Which display controller ?

English Hardware
1

Hi everyone,
I’m running a CAD application which uses extensively OpenGL, and the problem is that the display seems pretty slow.
My computer has two graphics controller, a “Haswell integratedgraphics controller” and an “nVidia 3D controller”. Is there a way to know which one is active, and is it possible to switch from one to the other ?
Thanks for any help.
André

2

looks like a similar problem to what I’m looking at at the moment.
The switching may work with this :https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA_Bumblebee
The repo is available for Leap as well

3

Well first off is this a notebook if so it is most likely an optimus configuration. This requires special care and set up. If not turn off the Intel GPU in the BIOS and install the NVIDIA drivers

https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA_drivers

First if optimus then you need to use bumblebee or maybe try another route

https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/512260-Leap-42-1-Optimus-system-with-nvidia-prime-instead-of-bumblebee

for bumblebee do NOT install the NVIDIA drivers follow the instructions exactly If you already install NVIDIA drivers then remove before installing bumblebee packages

4

Thanks,
Seems to be a bit too complicated and too risky for my computer skills unfortunately. Is there a way to know which controller is active ?
I’ll only try bumblebee if the current controller is the Intel Haswell, since I need the hardware acceleration of the nvidia card.

5

Please answer the questions. Your answers may change the answers

You will have to get your hands dirty to do what you want.

6

Maybe the advice given here will help

http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/16407/how-to-check-which-gpu-is-active

Specifically, it was suggested…

$ glxinfo|egrep "OpenGL vendor|OpenGL renderer"

This might give an indication about which chipset is active.

7

Follow the suggestion above.
You have to work with your cad application using the nvidia driver IMHO.
You may have to switch to a less memory hog DE when you able to work things out
with your driver. I use xfce and very reliable in cad application in 13.2. Right now I am testing
enlightenment in Leap 42.1. I am using Bricscad version 15.

8

Thanks everyone for the answers

linux-wi19:/home/windsoarer # glxinfo|egrep "OpenGL vendor|OpenGL renderer"
glxinfo: command not found

but

linux-wi19:/home/windsoarer # lspci -vnnn | perl -lne 'print if /^\d+\:.+(\\S+\:\S+\])/' | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0416] (rev 06) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])

So if I read it right, it’s the intel chip which is active and not the nVidia controller ?
Which means I’ll need to go through the Bumblebee process ?

P.S. @gogalthorp: you didn’t ask any question

9

Are you running a desktop or tower PC? Or, are you running a laptop?

Solutions are different, depending on your answer. (If laptop, probably optimus, if not laptop, almost certainly not optimus.)

10

It’s a laptop

11

The Mesa-demo package needs to be installed for glxinfo utility IIRC. Anyway, since you mention laptop you’ll need to pursue Bumblebee installation.

12

BTW, the following ‘how to’ might also be of interest to you

https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/512260-Leap-42-1-Optimus-system-with-nvidia-prime-instead-of-bumblebee

It discusses using nvidia-prime as an alternative to bumblebee. I’ll leave it to you to evaluate, but just wanted you to be aware of it.

13

OK

windsoarer@linux-wi19:~> glxinfo|egrep "OpenGL vendor|OpenGL renderer"
OpenGL vendor string: Intel Open Source Technology Center
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) Haswell Mobile

So I’ll get my hands dirty as gogalthorp said, and will install the bumblebee or nvidia-prime solutions.

Thanks