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After I updated to kernel 3.13.0-45, I cannot use nvidia anymore. Whenever I try to switch to nvidia mode, my laptop screen goes black. I cannot even switch to terminal mode using ctrl+alt+F1. However, I can type the following without seeing anything on the screen: first type my password to login and press enter (without seeing anything). wait a little bit. ctrl+alt+T . Then sudo prime-select intel (then password and hit Enter) And finally sudo reboot

The laptop reboots and then I get my screen again in Intel mode. So it seems that while not being able to see anything with the black screen, everything is still working in background. This happens whatever the version of nvidia I am using.

My laptop is a Lenovo T430. I am using Ubuntu 14.04 and I am also using nvidia-prime. My kernel version is 3.13.0-45.

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  • I get the same behaviour after downgroading to 3.13.0-39 Feb 3, 2015 at 6:16
  • Have updated my answer with real solution. I hope it works for you too! Feb 5, 2015 at 10:08

1 Answer 1

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I was having exactly the same problem with nvidia-346 and kernel 3.13.0-45 on Ubuntu 14.04 amd64. After too many hours of searching and experimentation, I managed to fix it. I explain the whole problem along with a solution in detail here: http://vxlabs.com/2015/02/05/solving-the-ubuntu-14-04-nvidia-346-nvidia-prime-black-screen-issue/

In short, try the following:

  • Switch to console (Ctrl-Alt-F1) and stop lightdm: sudo service lightdm stop

  • Disable gpu-manager by commenting out everything in /etc/init/gpu-manager.conf

  • Switch to nvidia mode by doing sudo prime-select nvidia

  • Change your /etc/X11/xorg.conf to look like the one at the bottom of this answer, making sure that the nvidia BusId is correct (check with lspci):

  • Start X up again with sudo lightdm start

If after this you still get a black screen, please double-check that your xorg.conf has not been reset to the configuration without modesetting. If so, make sure that lightdm has been stopped and gpu-manager disabled before you edit the xorg.conf to change the intel driver to modesetting.

Switching back to Intel you will have to stop lightdm, re-enable gpu-manager, activate intel mode with sudo prime-select intel and then restart X with sudo service lightdm start.

It's very possible that later versions of gpu-manager might have fixed this behaviour.

Here's the correct xorg.conf:

Section "ServerLayout"
  Identifier "layout"
  Screen 0 "nvidia"
  Inactive "intel"
EndSection

Section "Device"
  Identifier "intel"
  Driver "modesetting"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
  Identifier "intel"
 Device "intel"
EndSection

Section "Device"
  Identifier "nvidia"
  Driver "nvidia"
  BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
  Identifier "nvidia"
  Device "nvidia"
  Option "UseDisplayDevice" "None"
EndSection
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  • Just a quick note to say that this didn't work for me on Dell XPS 15 running 14.10 Feb 5, 2015 at 11:28
  • It didn't work for me.
    – Calcius
    Feb 5, 2015 at 11:44
  • Please double-check that gpu-manager has not changed your xorg.conf back to the intel driver from the modesetting driver. This happens quite often! (in section device, with identifier intel, driver HAS TO BE modesetting, and not intel!) Feb 5, 2015 at 13:30
  • Has this been filed as a bug? I can't find it on launchpad. Apr 7, 2015 at 23:21
  • Nevermind, found it Apr 7, 2015 at 23:28

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