thanks for your support.
However your solution did not make it.

[ 320.748] (==) NVIDIA(0): Depth 24, (==) framebuffer bpp 32
[ 320.748] (==) NVIDIA(0): RGB weight 888
[ 320.748] (==) NVIDIA(0): Default visual is TrueColor
[ 320.748] (==) NVIDIA(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
[ 320.748] (**) NVIDIA(0): Enabling RENDER acceleration
[ 320.748] (II) NVIDIA(0): Support for GLX with the Damage and Composite X extensions is
[ 320.749] (II) NVIDIA(0): enabled.
[ 320.763] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA graphics device PCI:1:0:0.
[ 320.763] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Please check your system's kernel log for additional error
[ 320.763] (EE) NVIDIA(0): messages and refer to Chapter 8: Common Problems in the
[ 320.763] (EE) NVIDIA(0): README for additional information.
[ 320.763] (EE) NVIDIA(0): Failed to initialize the NVIDIA graphics device!
[ 320.763] (II) UnloadModule: "nvidia"
[ 320.763] (II) UnloadModule: "wfb"
[ 320.763] (II) UnloadModule: "fb"
[ 320.763] (EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a usable configuration.
[ 320.763]
Fatal server error:
[ 320.763] no screens found
[ 320.763]


Dmesg showed also something interesting:

[ 15.126864] nvidia: module license 'NVIDIA' taints kernel.
[ 15.126868] Disabling lock debugging due to kernel taint
[ 15.440457] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: power state changed by ACPI to D0
[ 15.440500] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: power state changed by ACPI to D0
[ 15.440507] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: enabling device (0000 -> 0003)
[ 15.440517] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 15.440530] nvidia 0000:01:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 15.440537] vgaarb: device changed decodes: PCI:0000:01:00.0,olddecodes=io+mem,decodes=nonew ns=none
[ 15.440725] NVRM: loading NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 260.19.12 Fri Oct 8 11:17:08 PDT 2010
[...]
[ 262.090031] NVRM: failed to copy vbios to system memory.
[ 262.091469] NVRM: RmInitAdapter failed! (0x30:0xffffffff:820)
[ 262.091477] NVRM: rm_init_adapter(0) failed
[ 293.884736] NVRM: failed to copy vbios to system memory.
[ 293.885771] NVRM: RmInitAdapter failed! (0x30:0xffffffff:820)
[ 293.885777] NVRM: rm_init_adapter(0) failed
[ 320.178954] NVRM: failed to copy vbios to system memory.
[ 320.181424] NVRM: RmInitAdapter failed! (0x30:0xffffffff:820)
[ 320.181435] NVRM: rm_init_adapter(0) failed

[AaronP]

This sounds like the problem you typically get on Optimus systems where the integrated chip is the one initialized at boot. Are you *sure* the BIOS is initializing the NVIDIA GPU?

[dcn]

I'm not 100% sure. I got the information from what I red on different web sites and forums.
The things is my laptop is pretty new and almost no one (at least visible through reasonable searches) has discussed this particular issue for this particular laptop.

If you have a better way to detect which VGA adapter is used first I'm for it

But if the Intel adapter is used first, what could we do to anyway use the NV one as adapter for xorg?

[dk75]

Is it an Optimus laptop?

It is (taken from Sony US site - Z series speciffication):

Graphics

Dynamic Hybrid Graphics
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M GPU (1GB VRAM) with Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator HD
Intel® HM57 Express Chipset
HDMI™ out and VGA out

Key word - Dynamic Hybrid Graphics


So as far as we know... you can't use nVidia graphics under Linux but it will suck the power from your battery.

Are you happy?

You can do 2 things:
1) wait patiently until Linux developers in it's free time develop some means of use nVidia chip and disable it's power outage while not used, because nVidia developers won't do a thing;
2) sell it.

If you chose 1) option then go there -> https://launchpad.net/~hybrid-graphics-linux , Join the team, subscribe mailing list and provide support as asked (some debug information from laptop system registers)

PS: another nice site for you to read and support with debug info -> http://linux-hybrid-graphics.blogspot.com/

[dcn]

Hi dk75,

Thanks for your reply.

Actually my first problem is that I'm struggling with properly configuring the Intel adapter or the nVidia adapter. It only works with VESA for the moment (and in 800x600 because of strange modelines but this is another story).

If you have links talking about my Sony vaio VPCZ12M9E I'm for it.

To close this thread on the nVidia side, my understanding is that as long as the Intel adapter is still enabled I will not be able to use the nVidia kernel module. And on the long run I need to either test dk75 pointers or wait for some kind of support from Linux kernel for hybrid graphics. Correct?

[dk75]

No.
Either you participiate in linux-hybrid-graphics (so you machine could be supported when break though will arise) or you wait for nVidia support which could or couldn't be or you sell it.