Ubuntu 12.04 - Severe Graphics Regression on Hybrid System with Integrated Intel HD3000 graphics and NVIdia OPTIMUS

[John M.K.]

I just did a full Install of Ubuntu 12.04 daily-live. Unity defaults to Unity-2d, with many issues therein (tearing, etc.)

It is the first time I fully install 12.04, but I have been regularly trying daily-builts from live-usb-stick... Never had issues, if anything everything seamed snappier and faster than 11.10.

I have a hybrid system, and to date I have always been using by default the grapbhic drivers for my integrated i7 graphics card. I now see it defaults to the Nouveau drivers, that must be the cause of the regression.

TEMPORARY FIX: Removing packages "nvidia-current" and "nvidia-settings" and restarting your system should do the job. Hope this gets fixed soon...

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: unity 5.10.0-0ubuntu6
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-23.36-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-23-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 295.40 Thu Apr 5 21:37:00 PDT 2012
 GCC version: gcc version 4.6.3 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.3-1ubuntu5)
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,vpswitch,snap,mousepoll,resize,place,move,wall,grid,regex,imgpng,session,gnomecompat,animation,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,scale,expo,ezoom,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: None
Date: Tue Apr 24 20:47:24 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: nvidia-current, 295.40, 3.2.0-23-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0116] (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:04b6]
 NVIDIA Corporation GF108 [GeForce GT 540M] [10de:0df5] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:04b6]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120423)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Dell System XPS L502X
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-23-generic root=UUID=6f4b72aa-8077-4a62-bf02-70130fccc9cc ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: unity
UnitySupportTest:
 Error: command ['/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test', '-p', '-f'] failed with exit code 5: Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
 Error: GLX is not available on the system
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
XorgConf:
 Section "Device"
  Identifier "Default Device"
  Option "NoLogo" "True"
 EndSection
dmi.bios.date: 07/20/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A06
dmi.board.name: 0YR8NN
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 0.1
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA06:bd07/20/2011:svnDellInc.:pnDellSystemXPSL502X:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0YR8NN:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr0.1:
dmi.product.name: Dell System XPS L502X
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.6-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.2-0ubuntu3
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[John M.K. (jconni)]

Running the unity_support_test gives me the following error:

/usr/lib/nux$ ./unity_support_test -p
Xlib: extension "GLX" missing on display ":0.0".
Error: GLX is not available on the system

[Daniel Letzeisen (dtl131)]

Did you install the nvidia drivers manually, or did Ubuntu do it automatically? Jockey should not even display nvidia drivers as an option if it detects the intel driver is loaded.

[Daniel Letzeisen (dtl131)]

Not a Unity or DM bug, since the system correctly defaults to Unity-2D if it does not detect 3D capability. If the nvidia binary driver is installed by default at install time on optimus systems, this is a major bug with the installer.

[John M.K. (jconni)]

No, I just installed 12.04 from today's daily-live built.

I just checked the install additional packages at the beginning of the installation. I did not install NVIdia drivers manually, nor do I have the option on the additional drivers, it is not listed there as installed or as an option.

I have successfully installed and used Ubuntu on the exact same system (11.04 and 11.10) and never had a problem. It defaulted to Unity 3D, using the integrated Intel graphics by default, as it should.

[John M.K. (jconni)]

Note that as I reported in Bug #987941, which I marked as a duplicate of this, I had tearing issues during the installation as well, which I never had before. For example when I moved windows around. I had been trying daily-builts of 12.04 regularly from a usb-stick, without installing, and it always defaulted to Unity 3d, with no problems whatsoever.

The last time tried a daily-built must have been less than a week from now, so I assume it must have been caused from a change somewhere around this week. Hope this helps.

[John M.K. (jconni)]

Booted 12.04 (release version and the one I was trying when filing this bug) from usb-drive by choosing "Try Ubuntu"

The system booted normally, using Unity 3D, with no problems whatever.

So this must be a bug for the installer.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Eric Bechet (sidneybechet)]

Installed 12.04 on asus U30S (intel + nvidia optimus ). It fails to detect the intel and nvidia cards, no GLX .

[John M.K. (jconni)]

@Eric

Did you try simply booting without installing, from a live-usb or live-cd?

In my case it booted normally, and only failed using the integrated Intel graphics after installation.

If you can confirm that too, it has to be a bug in the installer.

[Eric Bechet (sidneybechet)]

@John, it is indeed the case. Now i'm on a usb stick and 3D graphics running fine - albeit only on the intel graphics adapter.

here is the relevant output from lspci and glxinfo

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ lspci
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GF119 [GeForce GT 520M] (rev a1)

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ glxinfo
name of display: :0
display: :0 screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
server glx vendor string: SGI
server glx version string: 1.4
server glx extensions:
    GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context, GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap,
    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer,
    GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_SGI_swap_control, GLX_SGIS_multisample,
    GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_pbuffer, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group,
    GLX_INTEL_swap_event
client glx vendor string: Mesa Project and SGI
client glx version string: 1.4
client glx extensions:
    GLX_ARB_create_context, GLX_ARB_create_context_profile,
    GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_EXT_framebuffer_sRGB,
    GLX_EXT_create_context_es2_profile, GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer,
    GLX_MESA_multithread_makecurrent, GLX_MESA_swap_control,
    GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_OML_sync_control, GLX_SGI_make_current_read,
    GLX_SGI_swap_control, GLX_SGI_video_sync, GLX_SGIS_multisample,
    GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_pbuffer, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group,
    GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap, GLX_INTEL_swap_event
GLX version: 1.4
GLX extensions:
    GLX_ARB_get_proc_address, GLX_ARB_multisample, GLX_EXT_import_context,
    GLX_EXT_visual_info, GLX_EXT_visual_rating, GLX_MESA_copy_sub_buffer,
    GLX_MESA_multithread_makecurrent, GLX_MESA_swap_control,
    GLX_OML_swap_method, GLX_OML_sync_control, GLX_SGI_make_current_read,
    GLX_SGI_swap_control, GLX_SGI_video_sync, GLX_SGIS_multisample,
    GLX_SGIX_fbconfig, GLX_SGIX_pbuffer, GLX_SGIX_visual_select_group,
    GLX_EXT_texture_from_pixmap
OpenGL vendor string: Tungsten Graphics, Inc
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) Sandybridge Mobile
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 8.0.2
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL extensions:
    GL_ARB_multisample, GL_EXT_abgr, GL_EXT_bgra, GL_EXT_blend_color,
    GL_EXT_blend_minmax, GL_EXT_blend_subtract, GL_EXT_copy_texture,
    GL_EXT_polygon_offset, GL_EXT_subtexture, GL_EXT_texture_object,
    GL_EXT_vertex_array, GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array, GL_EXT_texture,
    GL_EXT_texture3D, GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip, GL_ARB_point_parameters,
    GL_EXT_draw_range_elements, GL_EXT_packed_pixels, GL_EXT_point_parameters,
 etc...

[Eric Bechet (sidneybechet)]

and by the way, both nouveau and i915 drivers are loaded . That wasn't the case when i booted from the HD.

[Eric Bechet (sidneybechet)]

I've just checked Xorg.log.0 / the problem is that the nvidia GLX module gets loaded instead of the one for intel. The nvidia driver itself is not loaded as it should'nt. Because it misses its own GLX, the intel card can't display 3D. Removing nvidia-current and nvidia-settings from installed packages solves the problem.

Now i'll try bumblebee...

[John M.K. (jconni)]

Eric, I can confirm that removing the nvidia-current and nvidia-settings packages solved the problem for me as well.

Updating bug description for temporary fix... Hope they can fix this ASAP, provided it is an LTS.

[Sebastiaan Franken (sebastiaanfranken)]

I had the problem on a Toshiba Portege Z830. This unit hasn't got a NVIDIA card but somehow Ubuntu (during install) installed the 'nvidia-settings' and 'nvidia-current' pacakges which cause Unity to not have effects and my screen being blurred.

Removing 'nvidia-settings' and 'nvidia-current' followed by a reconfigure of Xorg solved the issue.

The following nudged me in the right way to fix it: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/987949/comments/14

[Sircu Ion (sircu-ion)]

I have the same issue with an Acer 4830g laptop. It is using hybrid graphics as well with an nvidia card. When i was trying to install Bumblebee, one of the steps i did was to purge the installed nvidia drivers. After that Ubuntu shifted to Unity 3d.

After however building the latest nvidia driver from source and installing and enabling it in bumblebee i am back to Unity 2d and it doesn't change even if i specifically select it at logon.

Is there a workaround to force Ubuntu to use the integrated graphics until using the bumblebee "optirun"?

[madbiologist (me-again)]

Optimus should be working (without bumblebee) in Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander".

[Daniel Letzeisen (dtl131)]

True "Optimus" (i.e. seamless/transparent transition between GPU's) is not yet supported. Nvidia has added support for using the nvidia card for all the graphics tasks, but it still takes manual xorg.conf configuration as far as I'm aware.

[madbiologist (me-again)]

I was referring to the open-source nouveau driver, not the proprietary NVIDIA driver. I haven't tested either of them though.

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for ubiquity (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]