Can you post us the output of
/sbin/lspci -nnk
I want to to see all the hardware reported by this laptop.
Hi deano:
The output is posted here 00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: In - Anonymous - GPnGvM5p - Pastebin.com
The lspci ouput confirms you have an Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD, aka “Intel Mobile 4 Series” graphics hardware, not NVIDIA:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:9025]
Kernel driver in use: i915
Now I’m about to discuss something of which I know very little. There is a feature known as KMS (kernel mode-setting) that “involves moving the mode-setting code for video adapters from the user-space X server drivers into the Linux kernel”. More discussed here.
You can add a kernel boot parameter to a grub entry
i915.modeset=1
which enables KMS (I’m not sure if enabled by default with openSUSE 11.2 for intel drivers). I believe that this may improve detection/support (among other things) for other ports including HDMI ouputs. However, it doesn’t work well with all intel chipsets, so for some it is better disabled. You can search for info on this, before any experimentation. If it works for you (and doesn’t kill your X-server), then you could try ‘xrandr’ again with the HDMI-connected monitor.
This will help show what is already configured:
cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
Note: You will need to be root first with 'su - ’ command. Enter root password when prompted.
Its only an idea, and I don’t know whether it will help or not.
Actually this laptop is confusing as said…Is it possible that a laptop holds two graphic hardwares. NVIDIA and Intel… please see the specs of my machine in this page VGN-Z26MN : Z Series : VAIO™ Notebook : Sony Asia Pacific
It suggests that switching between the two hardwares is achieved by changing the mode of performance (Speed/Stamina)…Apparently this option doesn’t work with OpenSUSE…
I will head to the link you provided and try to read about the kernal mode-setting and then will try to follow these steps you suggested…
Thanks
deano_ferrai, I think you should look again. This is what I see in that output:
6.00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07)
7. Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:9025]
8. Kernel driver in use: i915
.........
53.01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation G98 [GeForce 9300M GS] [10de:06e5] (rev a1)
54. Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:9025]
It has two and NOT one VGA controller.
As I stated before, this is one bizzare laptop.
Sorry, I missed that. Ok, that makes things more interesting. I’ve read a little about its Dynamic Hybrid Graphics system. It appears possible to use ‘Speed’ or ‘Stamina’ modes in Linux. It requires some configuration including a script (that needs to run before the X-server starts) and a kernel boot option.
Some info I found on the subject:
OpenSuse 11.1 install on Sony VAIO Z laptops
Installation Log Sony Vaio VGN-Z21VN/X
It looks like you could switch the graphics card (as described below) at runlevel 3 (no X-server), then change back to runlevel 5 (with init 5) afterwards.
Stamina / Speed Mode
The mode can be switched through sysfs:
echo stamina > /sys/devices/platform/sony-laptop/speed_staminaecho speed > /sys/devices/platform/sony-laptop/speed_stamina
Make sure you have no X server running while doing this, as X will break.
The drivers starts in stamina mode as default. This can be changed by a parameter, to startup in speed mode:
insmod sony-laptop speed_stamina=1
Ubuntu related, but maybe still useful:
@deano_ferrari: The contents in the links you’ve given are really useful and mind opening…Its clear that the issue we are discussing in this thread has been tackled and dealt with by some other users…I have to keep this in mind when installing 11.3 tomorrow because I want that installation to be perfect, although nothing is 
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:2a42] (rev 07)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:9025]
Kernel driver in use: i915
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation G98 [GeForce 9300M GS] [10de:06e5] (rev a1)
Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device [104d:9025]
I see both these lines in your lspci output confirming there are two graphics cards on your laptop.
I believe your laptop supports hybrid graphics - where you could switch between two graphics cards… I know that this technology goes with the name of nVidia optimus in the newer graphics cards - but do not know about the same is true with the 9300 GS too (may be just cold switch alone is supported and not hot switch) … This basically helps to save power consumption and provide more battery time…
Switchable graphics support is very much supported on Windows but hardly any support exists on Linux since nVidia has not released any drivers/software for them yet… So your linux system can currently only use the intel graphics card and not the nvidia one although it might be detected… I know a friend of mine who recently bought an ASUS laptop with nVidia 310M which has similar issue because of optimus…
But coming back to your question - how is this related your HDMI issue - I do not have much clue - but you might need to confirm probably in Windows - that you’re able to output to your HDMI with both of the graphics cards… It may be that the driver in Windows automatically switches to the nVidia graphics card when HDMI output is required…
Hi
There is no reason you can’t run multiple display devices (incl
drivers) it use to be easy with sax2;
sax2 -r -m 0=nvidia, 1=intel
Just means trying xorg-configure or a manual creation of the files (or
an xorg.conf)
I would say the nvidia card is probably the one for hdmi.
–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 (x86_64) Kernel 2.6.32.13-0.4-default
up 17:33, 2 users, load average: 0.03, 0.03, 0.00
GPU GeForce 8600 GTS Silent - Driver Version: 256.35
You are right, this laptop does support hybrid graphics. And to answer your question; yes, I was able to output via HDMI with both of the graphic cards in window$ OS.
Now that I’m using Linux to operate my laptop, I have to find a way to work this out. Maybe I’ll remove the NVIDIA cards and sell it separately since it’s of no use…kidding 
@malcolmlewis: so do you suggest that I install the NVIDIA driver, and then switch between the two graphic drivers using command line? or how does it work?
Hi
I would give it a try, it should detect the card and show the
kernel driver available in the lspci output.
–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 (x86_64) Kernel 2.6.32.13-0.4-default
up 18:31, 2 users, load average: 0.08, 0.10, 0.04
GPU GeForce 8600 GTS Silent - Driver Version: 256.35
If both the graphics cards drivers get loaded without knowing they actually support switchable graphics:
- How does either one of those know - who is responsible for sending the output to the display ?
- If both of them stay at full power all the time - definitely your power consumption would shoot up a lot.
You need to understand that software support is needed to decide when to switch between the two graphics. Optimus decides it based on the graphics load requested - it has various profiles based on which it decides in Windows.
It is possible that by only loading the nvidia module on bootup instead of the intel module for graphics might get your HDMI working…
But on my friend’s laptop installing the nvidia driver didn’t help much. Still the intel graphics driver was the one getting loaded on bootup and nvidia failed to load.
@mukhtarz - although i dont have a hybrid graphics laptop, what is the output of ‘xrandr -q’? do you see all available ports? (forgive me if this has already been answered…)
i’m in the process of trying to get automatic detection of monitor insertion with xrandr, and wondering if the command i found would work for you… copy it to a new text file, save as [something].sh, make it excutable.
/bin/sh
xrandr --output LVDS1 --off --output VGA1 --auto
is what im using to turn OFF the laptop LCD, and turn ON an external lcd (vga connected).
you will need to adjust it according to your outputs in ‘xrandr -q’…
edit: going from the first page, then the port xrandr needs to switch to wont work, since the nvidia chipset isnt active… what does it take to activate the 2nd gfx chipset, and can it be scripted?
Hi
Is there a BIOS setting to configure?
–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° (Linux Counter #276890)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 (x86_64) Kernel 2.6.32.13-0.4-default
up 20:11, 2 users, load average: 1.75, 0.60, 0.43
GPU GeForce 8600 GTS Silent - Driver Version: 256.35
@veehexx: If you read the thread from the beginning, you’ll see we’ve been down that track, and to cut a long storry short, the intel driver version does not appear to support the HDMI port. After the lspci rsults were posted, it became clear that there are 2 graphics chipsets (described as a dynamic hybrid graphics system). Thats why my last post explored the possibility of switching between the two. As Malcom also alluded to, I was wondering whether the NVIDIA chipset and driver might better support the HDMI port.
From the lspci output, both chipsets are reported, but only one (intel by default) is actually active (powered up). Hopefully, it should be possible to power down one chipset prior to the Xorg server starting, and have Xorg automatically detect the active chipset; no xorg.conf should be required all going well. I included some links to this end, but without the hardware in front of me, it is difficult to provide a definitive solution. (Sometimes other distro forums can yield useful info or solutions here).
Hi…
Just to correct one information I gave earlier…When using window$, the HDMI output works “only” when NVIDIA is active and thats in the speed mode. So, when I connect a monitor to my laptop via HDMI I recieve a message that says (please switch to speed mode). Thus, even windows doesn’t switch automatically between NVIDIA and Intel.
Now, malcolmlewis hinted that installing NVIDIA driver and then switching between NVIDIA and Intel using command line might work…well, I’m not sure how that would work, now that I’m running 11.3 GNOME. However, when I was running KDE on OpenSUSE 11.2, I installed NVIDIA driver then I booted with the HDMI cable connected to the laptop. Nothing happened. Thats why I think that the HDMI port is not being detected for some reason.
Now, malcolmlewis hinted that installing NVIDIA driver and then switching between NVIDIA and Intel using command line might work…well, I’m not sure how that would work, now that I’m running 11.3 GNOME. However, when I was running KDE on OpenSUSE 11.2, I installed NVIDIA driver then I booted with the HDMI cable connected to the laptop. Nothing happened. Thats why I think that the HDMI port is not being detected for some reason.
That’s where I was heading when it was established that you had this dual graphics chipset configuration, and I posted those links concerning switching between stamnia and speed modes.
Now, I’m not totally clear on how this works, or whether there has been any further progress with this, but you should start by reading that openSUSE-related info I gave you (see URL below).
Do you have the ‘sony-laptop’ driver installed? (Not sure if included by default or not). Otherwise you’ll need to get it from link given here:
OpenSuse 11.1 install on Sony VAIO Z laptops
Once installed, (your going to have to compile the driver), it seems you can switch modes with these commands (while at runlevel 3 —> no X-server runnning)
The mode can be switched through sysfs:
echo stamina > /sys/devices/platform/sony-laptop/speed_stamina
echo speed > /sys/devices/platform/sony-laptop/speed_stamina
But this is going to take some experimentation on your part. It might be worth starting a new thread on this with a tittle like ‘Sony Vaio Z Speed/Stamina switching’ or similar to attract maximum attention from those who may be able to help further.
@Malcolm: Would it be practical to build and openSUSE RPM for this ‘sony-laptop’ driver to ease the installation process?