I have this laptop (Surface Book 2), a Intel iGPU and Nvidia dGPU.

Whenever I need to update the Nvidia driver/ hotplug the dGPU. I need to first systemctl stop sddm.

I thought the WM/DE only use my iGPU. (sorry for bringing Win logic here)

I’m using Arch & Fedora. Plasma/Gnome+Wayland.

  • gyro@lemmy.worldM
    1·
    1 year ago

    Hotplug? So you’re using an external GPU?

    In the case of laptops with integtrated graphics + nvidia graphics (soldered) (so called “optimus laptops”), you can configure the display manager to use 1. only the integrated graphics; 2. only the nvidia gpu; 3. both of them, loading the desktop environment with integrated graphics and offloading applications to the nvidia gpu. The tools to manage that vary across distros, for arch a good one is optimus-manager (package name), and for Fedora you can use Envy Control.

    Since you’re presumably outputting the dedicated GPU video to the laptop’s screen through pci-e, and not using the GPU video ports, maybe the optimus tools work for your case scenario (although I’m not entirely sure of that).

    Also, it could be a Wayland issue. Try doing the same thing with Xorg. I’m a Xorg user and never had to restart the DE/DM to update Nvidia drivers, but my laptop has a soldered Nvidia chip.