[clug] Nvidia Optimus

Scott Ferguson scott.ferguson.clug at gmail.com
Mon Apr 11 01:04:14 UTC 2016



On 11/04/16 08:37, freds72 at softhome.net wrote:
> This seems to be the latest information on Nvidia Optimus
> 
> http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/SLN298431/en?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04
> 
> 
> They run it on ubuntu 14.04,

Not surprising - they sell Dell with Ubuntu 14.04 installed. (which is a
good thing).

All Linux kernels from the last couple of years have support for
"discrete switching":-

apt-file search switcheroo
linux-headers-3.16.0-4-586:
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.16.0-4-586/include/config/vga/switcheroo.h
linux-headers-3.16.0-4-686-pae:
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.16.0-4-686-pae/include/config/vga/switcheroo.h
linux-headers-3.16.0-4-amd64:
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.16.0-4-amd64/include/config/vga/switcheroo.h
linux-headers-3.16.0-4-common:
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.16.0-4-common/include/linux/vga_switcheroo.h
linux-headers-4.3.0-0.bpo.1-686:
/usr/src/linux-headers-4.3.0-0.bpo.1-686/include/config/vga/switcheroo.h
linux-headers-4.3.0-0.bpo.1-686-pae:
/usr/src/linux-headers-4.3.0-0.bpo.1-686-pae/include/config/vga/switcheroo.h
linux-headers-4.3.0-0.bpo.1-common:
/usr/src/linux-headers-4.3.0-0.bpo.1-common/include/linux/vga_switcheroo.h

> so if you prefer xfce, maybe try xubuntu,
> as they seem to have a more polished distro then plain debian.

When Optimus was first released it was poorly supported under *Linux*.
Works fine on Debian (and every other Linux) since 2013 for Wheezy and
later releases.
apt-get -y bumblebee (or bumblebee-nvidia, or primus). Done.

https://wiki.debian.org/Bumblebee
https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers/Optimus
http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/319.12/README/optimus.html

Regardless of which Linux distro you choose (or Debian derivative) your
Optimus experience should be the same. What seems to be lacking from
most of the internet noise on the subject is that the critical factor is
not distro support but whether *your device* has a hardware multiplexer
(not all Optimus are equal) - and whether you chose to use an open
source driver/s or the proprietary one (direct from Nvidia or packaged
by the distro).

U/K/Xbuntu is made from Debian - with very little repackaging. I have no
idea what you mean by "plain Debian" - debian without *a* desktop??
(there are more than 11 "desktop environments" to choose from).

Choose a Debian release - oldstable (more than 5 years testing), stable
(about 5 years of testing), testing or unstable. Install and instead of
just continually hitting Enter to get the "default" desktop - install
only the basic system. To make it a "Xubuntu" (without the Canonical
restraints) apt-get -y install xfce4*
That's about 100MB.
(or better still selectively install your xfce4 components (e.g. apt-get
-y install xfce4 xfce4-goodies)

https://wiki.debian.org/Xfce

Disclaimer: if you like Ubuntu or it's derivatives that's fine. I don't
that it's "less polished" even though I have actually installed and used
it (though it does offer considerably less choices).


> 
> Rather than running minecraft in a windows vm, try running it in wine.
> Install wine,  run winecfg,  navigate to your minecraft folder and click
> on the .exe file.


Huh?  As Andrew points out - why??!!
Minecraft is a java app (sucks equally on all platforms?).
Install java, download minecraft. Play.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Minecraft
http://www.howtogeek.com/198476/how-to-install-minecraft-on-ubuntu-or-any-other-linux-distribution/

> 
> cheers
> Pete
> 


Kind regards

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    Q: Why should I start my reply below the quoted text?

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http://www.idallen.com/topposting.html



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