Integrated and PCIe graphics: how to disable integrated graphic card?

English Hardware
#1

Hello,

I have installed openSuSE 13.1 x86 on Asus mobo H87M-Plus.
Graphics capability:

Integrated:

  • VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Device 041e (rev 06) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
    Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 8534
    PCIe:
  • VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
    Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 047b

I want to use the Radeon PCIe graphics card exclusively (or as first video card). The system will be used as video system with MythTV. Because of serious trouble (booting, Firefox hangs e.g.) I installed Linux Mint 16 (which is running without issues). I prefer to use open source modules!

Until now I have tried these steps:

  1. blacklist i915 driver -> no effect, driver will be loaded and the associated integrated graphics will be the first (and only?) video card.
  2. booting with -nomodeset -> delay in boot, but i915 will be loaded as primary, radeon module will not be loaded properly
  3. modprobe -r i915 in /etc/init.d/boot.local -> no effect
  4. installing arandr → options of radeon graphics not showing up. Same for lxrandr., HDMI options for integrated graphics card grayed …(not accessible)
  5. experimental sax3 in init 3 mode: will crash on option ‘Monitor’

Readings (forum, general) until now:
https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/442406-Configuring-graphics-cards-in-openSUSE-11-3
https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/495249-Dual-Graphic-Card-and-Dual-Monitor-Problem
http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Configuring_graphics_cards#3rd_thing_to_try_.28use_installation_config_file.29
http://devgurus.amd.com/message/1302563#1302563

…leading to complex dual-head dual graphic setup or ‘bumblebee failure’ (mostly nv or nVidea related) or outdated distro how-to’s or manual configuration of xorg.conf files.

My strong feeling is, that the configuration of the graphical environment (on Asus H87M-Plus) for inexperienced users using a configuration with integrated and external (PCIe) graphics card is not easy.

How can I disable the integrated graphics / make the PCIe graphics card the primary card?

Thanks for looking at this.
Fiete

#2

You can open the hardware configuration with YaST and Hardware. You can find graphic cards there.

#3

On some machines you can disable the integrated video card through a BIOS option.
Bumblebee is not applicable for AMD/ATI based dual graphics, it’s NVIDIA specific. IIRC you need vga_switcheroo for Intel/AMD-ATI dual graphics.

#4

Definitely look for an option to disable the graphics adapters in the bios/uefi … allocation of primary adapter is also usually available.

Until now I have tried these steps:

  1. blacklisting only applies on boot … modules can still be loaded later on down the line (like, for example, when X loads
  2. I’m at a remiss as to the results you reported … perhaps you meant something else i.e. as in the intel adapter is still working, as opposed to the i915 being loaded … which brings up another point – you can’t disable the hardware adapter by unloading the software driver for it.
  3. modules can still be reloaded (see 1)
  4. installing xrandr frontends … see https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/495394-External-Monitor-Troubles-Dell-U2412M-w-Thinkpad-W530?p=2624088#post2624088
  5. don’t bother with it

…leading to complex dual-head dual graphic setup or ‘bumblebee failure’ (mostly nv or nVidea related) or outdated distro how-to’s or manual configuration of xorg.conf files.

My strong feeling is, that the configuration of the graphical environment (on Asus H87M-Plus) for inexperienced users using a configuration with integrated and external (PCIe) graphics card is not easy.
Actually, it is easy (especially with the OSS drivers) … only, the info and concepts surrounding it are a lot harder to come by …see the thread linked to from 4.

Actually, you can use bumblebee with AMD

#5

As also suggested by Knurpht: this solutons works. The boot logo (and Grub2 boot menu) will be visible during boot. I have chosen to set the radeon graphics as the primary adapter.

  1. blacklisting only applies on boot … modules can still be loaded later on down the line (like, for example, when X loads
  2. I’m at a remiss as to the results you reported … perhaps you meant something else i.e. as in the intel adapter is still working, as opposed to the i915 being loaded … which brings up another point – you can’t disable the hardware adapter by unloading the software driver for it.
  3. modules can still be reloaded (see 1)
  4. installing xrandr frontends … see https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/495394-External-Monitor-Troubles-Dell-U2412M-w-Thinkpad-W530?p=2624088#post2624088

This (4)) was a very helpful link. With a small bash script…

xrandr --setserviceprovideroutputsource 1 0
xrandr --output HDMI-0 --auto --ouput VGA2 --auto --right-off HDMI-0

…it was possible to use the VGA output of the intel integrated graphics while showing other content on the radeon HDMI output.

A third way was to use a xorg.conf file in /etc/X11

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "layout"
    Screen 0 "radeon"
    Inactive "intel"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "radeon"
    Driver "radeon"
    BusID "PCI:01:00.0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "radeon"
    Device "radeon"
    # Uncomment this line if your computer has no display devices connected to
    # the ......  Leave it commented if you have display devices
    # connected to the ..... that you would like to use.
    #Option "UseDisplayDevice" "none"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "intel"
    Driver "i915"
    BusID "PCI:00:02.0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "intel"
    Device "intel"
EndSection

…while figuring out the BusID was the most annoying part. Maybe one can fiddle around with separate 50-device.conf and other files in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/

Thanks, multiple ways to solve the problem.
Fiete