RSSSwitch graphic cards on laptop sony serie z and ubuntu 10.04
May 06
Linux, Sony-vaio, ubuntu nvidia, sony, ubuntu 5 Comments
Be very careful if you upgrade the bios with the Sony utility (in windows) and install nvidia drivers (on the ubuntu size) : you would end up with no screen at all (no console either).
But things are going easier for series Z owners, as there is an automated script now. Thanks ernolf !
The good practice is to use the VGN-Zseries-janitor script. It installs all the stuff correctly, and allows to switch between the nvidia and intel cards by using the slider (before the reboot). No hot switch for the moment, but that’s not a real issue. I heard there are some issues with a windows 7 dual boot, because of the bios upgrade needed (read this). But, actually, I’ve already upgraded my own BIOS (I know, I’m adventurous), and there were no problem with the script.
One thing I think the script doesn’t do (I guess, the explanation at the end of the script is not very clear), is to add this kernel instruction :
In /etc/default/grub :
RUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="acpi_osi=\\\"!Windows 2006\\\""
And then run sudo update-grub to create a new /boot/grub/grub.cfg
(In my install, there was already an empty instruction (RUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=”"), so I just filled it with the value (string acpi_osi=\\\”!Windows 2006\\\”)
(You also can do it at boot time by hitting the “e” key.)
An other thing I haven’t done/tested useful is to customize screnn config (xorg.conf or nvidia-settings), as they describe it :
“To make a complicated xorg.conf-file unnecessary (after nvidia installation is ready and everything is running well) one can use nvidia-settings as root (sudo nvidia-settings) or as normal user, make the settings you want and then save them in an rc-file. Now enter the path to this rc-file into /etc/default/switch-x-to”. You must save the file generated by nvidia-settings in /home/<username>/.nvidia-settings-rc, and uncomment the matching line in /etc/default/switch-x-to (change “<username” by your actual username of course) :
NVIDIASETTINGS_RC='/home/<username>/.nvidia-settings-rc'
Make a backup of this file, if it already exists (was the case for me).
May 08, 2010 @ 12:36:21
So, did you end up using a hacked (Advanced options) bios or were you able to get it to work without it?
I’m having trouble getting the Nvidia side working, the Intel seems to work fine but every time i start with the switch on SPEED it just reverts back to the Intel gpu.
I am using the latest official version of the bios with a VGN-Z610Y, dual-booting 10.04 and Win7.
May 08, 2010 @ 12:55:42
Nevermind, it just started working, after reinstalling the drivers about 10 times I realized (thanks to your post) that I forgot to add:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=”acpi_osi=\\\”!Windows 2006\\\”" to /etc/default/grub
The only problem I had was that I could not change the brightness. This command helped me out though:
sudo acpi_create_nv_event
The only problem now is the brightness indicator in Ubuntu does not show what brightness you are at which is no big deal, at least I can change the brightness now.
May 08, 2010 @ 14:35:40
@Tim Happy if I could help. You are confirming my guess, this line in grub is mandatory.
I didn’t use a hacked bios, I’m using the bios provided by Sony, and upgraded it to the last version using their utility in windows. I haven’t experimented any direct install.
For the brightness issue, I can’t help you further, my fn+F5 or Fn+F6 did the trick, at least after the installation of the janitor script (maybe before, I can’t remember). The brightness applet (in panel) is working fine too.
May 09, 2010 @ 05:52:29
Hmm, interesting. On the Intel the brightness indicator seems to work fine but on the Nvidia side it does not seem to change and the applet does not seem to work, and it seems like there are more steps in the brightness (to get to half brightness it takes about twice as many clicks), maybe I will try to uninstall/reinstall the script and drivers from scratch again.
This might help someone reading this, another thing that I noticed is when I would load an ICC profile with xcalib (created in Windows using a Spyder2) the Nvidia X Server Settings would revert it back to the default colors on login/startup, so I just disabled that through the Startup Applications Preferences, I have not noticed any negative effects from disabling this so far.
May 10, 2010 @ 10:08:01
OK You’re right ; I was probably with the intel card when I tried it. On the nvidia side I can confirm it doesn’t work (applet or function keys).
Actually, it’s not so annoying for me : I use the nvidia card when I am on AC power, so saving power is not a real problem.
I just tried your command “sudo acpi_create_nv_event” and it made the fn keys working, though I cannot decrease the brightness a lot. The applet doesn’t work very well either.