How to switch between hybrid Graphics Intel/nVidia?

Question

I have a Samsung NP-QX411. It has two graphics cards, Intel and nVidia. The Intel drivers were quickly found and is fully functional. But nVidia, I have tried installing several drivers in different ways. But I can not run it without success. I do not understand how Ubuntu has by default the switch Hybrid Graphics option. What should I do?

Answer 1

Unfortunately Nvidia Optimus support is problematic, see this question:

• How well do laptops with Nvidia Optimus work?

Answer 2

Try ironhide (forked from bumblebee) for simultaneously using the intel and nvidia cards:

For ironhide (Ubuntu Natty/Oneiric instructions):

sudo apt-get remove bumblebee

reboot

sudo apt-get install dialog

or

sudo apt-get install cdialog

then

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:mj-casalogic/ironhide
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install ironhide

For a WebGL benchmark, install google-chrome or use a

WebGL-enabled browser and can try it with/without optirun and

report the FPS values on the mailing list:

optirun google-chrome http://webglsamples.googlecode.com/hg/aquarium/aquarium.html
# close window
google-chrome http://webglsamples.googlecode.com/hg/aquarium/aquarium.html

Answer 3

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bumblebee The installation has been updated on 26/04/2013.

Bumblebee aims to provide support for NVIDIA Optimus laptops for GNU/Linux distributions. Using Bumblebee, you can use your NVIDIA card for rendering graphics which will be displayed using the Intel card.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:bumblebee/stable

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install bumblebee virtualgl linux-headers-generic

Reboot

Usage

To run your application with the discrete NVIDIA card run in the terminal:

$ optirun [options] <application> [application-parameters] 

Example:

$ optirun firefox 

For a list of options for optirun run:

$ optirun --help