After installing openSuSE 13.1 on two dual-(identical)-monitor setups, I discovered that I have essentially the same performance – one large screen across the two monitors – that I had under 11.4 with an nVidia driver and Twinview. Since installation of the nVidia driver is not a trivial exercise, my question is what would be the benefit of doing so? What have I overlooked? What features and performance would this provide?
Thanks.
I have an older computer, which I have mostly used without the nVidia drivers.
Without the drivers, there are screen artifacts, though mostly not too serious.
For opensuse 12.3 and 13.1, KDE won’t run properly with nouveau unless I disable desktop effects. Gnome probably gives trouble, too and you cannot disable desktop effects (though you can use Fallback mode in 12.3 or earlier).
The problem for me came when I did a test-install of opensuse Linux-for-education 13.1 (32bit version). Google-earth came installed, and crashed with the nouveau driver, but was fine with the nVidia driver. It also came with “stellarium”, and that would not even start with the nouveau driver, but works fine with the nVidia driver.
If everything that you want to use works well enough with nouveau, then just keep using that. If you find something that malfunctions, then switch to the nVidia driver.
Thank you.
The only thing that is not functioning well on one of the machines is printing from KDE applications and I can’t see how the lack of an nVidia driver would cause that. I have two threads running elsewhere in an attempt to resolve that issue.
As I just completed the installations, I will see how the system works and, if need be, I will install the nVidia driver. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised to see the performance under the stock OS.
On Sun, 27 Apr 2014 23:06:01 GMT
w2tq <w2tq@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> Since installation of the nVidia driver is not a
> trivial exercise, my question is what would be the benefit of doing
> so?
I found installation of nVidia driver no problem on 13.1 after adding
the nVidia repo via YaST.
I switched from nouveau to nVidia as I was getting system freezes with
mangled displays. These vanished after the switch. However, with
previous openSUSE versions, I’ve also had to switch from nVidia to
nouveau because of problems.
One trivial oddity with switching to nVidia is that I had to increase
font sizes as the size of characters shrank.
–
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks.
openSUSE 13.1 (64-bit); KDE 4.13; AMD Phenom II X2 550 Processor;
Kernel: 3.11.10; Video: nVidia GeForce 210 (using nVidia driver);
Sound: ATI SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA)
Thanks. I may try it on one of the machines. Previously, on 11.4, I compiled the driver. But if Yast worked, I would prefer to do that.
Am I correct that the driver I want is x11-video-nvidia-G0X (X being 1, 2, or 3)?
Well, the driver consists of more than one package. But when you install x11-video-nvidia-G0X, YaST should automatically select all the other necessary ones.
Which one you need (G01, G02, or G03) depends on your graphics card model.
So which one do you have?
And never install more than one driver at the same time! (f.e. G02 and G03)
This will cause problems.
Thanks. I am using an ASUS EN9600 and I believe the correct driver would be the 11-video-nvidia-G03 version.
When I select 11-video-nvidia-G03 version in Yast, Yast also selects nvidia-computeG03 and nvidia-gfxG03-kmp-default. For the latter, why not the “desktop” version?
Did you ever uninstall it?
In that case YaST/zypper don’t want to install that package again automatically. Therefore it selects nvidia-gfxG03-kmp-default instead to satisfy the dependencies.
I take it you are using kernel-desktop right?
Then please select nvidia-gfxG03-kmp-desktop manually, and also select nvidia-glG03, as that is needed for 3D support.
Or remove the file /var/lib/zypp/SoftLocks before installing the driver.
I haven’t installed anything yet. I just went into Yast to see what it suggests. When the default version came up, that led me to raise the question about the correct version of the driver.
As you noted, kernel-desktop 3.11.10-7.1 is installed, not the default.
This is probably one of the reasons why I manually installed the driver in suse 11.4.
Yast does not suggest nvidia-glG03, but I understand from your comment why that package should be loaded.
Then you would need nvidia-gfxG03-kmp-desktop.
If you remove the file /var/lib/zypp/SoftLocks, YaST should make the right selection.
sudo rm /var/lib/zypp/SoftLocks
Yast does not suggest nvidia-glG03, but I understand from your comment why that package should be loaded.
This package is only “recommended”, not required, to make it possible to have the driver installed without the GL components.
This is to make it possible to use CUDA on Optimus systems, while still using the Intel chip for the display.
But as I said, if you ever uninstalled that package, YaST/zypper won’t install it automatically any more, because it is not required.
This behaviour regarding the SoftLocks file has been removed not too long ago (because it can lead to unexpected behaviour, especially in this case of installing the nvidia driver), so something like this won’t happen any more in openSUSE 13.2.
Thank you. This has been quite an education.
I looked at the SoftLocks file and it apparently excludes the files I need:
# zypp::SoftLocksFile generated Wed Apr 23 16:25:55 2014
#
nvidia-glG03
x11-video-nvidiaG03
site-config
nvidia-gfxG03-kmp-desktop
#
When I went back into Yast, it automatically selects nvidia-computeG03, -gfxG03-kmp-desktop, -glG03, and x11---G03.
I was about to make a new thread since I’m about to do a clean openSUSE installation on a recent laptop model (though I still don’t know the exact nVidia model…), until I stumbled with this thread and already found some answers. However, I didn’t understand very well a detail…
The package is called nvidia-glG03, and ironically installs the driver without GL components?
But getting to the point, how can I know whether installing this package or not in general? Which cards would need it for “3D support”, Optimus systems?
No.
This package actually contains the GL components.
If you don’t install it, you install the driver without GL components.
But getting to the point, how can I know whether installing this package or not in general? Which cards would need it for “3D support”, Optimus systems?
Every card needs it for “3D support”.
But because it isn’t required, you can choose to install the nvidia driver without the 3D support.
And this is especially important on Optimus systems, because nvidia’s 3D support will break Intel’s 3D support (i.e. Mesa), as it replaces some system libraries (libglx and libGL).
That’s why there’s also Bumblebee. There the bumblebee daemon switches between the intel and nvidia 3D support on runtime IIUIC.
You need this if you want to run 3D software (games f.e.) on the nvidia card on an Optimus system.
So nvidia-glG03 has always been necessary? But I don’t recall seeing this package one year ago, for example; and I’ve been openSUSE user since almost 4 years ago…
And does this mean I should install this package right now? My old laptop in particular is Dell Inspiron 1520 with nVidia GeForce 8600m GT, and by doing a quick test I was able to run games like Limbo and The Cave, and also Project64 emulator over Wine. And doing it without the package installed, unless “3D support” means heavier games, or Linux-native?
And on Optimus systems, why is the 3D switching needed? Wouldn’t nVidia’s 3D support be better than Intel’s Mesa for games and system behavior overall? I thought nVidia could “blacklist” Intel’s 3D just like it blacklists Nouveau driver when installed…
This package didn’t exist one year ago. It was split out of the main x11-video-nvidiaG03 package only in December.
From the changelog:
Thu Dec 5 14:11:34 UTC 2013 - sndirsch@suse.com
- introduced nvidia-glG03 subpackage
* One of the problems our users face is installing the driver
on an iGPU+dGPU system (ex. a system that would be labeled
Optimus capable). Specifically, users lose access to the
mesa GL libraries when the Nvidia driver is installed, causing
issues if they want to run X on their iGPU. Giving users the
ability to opt-out of the GL components of the Nvidia driver
would allow them to continue to drive the visual components
of their system on the iGPU, and still run CUDA on their dGPU.
(Andy Dick <adick@nvidia.com>)
And 11 days later it was changed to not be required:
Mon Dec 16 13:45:48 UTC 2013 - sndirsch@suse.com
- no longer hardrequire nvidia-glG03 (by x11-video-nvidiaG03), just
recommend it when installing the KMP, since there are users who
want the driver stack except for the GL components
And does this mean I should install this package right now? My old laptop in particular is Dell Inspiron 1520 with nVidia GeForce 8600m GT, and by doing a quick test I was able to run games like Limbo and The Cave, and also Project64 emulator over Wine. And doing it without the package installed, unless “3D support” means heavier games, or Linux-native?
If you want to use 3d acceleration, you have to install this package.
But, it exists as separate package only for the G03 driver.
There is no nvidia-glG02.
If you use the G02 driver, the GL components are in the standard x11-video-nvidiaG02 package.
And on Optimus systems, why is the 3D switching needed? Wouldn’t nVidia’s 3D support be better than Intel’s Mesa for games and system behavior overall? I thought nVidia could “blacklist” Intel’s 3D just like it blacklists Nouveau driver when installed…
Of course nVidia’s 3D support is better for games and system behavior. But the intel chip needs much less power and generates less heat.
So it’s better to use that if you don’t need the additional performance of the nvidia chip.
But when using the intel chip, you need the intel driver obviously.
That’s the whole point of Optimus/hybrid systems.
And on a real Optimus system, the display is only connected to the intel chip, so if you install the nvidia driver, you just get no display at all.
And on the intel chip you need Mesa for 3D support, which does not work when the nvidia driver is installed, as I explained already.
There are some hybrid systems where you can switch off the intel chip in the BIOS.
In that case you can use the standard nvidia driver for 3D graphics, but cannot use the more power-efficient intel chip then of course.
wolfi323-
I followed your instructions, thanks, and installed the driver and components with Yast.
Should I be seeing an option for TwinView? What I have now is similar to something I had one week ago (before re-installing the OS).
I tried to attach the nvidia x server settings dialog, but can’t figure how to do that (sent a query to the webmaster).
Under X server display configuration, it says “X screen 0” and the other options in the pull-down are “disabled” and “new X screen (requires X restart).”
I don’t have an nvidia system, so I don’t know at the moment.
But where do you mean?
KDE’s screen resolution settings don’t change of course.
But the nvidia driver comes with “NVidia Settings”, which is more fine-tuned for nvidia cards.
I tried to attach the nvidia x server settings dialog, but can’t figure how to do that (sent a query to the webmaster).
Upload it to an image sharing site such as http://susepaste.org and post a link.
Under X server display configuration, it says “X screen 0” and the other options in the pull-down are “disabled” and “new X screen (requires X restart).”
So you actually do use “nvidia-settings”?
AFAIK this should provide a way to configure TwinView.
Thanks again for the tip - I spend several minutes trying to figure how to add the image to the thread, but I may not be allowed to do so.
Here is the link to susepaste: http://susepaste.org/1342b9ff
I agree that this should permit me to select TwinView, but I don’t see any options for this on the panel.
There’s an “insert image” link in the edit box.
When (http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/497159-13-1-freezes-after-15-20-minutes-of-idle-time-no-Ctrl-Alt-F1-etc-helps?p=2637418#post2637418), it didn’t work at first because the susepaste page was not an image. So I right clicked on the image on that susepaste page, and selected “copy image location”. And that’s what I used with “insert image”. But I do suggest an image expire time of a few months, not just 6 days.
nrickert - I was referring to a forum post, not superpaste.