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If you need help managing NVIDIA Optimus check out this little tool

By - | Views: 14,693

Canonical developer Martin Wimpress shared an update to their handy NVIDIA Optimus GPU switcher, might be worth a look if you're in need of something to make it easier.

MATE Optimus was updated recently with 19.10.1, which adds support for the new NVIDIA PRIME render offload feature added in the 435.17 beta driver release and now the 435.21 stable driver.

Latest changes:

  • Added support for NVIDIA On-Demand.
  • Displays the currently active OpenGL renderer.
  • Will now prompt users to log out when switching GPUs.
    • Supports MATE, XFCE, Budgie and Cinnamon.
  • Refactored as an AppIndicator with GtkStatusMenu fallback.
  • Updates the icons with .svg.

Love seeing projects like this, anything that can make things a little easier is great. I wasn't aware of this until today, so hopefully this little news tip might interest some of you this weekend too.

You can find it on GitHub.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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5 comments

Tim Sep 7, 2019
Packaged for Fedora but requires testing. Also requires NVIDIA driver 435.17 and newer which at this time available only for Fedora 31 and Fedora Rawhide.


Last edited by Tim on 7 September 2019 at 8:19 pm UTC
14 Sep 8, 2019
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Oh man! This is super welcome. If it doesn't get packaged for Arch, I might install another DE on my laptop. :D

Actually looking at the AUR before submitting this post, I see that there are a couple of other efforts to do the same thing. Maybe I'll tinker with those as well.
Liam Dawe Sep 8, 2019
Quoting: GuestDoes this mean primusrun/optirun can finally support vulkan or? what? what's going on here? Is it just yet another utility to switch between intel and nvidia gpus between boots/logins?
It sounds like you didn't read the driver notes about the 435 series, like noted in the article. As noted it supports NVIDIA PRIME render offload feature for on demand (Optimus) functionality.
Usual Sep 8, 2019
QuoteWill now prompt users to log out when switching GPUs.

I don't have a laptop, but wasn't the new nvidia prime render suppose to eliminate that? Do you still have to log out to change from light work to gaming/video editing/etc and vice versa?
Nanobang Sep 8, 2019
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Quote
  • Added support for NVIDIA On-Demand.
  • Displays the currently active OpenGL renderer.
  • Will now prompt users to log out when switching GPUs.
  • Supports MATE, XFCE, Budgie and Cinnamon.
  • Refactored as an AppIndicator with GtkStatusMenu fallback.
  • Updates the icons with .svg.

  • That it's able to do switching on-demand is my big takeaway. As it is now I just keep my laptop on "Nvidia" and let it burn, blasting hair-dryer quality air into the room but rendering everything with vim and vigour. That it'll be available on other DEs beyond Mate is good news too (I'm thinking about switching back to XFCE 4.14 with 19.10). And .SVG icons, well, that ought to be a matter of international law.

    I'm a bit perplexed by their claim that it'll prompt users to log out and display the current renderer since it does that already, or at least on my Ubutnu Mate install it does that. Doesn't it?

    QuoteRefactored as an AppIndicator with GtkStatusMenu fallback.
    Probably a welcome change, but honestly, I haven't a clue.

    Switching on demand, though. That's some welcome goodness right there.


    Last edited by Nanobang on 8 September 2019 at 3:00 pm UTC
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