Mini display port to DVI on Thinkpad W530 fails

English Hardware
1

Hi,
In 2021 I received help getting my W530 laptop to work with output to Mini display port for a particular need. Now I am still using the laptop for work and need a better screen. I have a screen and cable but have not been able to follow what I did earlier. The issue was that the NVIDIA device built into this laptop requires a much older driver and does not work with current drivers but many other things may have changed also.

Please could somebody help me get this setup working again, this time work with computer display.
I am running Tumbleweed with KDE desktop on the laptop and I believe the G04 Nvidia drivers which is what I installed previously.

2

OK, I have been working through Malcolm’s instructions and now have at least an indication of a screen:

alastair@IBMW530:~> inxi -Gxxz
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics vendor: Lenovo driver: i915
    v: kernel arch: Gen-7 ports: active: LVDS-1 empty: VGA-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0
    chip-ID: 8086:0166
  Device-2: NVIDIA GK107GLM [Quadro K1000M] vendor: Lenovo driver: nvidia
    v: 390.157 arch: Kepler-2 pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 16 ports:
    active: none off: DP-1 empty: DP-2, DP-3, LVDS-2, VGA-2 bus-ID: 01:00.0
    chip-ID: 10de:0ffc
  Device-3: Bison ThinkPad Integrated Camera driver: uvcvideo type: USB
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 1-1.6:6 chip-ID: 5986:02d2
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.14 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.4
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting,nouveau,nvidia
    unloaded: vesa alternate: fbdev,intel,nv dri: crocus gpu: i915,nvidia
    display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96
  Monitor-1: DP-1 mapped: DP-1-1 note: disabled model: Acer V243HL res: N/A
    dpi: 92 diag: 609mm (24")
  Monitor-2: LVDS-1 pos: primary model: AU Optronics 0x11ed res: 1920x1080
    dpi: 142 diag: 394mm (15.5")
  API: EGL v: 1.5 platforms: device: 0 egl: 1.4 drv: nvidia gbm: drv: crocus
    surfaceless: drv: crocus x11: drv: crocus inactive: wayland
  API: OpenGL v: 4.2 vendor: intel mesa v: 24.2.6 glx-v: 1.4
    direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 4000 (IVB GT2)
    device-ID: 8086:0166
  API: Vulkan Message: No Vulkan data available.
alastair@IBMW530:~>

and further to this:-

alastair@IBMW530:~> lsmod | grep wmi
wmi_bmof               12288  0
wmi                    32768  3 video,wmi_bmof,think_lmi
alastair@IBMW530:~> 
alastair@IBMW530:~> 
alastair@IBMW530:~> xrandr --listproviders
Providers: number : 2
Provider 0: id: 0x43; cap: 0xf (Source Output, Sink Output, Source Offload, Sink Offload); crtcs: 3; outputs: 2; associated providers: 1; name: modesetting
    output LVDS-1
    output VGA-1
Provider 1: id: 0xce; cap: 0x2 (Sink Output); crtcs: 4; outputs: 5; associated providers: 1; name: modesetting
    output VGA-1-2
    output LVDS-1-2
    output DP-1-1
    output DP-1-2
    output DP-1-3
alastair@IBMW530:~>

At this point I am lost.

3

@Budgie2 is there a Fn key for the external monitor connection?

4

Beware that this bug could be applicable to your GPU. It’s not just about Leap.

5

Hi Malcolm,
Yes there is a Fn + F7 switch but …
I have spent a very long time going round the houses with this problem but not been able to get a glimmer on the external monitor. I have tried X11 and Wayland and get strange and inconsistent results. The display and monitor settings do now show two screens when enabled one labelled Built-in screen and Acer Technologies Acer V243HL but the Identify Screens button always shows the same AU Optronics LVDS and the switch does change my Built-in screen usually switching to the highest resolution as if to demonstrate that I need spectacles. That is why I want the bigger screen!!!

I have tried another screen but only have the one cable and the software does identify what screen I have plugged in, just not giving me any signal on the Mini DP.

Before I continue my own efforts I now have several options and seek a steer on where to concentrate my efforts:
Plasma Wayland or Plasma X11
Mini DP or VGA
Nvidia, Intel or open drivers.
Which will be most likely to yield results please?

6

Post

inxi -aGz

Uninstall Nvidia & nouveau drivers.
Blacklist nouveau.
Reboot.
Install Nvidia G05 drivers.

7

Nvidia drivers from the repo for openSUSE (G04,G05,G06) automatically blacklist nouveau.

The Quadro K1000M is not supported by the G05 drivers (v470) but only G04( v390).

8

Hi hui,
Many thanks for the reminder your advice. I remember fro last time but have pretty much given up on this as I am travelling and opening a remote desktop is hard work. In the end for what I needed I was able to get family to shake hands with TeamViewer and was able to do most of what I needed.

My overall conclusion is it is probably time for a new laptop and also a substantial amount of work getting prepared before I travel. I have had great success with Tailscale and ssh for the rest of what I needed but the desktop would be great for old folk like me who have forgotten most of what I used to do!!!

Regards,
Budgie2