re: External display for ThinkPad W530

[matthew green <mrg%eterna.com.au@localhost>]

Malte Dehling writes:
> Dear all,
>
> is there a way to get an external display to work on a ThinkPad W530?
> >From what I read, both the mini-dp and the vga connector work only
> with discrete graphics, which I have enabled in the BIOS
> (optimus/switching mode).  At boot I see these lines:
>
> [     4.991148] nouveau0: NVIDIA GK107 (0e73c0a2)
> [     4.991148] nouveau0: autoconfiguration error: error: bios: unable
> to locate usable image
> [     4.991148] nouveau0: autoconfiguration error: error: bios ctor failed, -22
> [     4.991148] nouveau0: autoconfiguration error: unable to create
> nouveau device: 22
>
> Anyone know what the issue is?  With BIOS set to discrete only I see
> the same lines and then a kernel panic (no console.)
>
> Running xrandr shows VGA1 as disconnected even with a cable plugged in.
>
> So 2 questions: 1) Do I really need to use the discrete graphics or is
> there some other way? 2) How to get discrete graphics to work.
>
> Any help appreciated :)

i have a thinkpad P51 that has the same basic issue.  i've spent
many hours trying to figure out where the vbios for the nvidia
is, and haven't succeeded.  here's the heavily patched boot log
from my system where it tries all the ways:

nouveau0: NVIDIA GM206 (126360a1)
nvbios_shadow:232: method [name=<none>]
nvbios_shadow:232: method [name=PRAMIN]
shadow_method:129: trying PRAMIN...
shadow_method:133: init gave err -19
nvbios_shadow:232: method [name=PROM]
shadow_method:129: trying PROM...
shadow_image:81: image 0 invalid
shadow_method:146: PROM: returning score 0
nvbios_shadow:232: method [name=ACPI]
shadow_method:129: trying ACPI...
shadow_method:133: init gave err -19
nvbios_shadow:232: method [name=ACPI]
shadow_method:129: trying ACPI...
shadow_method:133: init gave err -19
nvbios_shadow:232: method [name=PCIROM]
shadow_method:129: trying PCIROM...
linux_pci_map_rom:716: starting..
linux_pci_map_rom:722: mapped!
pci_find_rom:686: size 524288
pci_find_rom:705: magic wrong is 2
linux_pci_map_rom:736: failed!
pci_map_rom_md:684: entered
pci_map_rom_md:687: is display
shadow_method:133: init gave err -14
nvbios_shadow:232: method [name=PLATFORM]
shadow_method:129: trying PLATFORM...
shadow_method:133: init gave err -19
nouveau0: autoconfiguration error: error: bios: unable to locate usable image
nouveau0: autoconfiguration error: error: bios ctor failed, -22
nouveau0: autoconfiguration error: unable to create nouveau device: 22

this one seems to be missing it, but at some point i'd patched
the acpi nouveau code to try and it still failed (the logs above
may appear to show it, but the code isn't in that tree.)


AFAIK, the external ports on these laptops are only connected to
the nvidia GPU so it is absolutely necessary to use anything but
the built in display.  i'd love someone to figure this out :-)


.mrg.