Nvidia Optimus + bumblebee configuration not optimized by default

[Michael Lueck]

Hardware configuration is a ThinkPad T540p with GeForce GT 730M. I understand that this graphics chip as some new fangled "Nvidia Optimus" technology involved.

I began testing with Xubuntu 13.10 x64, then re-imaged the system with the Alpha build of Xubuntu 14.04 x64 of 20140214.

I have had to do extensive hand editing to the configuration of selecting both nvidia-graphics-drivers-331-updates and the bumblebee packages in order to at least see the Nvidia driver "active" in the Nvidia Settings applet.

I have been updating the modprobe configuration:
/etc/modprobe.d/bumblebee.conf
commenting out the exclusions for the 331 version driver

I have updated the bumblebee configuration:
/etc/bumblebee/bumblebee.conf
according to the example found here:
http://elementaryforum.org/forum/support-assistance/how-to_aa/3996-nvidia-optimus-drivers-and-tools-installation#post3997

To get the NVIDIA Settings to show the board finally...

I found this command here:
"Nvidia Optimus on Linux" \ "How to use Bumblebee."
http://www.linux.org/threads/nvidia-optimus-on-linux.4415/

optirun -b none nvidia-settings -c :8

However starting an additional instance of the NVIDIA Settings applet via the Xubuntu menu system shows that instance not being able to detect the Nvidia drivers being loaded. So it seems that one must use the optirun command to start individual programs that the Nvidia drivers are requested to service the video for?! This makes absolutely no sense.

Shortly I am seeking automatic configuration of the latest Nvidia binary drivers to be used 100% of the time. Even the old Envy Nvidia binary driver installer worked far more simply than dealing with this "Nvidia Optimus" technology. "Needs improvement."

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Derek Gordon (derek-9ft1)]

Same problem for me on a Lenovo with a Nvidia 550M graphics card.

Ubuntu 13.10 && 14.04, plain ole Unity variants.

[Just Asking For A CD (java-artisan)]

After much tinkering I could make it work for Xubuntu 14.10. More or less.

Optirun works for FireFox but won't for Chromium. No clue why this is.

At some point during my attempts I saw in nvidia-settings a profile choice: Intel or NVidia. (Without running optirun.) Intel worked fine. NVidia crashed the machine. Never saw that again.
________________________________________________________
Same laptop model, Lenovo T540p with a GeForce 730M.

[Michael Lueck (mlueck)]

Supposedly there is a way to configure the NVidia drivers to force use of the NVidia chip always. Yes yes, that drains batteries more quickly. "I do not care."

System76 knows the technique. I sent them an inquiry seeing that they offer a laptop with the NVidia Geforce GTX 970M or 980M chips. Their reply was they configure it without the need of Optimus + bumblebee to always use the NVidia chip.

That tells me it is possible... "How, please?"