Optimus support for Linux

[dk75]

The point is: people don't know that nVidia screwed up Optimus for Linux... a lot of people.
From my/our point of view there should be clear warning along with Optimus sticker at laptops chasis or/and in marketing material - "Not working with Linux" or "Not for Linux" or "Linux banned"

[mrott]

Linux has improved a lot w.r.t. hardware support. But still, you can't just assume that it'll support all of the newest stuff right away Community involvement is needed to bring Linux up to speed.

[Licaon]

Originally Posted by dk75

The point is: people don't know that nVidia screwed up Optimus for Linux... a lot of people.
From my/our point of view there should be clear warning along with Optimus sticker at laptops chasis or/and in marketing material - "Not working with Linux" or "Not for Linux" or "Linux banned"

There is no need for such a sticker as long as there is no "Linux supported" sticker on the laptop anyway and as long as nVidia never advertised the Optimus technology as "Linux Compatible". If they value their money people need to research before buying some piece of hardware.

My take: just a matter of time.

[jma]

Originally Posted by Licaon

There is no need for such a sticker as long as there is no "Linux supported" sticker ...

Huh?? How about this list of drivers:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html

Or this list of GPU's, including recent laptops:
http://developer.download.nvidia.com...ADME_Linux.txt

It has been common knowledge for many years that Nvidia just works on Linux. Not so any more, apparently.

[DervishD]

So what it really comes down to is that Nvidia is Intels en Microsofts bitch.

[Licaon]

Originally Posted by jma

Huh?? How about this list of drivers:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html

Or this list of GPU's, including recent laptops:
http://developer.download.nvidia.com...ADME_Linux.txt

Second link says:
Appendix A. Supported NVIDIA GPU Products
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

For the most complete and accurate listing of supported GPUs, please see the
Supported Products List, available from the NVIDIA Linux x86_64 Graphics
Driver download page. Please go to http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html,
follow the Archive link under the Linux x86_64 heading, follow the link for
the 260.19.14 driver, and then go to the Supported Products List.

For an explanation of the VDPAU features column, please refer to the section
called "VdpDecoder" of Appendix H.

Note that the list of supported GPU products provided below and on the driver
download page is provided to indicate which GPUs are supported by a particular
driver version. Some designs incorporating supported GPUs may not be
compatible with the NVIDIA Linux driver: in particular, notebook and
all-in-one desktop designs with switchable (hybrid) or Optimus graphics will
not work if means to disable the integrated graphics in hardware are not
available. Hardware designs will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so
please consult with a system's manufacturer to determine whether that
particular system is compatible.

It's a shame it does not work, but until it works customers should inform themselves before maxing a buy decision.

[sharky3]

Originally Posted by Licaon

Second link says:
[i]Appendix A. Supported NVIDIA GPU Products

The quote you've posted wasn't there a couple of months ago.
So maybe it's time you stop being such a wiseguy if you're not affected by this. You are still mixing Optimus (real time switching), and video card use on any OS outside W7.
It is applaudable that Nvidia finally did that announcement after selling Optimus hardware for one year or so.
More, a lot of misinformation was spreading all over the net in the past, on this forum and others, not because
of bad intentions, but because some laptops have the option to switch GPU in BIOS, others have not.
I subscribe to the above remarks that some managers made nice backpoket money for themselves, developers have nothing to do with it.
I stick to the opinion that acpi code shall be asked to Intel and not to Nvidia.

[Licaon]

Originally Posted by sharky3

More, a lot of misinformation was spreading all over the net in the past, on this forum and others, not because
of bad intentions, but because some laptops have the option to switch GPU in BIOS, others have not.

I'lll repeat my question: Did at any time nVidia said that Optimus is supported under Linux?

I'm not trying to be a wiseguy, i'm just saying that users should talk about how to make this work instead of whining that nVidia betrayed them even if it actually did not.

[xgorosito]

Guys quick question, so there's no way to use the Nvidia GT 335m card that comes with Alienware m11x R2 on Xorg server? Does anybody know if its there any other X system that makes it possible?

Actually I see that the card is being supported on linux but seems that the release that comes with optimus doesn't.

May be any way to turn off the intel card and them use the nvidia gpu? I see the following on the "lspci" command:
ggorosito@xgon:~$ lspci |grep -i vga
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GT215 [GeForce GT 335M] (rev a2)

Thanks!!

[ledoc]

Check if there is a switch in the BIOS. If not, you're probably out of luck.

[amartin83]

There should be a worning for linux users. For example I did bought a laptop asus n53jn with intel/nvidia hybrid video card. I did buy it becouse nvidia drivers were always supported. Now I have to sell it below the oryginal price. Very sad...

[pootle]

Originally Posted by amartin83

There should be a worning for linux users. For example I did bought a laptop asus n53jn with intel/nvidia hybrid video card. I did buy it becouse nvidia drivers were always supported. Now I have to sell it below the oryginal price. Very sad...

I was going to offer to buy it, but the screen resolution is a bit of a problem for me.

Have you followed the information here, it should be possible to get at least a switch at boot time capability going.

Why should you assume that a laptop will support linux when there is no support stated on the product page? I'll bet it doesn't support CP/M, OSX, Windows 98 or VMS either.