Ubuntu install Nvidia Optimus driver steps

NVIDIA Optimus is a dual graphics system that can automatically switch between discrete graphics and integrated graphics. It can be used on Linux systems. After reinstalling the system, many friends don't know how to install and configure NVIDIA Optimus driver. The following small series will be installed with Ubuntu. NVIDIA Optimus driver as an example to give you a detailed introduction, I hope to help you.

Background

For those readers not familiar with Nvidia Optimus, the onboard Intel graphics chipset and use is called & ldquo; GPU switch & rdquo ;, has the demand for more powerful It is necessary to switch between the processing capabilities of the NVIDA graphics card. The main purpose of this is to extend the life of the laptop battery so that it can be turned off when the Nvidia GPU is not needed. The benefits are obvious. For example, if you just want to type easily, the laptop battery can last for 8 hours. If you watch HD video, you may only be able to support it for 3 hours. This is often the case when using Windows.

A few years ago, I bought a netbook (Asus VX6), made the most stupid mistake is not checking a Linux driver compatibility. Because in the past, especially for a netbook-sized device, this would not be a problem at all. Even if some drivers are not readily available, I can find other ways to get it to work, such as installing specialized modules or using reverse porting. For me this is the first time —— my computer is pre-equipped with Nvidia ION2 graphics card.

At that time, Nvidia's Optimus hybrid GPU hardware was still quite new, and I didn't foresee any limitations on running Linux on this machine. If you read this, you have experience with the Linux system, and you bought a notebook a few years ago, you may feel the same pain.

[Bumblebee][4] The project has only recently become better because of the support of the Linux system for mixed graphics. In fact, if the configuration is correct, it is possible to use the Nvidia graphics function through a command line interface (such as "optirun vlc"), but it is very different to make the functions like HDMI work. (Translator's Note: Bumblebee project is to Nvidia's Optimus technology to move Linux up.)

After waiting for a long time, Nvidia just released a Linux driver support Optimus, but we still Did not get real support for dual graphics switching. However, with Ubuntu 14.04, nvidia-prime and nvidia-331 drivers, anyone can easily switch between Intel chips and Nvidia graphics cards. Unfortunately, in order for the switch to take effect, it will still be limited to the need to restart the X11 window system (by logging out).

To alleviate this inconvenience, there is a small program for quick switching, which I will give later. The installation of this driver has become a breeze, and HDMI can work normally, which is enough to satisfy me.

Installing Nvidia Optimus Drivers

To describe this process faster, I assume that you have Ubuntu 14.04 or Mint 17 installed.
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