Fresh Install on a laptop

Hi, I am about to install a new HD and wanted to use my laptop to play Dayz… I have previously been using Gnome and was curious if there was a better or easier desktop environment to use my nvidia gpu to game with. I have read some posts about getting the nvidia card to work alongside my intel integrated graphics using optimus manager along with some other config files to get it working and can kind of follow along with what they are saying to do. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hullo,

This is not desktop-dependent and does not require tools like ‘optimus-manager’ …
in fact pretty much all of those things are buggy and should be avoided.
(with the possible exception of envycontrol)

If you install manjaro, enable a ‘prime’ profile in mhwd (ex: video-hybrid-intel-nvidia-prime), then it should be using the iGPU by default and will use the dGPU with prime-run.

Again, does not matter which desktop.
Just choose the one that you like best.

1 Like

I appreciate your help. I am still tinkering with getting the gpu to work, should I see a driver installed when I do a inxi -G? It is still showing N/A under my nividia card, but it is such an old card I wasn’t sure if it was still supported or not.

inxi -G  127 ✘
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics driver: i915
v: kernel
Device-2: NVIDIA GK104M [GeForce GTX 780M] driver: N/A
Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.8 with: Xwayland v: 23.1.2
compositor: gnome-shell v: 44.3 driver: gpu: i915 resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.1.5 renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 4600 (HSW
GT2)

mhwd -l -li
inxi -Gazy
prime-run inxi -Gazy
glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'
prime-run glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'

I can’t seem to get rid of this bumble bee install, I think that is what is causing my issue, other than between the keyboard and chair…

mhwd -li                                                       1 ✘ 
> Installed PCI configs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  NAME               VERSION          FREEDRIVER           TYPE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
video-hybrid-intel-nvidia-390xx-bumblebee            2023.03.23               false            PCI
           video-linux            2018.05.04                true            PCI


Warning: No installed USB configs!
    ~  prime-run inxi -Gazy                                                                        ✔ 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics
    vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-7.5
    process: Intel 22nm built: 2013 ports: active: eDP-1 empty: VGA-1
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0416 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: NVIDIA GK104M [GeForce GTX 780M] vendor: Micro-Star MSI
    driver: N/A alternate: nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia non-free: series: 470.xx+
    status: legacy-active (EOL~2023/24) arch: Kepler code: GKxxx
    process: TSMC 28nm built: 2012-18 pcie: speed: Unknown lanes: 63 link-max:
    gen: 6 speed: 64 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:119f class-ID: 0300
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.8 with: Xwayland v: 23.1.2
    compositor: gnome-shell v: 44.3 driver: gpu: i915 display-ID: 0
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: Chi Mei Opto 0x1720 built: 2011 res: 1920x1080
    dpi: 128 gamma: 1.2 size: 382x215mm (15.04x8.46") diag: 438mm (17.3")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  API: OpenGL v: N/A renderer: N/A direct-render: N/A
    ~  inxi -Gazy                                                                                  ✔ 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics
    vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-7.5
    process: Intel 22nm built: 2013 ports: active: eDP-1 empty: VGA-1
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0416 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: NVIDIA GK104M [GeForce GTX 780M] vendor: Micro-Star MSI
    driver: N/A alternate: nouveau, nvidia_drm, nvidia non-free: series: 470.xx+
    status: legacy-active (EOL~2023/24) arch: Kepler code: GKxxx
    process: TSMC 28nm built: 2012-18 pcie: speed: Unknown lanes: 63 link-max:
    gen: 6 speed: 64 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:119f class-ID: 0300
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.8 with: Xwayland v: 23.1.2
    compositor: gnome-shell v: 44.3 driver: gpu: i915 display-ID: 0
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: Chi Mei Opto 0x1720 built: 2011 res: 1920x1080
    dpi: 128 gamma: 1.2 size: 382x215mm (15.04x8.46") diag: 438mm (17.3")
    ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.1.5 renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 4600 (HSW
    GT2) direct-render: Yes
    ~  glxinfo | grep 'render string'                                                              ✔ 
    ~  prime-run glxinfo | grep 'render string'                                                0|1 ✘ 
X Error of failed request:  BadValue (integer parameter out of range for operation)
  Major opcode of failed request:  150 (GLX)
  Minor opcode of failed request:  24 (X_GLXCreateNewContext)
  Value in failed request:  0x0
  Serial number of failed request:  39
  Current serial number in output stream:  40

Thanks for your time


Moderator edit: In the future, please use proper formatting: [HowTo] Post command output and file content as formatted text

Thats new information, and yes … bumblebee conflicts with prime
as well as being very old and deprecated unless you use the absolute oldest of nvidia drivers.

Please include the extra flags:

mhwd -l -li

Which will show me both what you have installed and what is offered.
For now I only know what you have installed … and will have to manually search your card identifiers to see what drivers nvidia says support it.


PS:
For now though … you can see how bumblebee works:

glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'
primusrun glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'
 mhwd -l -li                                                                             1|1 ✘ 
> Installed PCI configs:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  NAME               VERSION          FREEDRIVER           TYPE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
video-hybrid-intel-nvidia-390xx-bumblebee            2023.03.23               false            PCI
           video-linux            2018.05.04                true            PCI


Warning: No installed USB configs!
> 0000:01:00.0 (0300:10de:119f) Display controller nVidia Corporation:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  NAME               VERSION          FREEDRIVER           TYPE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
video-hybrid-intel-nvidia-390xx-bumblebee            2023.03.23               false            PCI
    video-nvidia-390xx            2023.03.23               false            PCI
           video-linux            2018.05.04                true            PCI
     video-modesetting            2020.01.13                true            PCI
            video-vesa            2017.03.12                true            PCI


> 0000:00:02.0 (0300:8086:0416) Display controller Intel Corporation:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  NAME               VERSION          FREEDRIVER           TYPE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
video-hybrid-intel-nvidia-390xx-bumblebee            2023.03.23               false            PCI
           video-linux            2018.05.04                true            PCI
     video-modesetting            2020.01.13                true            PCI
            video-vesa            2017.03.12                true            PCI


    ~  glxinfo | grep 'render string'                                                              ✔ 
    ~  primusrun glxinfo | grep 'render string'                                                0|1 ✘ 
primus: fatal: failed to connect to Bumblebee daemon: No such file or directory

I have tried uninstalling bumblebee and just the video-nvidia-390xx with no luck

That wont work.

Is a typo (should be “renderer”)

Will not work without bumblebee

This seems to indicate bumblebee isnt working

And this still appears to be the latest driver available for this card. So no prime for you.

Lets update, reinstall the mhwd profile, and enable bumblebee:

sudo pacman -Syu
sudo mhwd -f -i pci video-hybrid-intel-nvidia-390xx-bumblebee
systemctl enable bumblebeed.service --now

Then reboot.

And test again:

glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'
optirun glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'
primusrun glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'

Oh man I am a maroon…renderER no wonder I couldn’t get it to give me info… thanks for your patience.

glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'                                 ✔ 
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600 (HSW GT2)
    ~  sudo optirun glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'                    ✔ 
OpenGL renderer string: GeForce GTX 780M/PCIe/SSE2
    ~  sudo primusrun glxinfo | grep 'renderer string'                  ✔ 
OpenGL renderer string: GeForce GTX 780M/PCIe/SSE2

Please dont use sudo when it is not called for…
Otherwise it appears bumblebee is working.

So … now you just need to use it.
Also note that optirun and primusrun can have slightly different performance results … with primusrun usually being preferred.

In the case of Steam, then dont launch it using primusrun, but edit the game launch options for any given title, making use of the steam variable %command%. Options should look exactly like this (assuming no other options):

primusrun %command%

Your game will now run on the nvidia card.

Extra information can also be found here:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Bumblebee

Thank you for your help cscs, I am going to do some more reading and tinkering with this. I appreciate your time and patience.