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NVIDIA

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Optimus does not function out of the box and needs some things to be setted up. Start with installing the following packages:

  • linux-headers
  • mesa
  • lib32-mesa
  • xf86-video-amdgpu (only needed for integraded amd gpu),
  • nvidia
  • nvidia-utils
  • lib32-nvidia-utils
  • nvidia-settings
  • switcheroo-control (needs switcheroo-control.service to be enabled).
  • nvtop
Terminal window
sudo pacman -S linux-headers mesa lib32-mesa xf86-video-amdgpu nvidia nvidia-utils lib32-nvidia-utils nvidia-settings switcheroo-control nvtop

To enable DRM (Dynamic Rendering Manager) kernel mode setting. Kernel module paramaters should be edited. Append to your bootloader options these two parameters: nvidia-drm.modeset=1 and fbdev=1.

To ensure it is loaded at the earliest possible occasion you should add nvidia, nvidia_modeset, nvidia_uvm and nvidia_drm to the initramfs. Find the MODULES=() line in /etc/mkinitcpio.confand update it with the parameters.

Example:

MODULES=(nvidia nvidia_modeset nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm)

It’s also necessary to remove kms from HOOKS array in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf. Finally we need to regenerate the initramfs which can be done with:

Terminal window
sudo mkinitcpio -P

After rebooting the system you can launch apps using dGPU by right clicking and using Launch using Dedicated Graphics Card option from menu.

There is only one caviat which is each time you update NVIDIA drivers initramfs mus be updated. You can automatize this with a pacman hook. Create /etc/pacman.d/hooks/nvidia.hook with this contents:

[Trigger]
Operation=Install
Operation=Upgrade
Operation=Remove
Type=Package
Target=nvidia
Target=linux
# Change the linux part above if a different kernel is used


[Action]
Description=Update NVIDIA module in initcpio
Depends=mkinitcpio
When=PostTransaction
NeedsTargets
Exec=/bin/sh -c 'while read -r trg; do case $trg in linux*) exit 0; esac; done; /usr/bin/mkinitcpio -P'

Generally no configuration is needed for Ampere as this is enabled by default. For some Ampere users, udev rules may be necessary. The following udev rules are needed:

/etc/udev/rules.d/80-nvidia-pm.rules

# Enable runtime PM for NVIDIA VGA/3D controller devices on driver bind
ACTION=="bind", SUBSYSTEM=="pci", ATTR{vendor}=="0x10de", ATTR{class}=="0x030000", TEST=="power/control", ATTR{power/control}="auto"
ACTION=="bind", SUBSYSTEM=="pci", ATTR{vendor}=="0x10de", ATTR{class}=="0x030200", TEST=="power/control", ATTR{power/control}="auto"


# Disable runtime PM for NVIDIA VGA/3D controller devices on driver unbind
ACTION=="unbind", SUBSYSTEM=="pci", ATTR{vendor}=="0x10de", ATTR{class}=="0x030000", TEST=="power/control", ATTR{power/control}="on"
ACTION=="unbind", SUBSYSTEM=="pci", ATTR{vendor}=="0x10de", ATTR{class}=="0x030200", TEST=="power/control", ATTR{power/control}="on"

together with the following module parameters:

/etc/modprobe.d/nvidia-pm.conf

options nvidia "NVreg_DynamicPowerManagement=0x02"

Alternatively, you can install nvidia-prime-rtd3pm(AUR) which provides these two configuration files.

We also need to enable the NVIDIA services to avoid the kernel tearing down the device state whenever the NVIDIA device resources are no longer in use and to handle suspend/resume functionality:

Terminal window
sudo systemctl enable nvidia-suspend.service \
                      nvidia-hibernate.service \
                      nvidia-resume.service \
                      nvidia-persistenced.service

Even without enabling Dynamic Power Management, offload rendering of applications is required.

To run an application offloaded to the NVIDIA GPU with Dynamic Power Management enabled, add the following environment variables:

Terminal window
__NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia command

When using on a Steam game, the launcher command line can be set to:

Terminal window
__NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia %command%