Dual graphic card

[ace-cro]

The bios option doesn't exist, I've looked before. I don't know how to check timestamps. If you can direct me...

[micia]

you can open the /var/log/messages file, it contains all the actions and relevant messages produced during your system lifetime.
It can only be read as root (given its relevance).

if you are on KDE4, run as a normal user:

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kdesu kwrite /var/log/messages


if you are on Gnome:

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gksu gedit /var/log/messages


if you are a console fan:

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su
nano /var/log/messages


you will get something like this:

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Mar  5 13:11:37 il-padre-lap64 kernel: [   57.869027] [fglrx] Firegl kernel thread PID: 7163
Mar  5 13:11:37 il-padre-lap64 kernel: [   57.869241] [fglrx] Firegl kernel thread PID: 7164
Mar  5 13:11:37 il-padre-lap64 kernel: [   57.869397] [fglrx] Firegl kernel thread PID: 7165
Mar  5 13:11:37 il-padre-lap64 kernel: [   57.869784] [fglrx] IRQ 44 Enabled
Mar  5 13:11:37 il-padre-lap64 kernel: [   58.108016] [fglrx] Gart USWC size:1192 M.
Mar  5 13:11:37 il-padre-lap64 kernel: [   58.108018] [fglrx] Gart cacheable size:472 M.
Mar  5 13:11:37 il-padre-lap64 kernel: [   58.108023] [fglrx] Reserved FB block: Shared offset:0, size:1000000
Mar  5 13:11:37 il-padre-lap64 kernel: [   58.108024] [fglrx] Reserved FB block: Unshared offset:f943000, size:3bd000
Mar  5 13:11:37 il-padre-lap64 kernel: [   58.108026] [fglrx] Reserved FB block: Unshared offset:3fff4000, size:c000
Mar  5 13:11:56 il-padre-lap64 gdm[6659]: pam_unix(gdm:session): session opened for user micia by (uid=0)


(this is an example from my own /var/log/messages)
the leftmost part is the message "timestamp" Mar 5 13:11:37.
If you check around the time your system crashed, maybe you can get useful informations about it.

[ace-cro]

The problem is that I can't access anything anymore. The only way I can get anything done is if I boot recovery mode and than work in terminal. But i can't seem copy or save messages because its a write protected. Not with nano anyway.

[micia]

Is it because of the blank screen?
In that case, you can, at the grub menu, edit the default Sabayon (not the safe mode) boot line, adding the option:
gentoo=nox
the keys to edit the menu are listed in the lower part of the screen, if I am not mistaken, it is the 'e' key.
You will see the selected boot entry, as you would see it in the grub.cfg file.
You have just to add that option in the line that starts with linux.
Like this:

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linux   /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.37-sabayon ro init=/linuxrc splash=silent,theme:sabayon vga=791 console=tty1 gentoo=nox quiet doslowusb scandelay=10 resume=swap:UUID=feb1ea54-8529-4a74-94c3-84f6893e480a real_resume=UUID=feb1ea54-8529-4a74-94c3-84f6893e480a root=/dev/ram0 ramdisk=8192 real_root=UUID=420235ba-3fe2-493b-ae7a-850b347937eb docrypt


It should boot you to a textual login (nox = no X), if you don't see the login, press F2 to force the verbose boot mode. You should now be able to edit files with nano and restore the xorg.conf file as it was before my unfortunate advices.
If you do, you should also run this command:

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eselect opengl set xorg-x11


this way the openGL symlinks will be updated correctly.

[ace-cro]

Ok managed to start GUI. I've changed "nvidia" back to "nv" and also

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eselect opengl set nvidia

My xorg.conf looks like this:

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Section "Module"
    SubSection  "extmod"
       Option    "omit xfree86-dga"
    EndSubSection
    Load    "i2c"
    Load    "ddc"
    Load    "vbe"
    Load    "dri"
    Load    "glx"
    Load    "synaptics"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
     Option    "AllowMouseOpenFail"    "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier    "Generic Monitor"
    VertRefresh    43 - 60
    HorizSync      28 - 80
EndSection


Section "Device"

    Identifier  "SabayonVga0"
    Driver      "intel"
    BusID    "PCI:00:02"
    #Option "RenderAccel" "on"
    #Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps"
    #Option "BusType" "PCI"
    #Option "ColorTiling" "on"
    #Option "EnablePageFlip" "on"
    Option "UseEvents" "True"
    Option "LogoPath" "/usr/share/backgrounds/sabayonlinux-nvidia.png"

EndSection
   


Section "Device"

    Identifier  "SabayonVga1"
    Driver      "nv"
    BusID    "PCI:01:00"
    #Option "RenderAccel" "on"
    #Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps"
    #Option "BusType" "PCI"
    #Option "ColorTiling" "on"
    #Option "EnablePageFlip" "on"
    Option "UseEvents" "True"
    Option "LogoPath" "/usr/share/backgrounds/sabayonlinux-nvidia.png"

EndSection
   


Section "Screen"

    Identifier    "Screen 0"
    Device        "SabayonVga0"
    Monitor       "Generic Monitor"
    #Option       "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "true"

    DefaultDepth 24

    SubSection "Display"
        Depth      8
        ViewPort   0 0
        #Modes      "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection

    SubSection "Display"
        Depth           16
        ViewPort        0 0
        #Modes      "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection

    SubSection "Display"
        Depth           24
        ViewPort        0 0
        #Modes      "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection

EndSection



Section "Screen"

    Identifier    "Screen 1"
    Device        "SabayonVga1"
    Monitor       "Generic Monitor"
    #Option       "AddARGBGLXVisuals" "true"

    DefaultDepth 24

    SubSection "Display"
        Depth      8
        ViewPort   0 0
        #Modes      "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection

    SubSection "Display"
        Depth           16
        ViewPort        0 0
        #Modes      "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection

    SubSection "Display"
        Depth           24
        ViewPort        0 0
        #Modes      "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection

EndSection


Section "DRI"
    Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier   "Main Layout"
    Screen 0    "Screen 1"
    Screen 1    "Screen 0"
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
   #Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection


Notice: I've switched "Screen 1" and "Screen 0" in Screen section.
Now I can't start Desktop effect. Following error is displayed

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Failed to activate desktop effects using the given configuration options. Settings will be reverted to their previous values.

Check your X configuration. You may also consider changing advanced options, especially changing the compositing type.

[manifesto]

do you have an optimus system ?
If this is the case you have not so much options.
Have a look here as a starter page :
http://linux-hybrid-graphics.blogspot.com/

[ace-cro]

Dunno... Optimus system? Never heard of it.

[manifesto]

optimus is the dual GPU from nvdia.
Here is mine :
sabayon acpi_call # lspci | grep VGA
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 12)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GT218 [GeForce 310M] (rev ff)

I use the acpi_call script to turn off the NV gpu that cant work and use the intel one.
It is fine for me.

[ace-cro]

Can I kill Intel graphic and place nVidia one instead? I still can't run desktop effects using openGL. Instead I am using XRender with diminished capabilities.

[manifesto]

As far as I know you cant.
You should check further your HW and check the web.
If as i guess you have optimus you cant do much.
Use acpi_call trick to turn off nvidia looks to be the unique option.
However I run KDE + effect (opengl) on intel GPU without problem.