Tumbleweed - Problem with second screen after latest package update

English Hardware
1

Hello there

I have a Dell Precision 5550 and running on Tumbleweed (KDE with Plasma and Wayland working well with built-in screen, second and third screen too).
This laptop has two video cards one as shown below


inxi -Gxx
**Graphics:  Device-1:** Intel UHD Graphics **vendor:** Dell **driver:** i915 **v:** kernel **bus ID:** 00:02.0 **chip ID:** 8086:9bc4  
           **Device-2:** NVIDIA TU117GLM [Quadro T1000 Mobile] **vendor:** Dell **driver:** nouveau **v:** kernel **bus ID:** 01:00.0  
           **chip ID:** 10de:1fb9  
           **Device-3:** Realtek Integrated_Webcam_HD **type:** USB **driver:** uvcvideo **bus ID:** 1-11:5 **chip ID:** 0bda:5510  
           **Display:****server:** X.org 1.20.10 **compositor:** kwin_wayland **driver:** modesetting,nouveau **unloaded:** fbdev,vesa  
           **alternate:** intel,nv,nvidia **resolution:** <xdpyinfo missing>  
           **OpenGL:****renderer:** Mesa DRI Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) **v:** 4.6 Mesa 20.3.2 **compat-v:** 3.0 **direct render:** Yes

I performed the last package update in October last year and decided to update the 1500 packages suggested yesterday.
The package update included the nouveau drivers as shown below
Drivers before update


grep "nouvea" rpmlist_100121_12_18PM_BeforeUpdate.csv    
1603538665|Sat Oct 24 2020| Thu Sep 03 2020| libdrm_**nouvea**u2|2.4.102-2.1    |x86_64| openSUSE|https://bugs.opensuse.org|openSUSE Tumblewe
ed|(none)
1603538686|Sat Oct 24 2020| Sun Oct 18 2020| libvdpau_**nouvea**u|20.2.1-265.1  |x86_64| openSUSE|https://bugs.opensuse.org|openSUSE Tumblewe
ed|(none)
1603538734|Sat Oct 24 2020| Sun Oct 18 2020| Mesa-dri-**nouvea**u|20.2.1-265.1  |x86_64| openSUSE|https://bugs.opensuse.org|openSUSE Tumblewe
ed|(none)
1603538737|Sat Oct 24 2020| Tue Aug 25 2020| xf86-video-**nouvea**u|1.0.16-1.2    |x86_64| openSUSE|https://bugs.opensuse.org|openSUSE Tumble
weed|(none)

Drivers after update


grep "nouvea" rpmlist.csv  
1603538665|Sat Oct 24 2020| Thu Sep 03 2020| libdrm_**nouvea**u2|2.4.102-2.1    |x86_64| openSUSE|https://bugs.opensuse.org|openSUSE Tumblewe
ed|(none)
1603538737|Sat Oct 24 2020| Tue Aug 25 2020| xf86-video-**nouvea**u|1.0.16-1.2    |x86_64| openSUSE|https://bugs.opensuse.org|openSUSE Tumble
weed|(none)
1610279738|Sun Jan 10 2021| Wed Jan 06 2021| libvdpau_**nouvea**u|20.3.2-270.1  |x86_64| openSUSE|https://bugs.opensuse.org|openSUSE Tumblewe
ed|(none)
1610279759|Sun Jan 10 2021| Wed Jan 06 2021| Mesa-dri-**nouvea**u|20.3.2-270.1  |x86_64| openSUSE|https://bugs.opensuse.org|openSUSE Tumblewe
ed|(none)

It happens that after the update, the second screen is blank and does not display anymore (the good thing is that the built-in screen still works well on Plasma and Wayland).
I suspect the issue is caused by the nouvea drivers update and I thought to install the NVIDIA drivers to load those instead of the nouvea for the GPU.

I would like to ask:

  1. Has anyone had the same issue ? Any other possible solutions?

  2. I am planning to follow https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA_drivers in order to install the NVIDIA drivers, is that the latest document available or do I need to consider anything else?

  3. Do I have to have any considerations with installing and making the NVIDIA drivers to load?

  4. I guess I will have to blacklist the nouveau once NVIDIA drivers are installed. Is that correct?
    I would appreciate any suggestions :slight_smile:

Thanks in advance!
esteban.-

2

Following this up as I think the problem was not related to the noveau update, however it is still good to install the NVIDIA drivers.

I installl the NVIDIA drivers using the below repo http://download.nvidia.com/opensuse/tumbleweed/

and after re-start the NVIDIA drivers were loaded.

My problem seems to be related to this new bug https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1180287 which is not related to the noveau drivers.

Apologies for posting it in the hardware section

3

You have an optimus setup and some of the display is ported through the dGPU but some through iGPU. Other than Nouveau when it works, the only way to make multiple display to work is to install bumblebee for the time being https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/537906-Cuda-Nvidia-bumblebee-codecs-quot-safe-quot-way

4

Yes this was not the problem either…just to save time to other people

5

Thanks for the answer, good to know that. I will try to install bumblebee over the wekeend.

6

This is a bit of a haunting issue that exists for all linux users who have Optimus laptop (intel CPU iGPU + Nvidia dGPU). Nouveau sometimes works but often it’s only one update away from breaking the display. Even SUSE-Prime cannot fix this problem because the laptop needs to use either of GPUs to send video signals to external monitors. For example HDMI/VGA port is through the iGPU bridge but Display Port is through dGPU bridge, all machine specific.

7

Thanks for the additional comments :). It is interesting because before the latest update it was working well (which then makes sense what you said about being an update away from breaking :).

I am using a Display port cable, is it worth trying with HDMI ?

8

It won’t hurt to try but a longer term solution is bumblebee, besides you will run into some issues with nouveau regadless, for example a double mouse pointer. One on each display but you only have control over one.