Early loading Nvidia module resolution problem

General system Kernel & Hardware
1

Hi guys! Just like most people with Nvidia cards I’m having a terrible time setting things up.

First of all, here’s the output of inxi -Ga

Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel TigerLake-H GT1 [UHD Graphics] vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI
    driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-12.1 process: Intel 10nm built: 2020-21
    ports: active: eDP-1 empty: DP-1,DP-2 bus-ID: 0000:00:02.0
    chip-ID: 8086:9a68 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: NVIDIA TU117M [GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile / Max-Q]
    vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI driver: nvidia v: 525.89.02
    alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm non-free: 525.xx+
    status: current (as of 2023-02) arch: Turing code: TUxxx
    process: TSMC 12nm FF built: 2018-22 bus-ID: 0000:01:00.0
    chip-ID: 10de:1f9d class-ID: 0300
  Device-3: Quanta HD User Facing type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 3-9:3
    chip-ID: 0408:a061 class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.7 compositor: Picom v: git-b700a
    driver: X: loaded: intel,nvidia unloaded: modesetting
    alternate: fbdev,nouveau,nv,vesa dri: i965 gpu: i915 display-ID: :0
    screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 2560x2160 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 676x570mm (26.61x22.44")
    s-diag: 884mm (34.81")
  Monitor-1: HDMI-1-0 pos: top-left res: 2560x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 97
    size: 673x284mm (26.5x11.18") diag: 730mm (28.76") modes: N/A
  Monitor-2: eDP1 pos: primary,bottom-r res: 1920x1080 hz: 144 dpi: 143
    size: 340x190mm (13.39x7.48") diag: 389mm (15.33") modes: N/A
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 22.3.5 renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (TGL GT1)
    direct-render: Yes

As you can see, I have that optimus setup with integrated Intel graphics and a dedicated nvidia GTX1650.

I had to set the nvidia driver to be loaded early setting the nvidia-drm.modeset=1 in the /etc/kernel/cmdline. Doing so made the driver load correctly, my external monitor was detected and worked perfectly, but my main screen resolution changed. The lightdm resolution was wrong too. After the login I could set the right resolution using arandr (curiously the right resolution was the only option). I saved the display setup to the monitor.sh script and it worked, but one thing I couldn’t fix: the lightdm resolution after boot.
If I logout, the lightdm screen will be in the right resolution (1920x1080), but if I reboot, it will be in 640x480. If I remove the kernel parameter to load the nvidia driver earlier, the lightdm screen will be ok but my monitor will not work and the driver will be “N/A” in the inxi -Ga output.

Any help will be appreciated.

tl;dr: I have to load the nvidia driver early to make it work but it breaks the lightdm resolution after boot.

2

Try removing (not including any nvidia related modules in the dracut created kernel image.
Use omit_drivers+=" nvidia nvidia_modeset nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm " in dracut config file.
https://discovery.endeavouros.com/installation/dracut/2022/12/
https://man.archlinux.org/man/dracut.conf.5

3

This is what I did for my LightDM/i3-wm install on an Optimus laptop, so sharing in the hope it helps you resolve your issue too.

  • Add nvidia_drm.modeset=1 to the /etc/kernel/cmdline
    Added for completeness, but it looks like you already did this

  • Omit drivers as petsam pointed out above

  • Run

sudo dracut-rebuild
sudo reinstall-kernels
  • Create a file on /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/optimus.conf with:
Section "Module"
    Load "modesetting"
EndSection
Section "Device"
    Identifier "nvidia"
    Driver "nvidia"
    BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
    Option "AllowEmptyInitialConfiguration"
EndSection

The BusID should be PCI:1:0:0, but you can find yours using

lspci | grep -E 'VGA|3D'

There is also an alternate 20-nvidia.conf on the Nvidia troubleshooting WIKI.
NOTE: Only use one, not both

  • For Lightdm:

Create a file on ‘/usr/local/bin/optimus.sh’ with:

#!/bin/sh
xrandr --setprovideroutputsource modesetting NVIDIA-0
xrandr --auto

Make it executable with:

sudo chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/optimus.sh
  • Edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf and set this at the [Seat:*] section:
display-setup-script=/usr/local/bin/optimus.sh

Just uncomment, and add the location of the script

  • Remove xf86-video-intel
    I was having issues with only one strange resolution available, which was not the default resolution of laptop panel

  • Reboot

Optional

  • Remove xf86-video-amdgpu and xf86-video-ati

References where i found above info:

Discovery Nvidia