Installation advice, Thinkpad 520, Ubuntu 11.10

[codeape]

I'm getting a Thinkpad with Intel+NVidia graphics.

Can anyone offer advice as to what to do during the initial install? Should I disable or enable the NVidea/Intel/Optimus graphics? I belive there is a BIOS option.

I have read about the Ironhide (former Bumblebee) project. Is it worth trying? 

[homeyclaus]

All the hooks are there for the X system to handle dual-type graphics system, so try just installing it.

If that does not work, disable the Nvidia stuff if you mainly use it when mobile, or disable the integrated graphics if you're mainly using it when it's plugged in.

If you feel like hacking it up, you can also have the system detect what's enabled on boot and start the right X server.

[jtk · Accepted solution]

Unless you want to venture down the bumblebee path, your best bet may be to simply set the Graphics Device to Discrete Graphics in the BIOS->Config->Display setting. Ubuntu 11.10 should install and run reasonably OK using a 32-bit kernel (see a recent thread about the W520 and 64-bit kernels). If you don't mind installing NVIDIA's drivers, you could try them. You'll likely get a bit better performance out of them, but then you have to deal with re-installing those drivers every time the kernel is updated. This Debian wiki page and some of it's child links have some good discussion on this topic would be a good place to read up: http://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers You might run into this problem: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/699802 if you have a separate /boot partition, but it should be easily worked around for now. John

[biznatch]

Alternatively, if you just want to use the integrated graphics in Ubuntu (depending on your graphics needs), just don't install any Nvidia drivers and leave the BIOS settings at their default Optimus, then Ubuntu will just use the integrated graphics with no problems. I'm using this setup with 64-bit Ubuntu 11.04 and have had no problems. I briefly tried 11.10 and also had no problems. This setup lets me use Optimus in Windows (dual boot) when I need more powerful graphics while using integrated in Ubuntu, where I never need powerful graphics.

[buddinggeek]

For now you can just use the integrated ones,since 11.10 has no proper support for Nvidia GPU. You only have an option of installing the opensource drivers but they might not give you the best when it comes to desktop composition.