Asus EEEPC 1215N hybrid graphics -- modified acpi_call with returning acpi_object results

Reposting a report by peberlein in the launchpad hybrid-graphics-linux mailing list about the Asus EEEPC 1215N hybrid graphics. Instructions:

git clone http://github.com/peberlein/acpi_call.git
cd acpi_call
make
sudo insmod acpi_call.ko
./asus1215n.sh

[Hybrid-graphics-linux] Asus 1215N success

I successfully powered down the Nvidia device in my Asus 1215N.  I modified the apci_call module and created a script to power it off and on.  Here is the github fork:

http://github.com/peberlein/acpi_call

I owe a huge thanks to Mkottman for acpi_call and George Shearer for m11xr2hack.  Those sources were excellent for learning about acpi and buffers.

I modified the acpi_call module to allow byte buffers to be passed as parameters, and also to return the acpi_object result in /proc/acpi/call.  Being able to see the result helped me figure out some of the state in the acpi methods.

The 1215N is similar to the m11x r2 in that it requires a special method (_DSM) being called with buffer arguments before the _PS3 method will turn the power off.   I also found that the _PS0 method turns the power back on.  After turning off the power, the power state appears to be set in the _PSC object: 0x0 when on, and 0x3 when off.  Except this isn't accurate after the system has been put in standby - the power is on (according to the battery rate) but the_PSC is still 0x3.  I have to use the script to turn the power off again after coming out of standby.

Linux hybrid graphics working on Sony vaio VPCZ13 models

One of the sony-vaio-z-series launchpad team members has reported the way to successfully switch on/off the nvidia card in VPCZ13 models:

Re: [Sony-vaio-z-series] Ubuntu on VPCZ13*

 

- Adam's kernel 2.6.36.0

- Installed sony-laptop-zseries-0.9np7

- Grub load options: "i8042.reset i8042.nomux i8042.nopnp i8042.noloop acpi_osi=\"!Windows 2006\" acpi_backlight=vendor"

 

Asus EEEPC 1015PN laptop hybrid graphics linux

One of the hybrid-graphics-linux team member has posted an email to the mailing list with details about the Asus EEPC 1015PN laptop in Linux:

[Hybrid-graphics-linux] EEEPC 1015PN Optimus with ION

The nVidia ION (GT238) is always activated on gnu/linux, and works with nouveau or the nvidia drivers. The Asus EEEPC 1015PN has an atom N550 CPU which includes a with a GMA 3150. One can use the nvidia ION on windows, or switch the netbook into the optimus mode, which enables the GMA 3150 to work in parallel with the ION (used only when necessary in this mode). It requires a reboot.

The Intel GMA is not activated at all under linux, and the only way to switch it on, is to reboot on Windows, and switch the optimus ON.

One can then find the PCI adresses for both GPU devices:

• ION -- PCI 0000:04:00:0
• Intel GMA -- PCI 0000:00:02:0

By tweaking the xorg.conf file, one can start X on the Intel GMA, but the ION is still activated.

The modified acpi_call method for the Asus EEEPC 1215PN, doesn't work on this model to switch off the nvidia ION card.

VGA switcheroo and acpi_call -- status so far

Some months ago, David Airlie wrote VGA switcheroo as a system to enable hybrid graphics hot switching via logout/login from a X session.

David initially implemented this on an ATI hybrid laptop, but immediately after the first implementation, with Matthew Garrett's help, he also committed some code to enable it on nvidia hybrid configurations. This wasn't thoroughly tested at the time due to the lack of hardware, but different users in the hybrid-graphics-linux launchpad team have reported their success stories with VGA switcheroo.

Compared to VGA switcheroo, acpi_call is a module to test what ACPI method is available to switch on/off the discrete graphics card. Many nvidia laptop configurations have different ACPI methods, so in order to switch on/off the nvidia card, one needs to call the right method for the laptop.

It is in theory possible to put together the work done on acpi_call and VGA switcheroo, so that most of the laptop configurations would have the hot switching feature via logout/login in Linux. There is a bit of work to be done in code integration, hopefully someone will pick this up and work on it, since there are now more than 200 users who would benefit from it.

For more information:

http://asusm51ta-with-linux.blogspot.com/

http://airlied.livejournal.com/71434.html

 

 

Nouveau testing for the memory timing management code @ www.phoronix.com

[Phoronix] Nouveau Needs Help With Timing Management

For those owners of NVIDIA graphics hardware that are already using -- or interested in using -- the open-source Nouveau driver that is developed by the community as an alternative to NVIDIA's proprietary driver, the developers could use some help. Martin Peres has issued a testing request for people to try out new code for the Nouveau driver that deals with memory timing management.

Martin and two other developers have been working on adding memory timings support to Nouveau so that they can be tightened and loosened accordingly when manipulating the memory clock. It was just recently that the Nouveau driver began to reach a state of having working power management. The Nouveau developers have written up some code, but the video BIOS table that stores these vRAM timings contains a lot of "magic" (or still some uncertainty from their clean-room reverse-engineering), so they would like some help in the form of BIOS and register dumps across more NVIDIA GPUs.

For those interested in helping out this open-source project working towards a fully open-source NVIDIA 2D/3D driver, see this mailing list message and there is a GitHub Wiki page. An NV40 class GPU or newer is needed and the Wiki page covers how to produce a NVIDIA BIOS dump and peeking the graphics card's strap and selected timings.

Howto Linux hybrid graphics on Asus Eee 1215N

One of the hybrid-graphics Launchpad team members has reported about the use of a modified version of acpi_call to swich on/off the nvidia optimus card on the Asus Eee 1215N models:

[Hybrid-graphics-linux] Asus 1215N success

I successfully powered down the Nvidia device in my Asus 1215N.  I modified the apci_call module and created a script to power it off and on.  Here is the github fork:

http://github.com/peberlein/acpi_call

I owe a huge thanks to Mkottman for acpi_call and George Shearer for m11xr2hack.  Those sources were excellent for learning about acpi and buffers.

I modified the acpi_call module to allow byte buffers to be passed as parameters, and also to return the acpi_object result in /proc/acpi/call.  Being able to see the result helped me figure out some of the state in the acpi methods.


The 1215N is similar to the m11x r2 in that it requires a special method (_DSM) being called with buffer arguments before the _PS3 method will turn the power off.   I also found that the _PS0 method turns the power back on.  After turning off the power, the power state appears to be set in the _PSC object: 0x0 when on, and 0x3 when off.  Except this isn't accurate after the system has been put in standby - the power is on (according to the battery rate) but the_PSC is still 0x3.  I have to use the script to turn the power off again after coming out of standby.

HOWTO Allienware M11x r2 nvidia optimus hybrid graphics Linux

[This is an old post, check the launchpad website for acpi_call and bumblebee]
https://launchpad.net/~hybrid-graphics-linux

One of the hybrid-graphics team members has posted the detailed instructions on how to switch on/off the discrete nvidia graphics card on the optimus (r2) models for the Alienware M11x laptop:

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showpost.php?p=1402584&postcount=45

This works with a modified module that calls ACPI methods with the right parameters to switch on/off the graphics card. The code is here:
m11xr2hack-dot-c.txt
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=20129&d=1285685272
Makefile.txt
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=20130&d=1285685283