nvidia-prime breaks on reboot after latest updates

[Aldous Hinton]

Currently I'm using a Dell Latitude E6430. I recently updated to to Ubuntu 13.10 (from 13.04).

I installed the nvidia-319-updates/nvidia-settings-319-updates/nvidia-prime drivers (also tried the plain nvidia-319/nvidia-settings-319 drivers), disabled optimus, and was able to use multiple monitors with the dell dock (after creating some xrandr scripts).

However, after the latest round of updates (I applied them on 11/14) everything got weird. Now, whenever I boot the 80% of the screen is stuck on the blue FDE (full disk encryption) password screen, the other 20% will load an incredibly skewed login screen (compressed to a height of ~100-200 pixels, and the width of the screen). You can move the mouse and see that the screen is updating, it's just not legible at all.

In order to fix it, I have to do the following:
* Shutdown
* Startup (going to the BIOS)
* Enable Optimus
* Reboot
* Boot up, enter FDE password
* Wait until boot finishes (fails?), as I'm stuck on a blank screen
* Shutdown
* Startup (going to the BIOS)
* Disable Optimus
* Reboot
* Starts up normally

I have to do this every time I restart the computer. Needless to say, it's rather annoying.

I've tried: re-re-installing lightdm, the nvidia drivers, etc...

n.b. I have the latest firmware/BIOS updates from Dell.
n.b. #2 I always start the laptop in an undocked state

[Aldous Hinton (dfhinton)]

It would appear that deleting the xorg.conf file and using nvidia-xconfig (to generate a new one) solves the boot problem.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Alberto Milone (albertomilone)]

Can you reproduce the problem and attach the following files please?
1) the content of your /var/log/lightdm directory
2) your /var/log/Xorg.0.log

[Aldous Hinton (dfhinton)]

Alberto,

Unfortunately I cannot. It happened on my work laptop, and I can't risk any
downtime. I can, however, send you the xorg.conf file (attached) that was
causing problems.

Timeline:

   - Initial install of Xubuntu 13.04
   - Upgraded all packages
   - Upgrade to 13.10
   - Install nvidia-319 drivers
   - Install nvidia-prime
   - Upgraded the ubuntu base around the middle of November (The 13th if
   memory serves)
   - Problems began

The only solution for me was to delete the xorg.conf file. LightDM was a
false lead (I suspect).

Digitally,

Daniel Hinton

On Wed, Dec 4, 2013 at 4:36 AM, Alberto Milone <<email address hidden>
> wrote:

> Can you reproduce the problem and attach the following files please?
> 1) the content of your /var/log/lightdm directory
> 2) your /var/log/Xorg.0.log
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1252442
>
> Title:
> nvidia-prime breaks on reboot after latest updates
>
> Status in “nvidia-prime” package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> Currently I'm using a Dell Latitude E6430. I recently updated to to
> Ubuntu 13.10 (from 13.04).
>
> I installed the nvidia-319-updates/nvidia-settings-319-updates/nvidia-
> prime drivers (also tried the plain nvidia-319/nvidia-settings-319
> drivers), disabled optimus, and was able to use multiple monitors with
> the dell dock (after creating some xrandr scripts).
>
> However, after the latest round of updates (I applied them on 11/14)
> everything got weird. Now, whenever I boot the 80% of the screen is
> stuck on the blue FDE (full disk encryption) password screen, the
> other 20% will load an incredibly skewed login screen (compressed to a
> height of ~100-200 pixels, and the width of the screen). You can move
> the mouse and see that the screen is updating, it's just not legible
> at all.
>
> In order to fix it, I have to do the following:
> * Shutdown
> * Startup (going to the BIOS)
> * Enable Optimus
> * Reboot
> * Boot up, enter FDE password
> * Wait until boot finishes (fails?), as I'm stuck on a blank screen
> * Shutdown
> * Startup (going to the BIOS)
> * Disable Optimus
> * Reboot
> * Starts up normally
>
> I have to do this every time I restart the computer. Needless to say,
> it's rather annoying.
>
> I've tried: re-re-installing lightdm, the nvidia drivers, etc...
>
> n.b. I have the latest firmware/BIOS updates from Dell.
> n.b. #2 I always start the laptop in an undocked state
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-prime/+bug/1252442/+subscriptions
>

[Alberto Milone (albertomilone)]

If you disable optimus, make sure to remove the nvidia-prime package.

In 14.04 nvidia-prime will have better detection and use the graphics card that is available.

Without the information I requested, I'm afraid I can't see what went wrong.

[Flames_in_Paradise (ellisistfroh-deactivatedaccount)]

It turns out that the original bugreporter had solved his problem (Nov 22/13):

http://askubuntu.com/questions/379052/latest-update-breaks-nvidia-prime

> It turns out the fix for this is actually pretty simple: Delete the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file, and use nvidia-xconfig to regenerate it. This fixed the problem upon restart

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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