Change xorg.conf file at optirun time [XorgConfFile ignored in bumblebee.conf]

[bugi]

The setting of XorgConfFile in bumblebee.conf is ignored.

No matter what I set it to, /var/log/Xorg.8.log says it uses the default /etc/bumblebee/xorg.conf.nvidia file.

bumblebee version 3.1-1~quantalppa on a T530

Use case: I would like to use a different xorg config file when I'm at my desk than when I'm lounging about. At the desk, I'd like to use the triple-screen setup described at https://github.com/Bumblebee-Project/Bumblebee/wiki/Multi-monitor-setup. I plan to do that by giving optirun the --config option when run in the MM setup, but use the default configs for the laptop on its own. The --config option does work.

Workaround: Make the OptimusStart.sh script fiddle with symlinks before calling out to the session manager, then change them back when that returns.

[Lekensteyn]

Have you restarted bumblebeed after editing bumblebee.conf?

[bugi]

Hmm, I didn't think of that. I will "service bumblebeed restart" after each re-symlinking of the conf files, and see what difference that makes.

But that raises the question of how do I tell bumblebeed to use the different bumblebee.conf without the symlinking? The upstart file, /etc/init/bumblebeed.conf, doesn't seem to allow for me to give different options to bumblebeed.

I do see that --xconf is limited to bumblebeed though, not allowed for optirun. How deep does that distinction run?

[ArchangeGabriel]

In fact, it's only at optirun time that the xorg.conf file is used. However, it's Bumblebeed that starts the X server, so that's why we set it in the daemon.

Thus, we could probably make optirun able to specify a different xorg.conf file.

Anyway, restarting daemon after changing bumblebee.conf is mandatory and should work.

[srhb]

Wouldn't it be sufficient to add a command line option to change the xorg-setup used? It would be a really nice feature for those of us with the occasional need for the mini displayport.

[amonakov]

Apart from adding a new option, you'd need also to communicate the user choice from optirun to bumblebeed via the socket and do something if an X server launched with a different config is already running.

I'm curious, can you turn on the monitor connected to mini-dp after starting secondary X with "UseDisplayDevice" "none" initially via optirun -b none nvidia-settings -c :8 or optirun -b none xrandr -d :8 --auto?

[srhb]

No, it doesn't even seem to be detected unless "UseDisplayDevice" "none" is commented out on startup of optirun.

[amonakov]

What if you change Option "UseDisplayDevice" "none" to Option "AllowEmptyInitialConfiguration"? It should work that way.

edited to add: that option first appeared in 331.13 drivers

[srhb]

Indeed, that does work! Marvellous!

[amonakov]

Thanks for testing that, I've edited the xorg.conf.nvidia file to reflect that. It would be nice if somebody could take care of the wiki page.

@ArchangeGabriel, @Lekensteyn: I've made that commit on master rather than develop branch (I've realized the mistake too late); sorry about that.

[Lekensteyn]

@amonakov Well it happened, nothing we can change about that. (We need to merge master in develop later then.)

I am not so up-to-date with the proprietary drivers, it's off almost all the time. If some user of this could update the wiki page with their experience, that would be great :)