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[Launchpad Bug Tracker <1259237@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

** Branch linked: lp:ubuntu/precise-updates/nvidia-settings

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1259237

Title:
  Hybrid graphics enablement in 12.04.4

Status in “bbswitch” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “jockey” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “lightdm” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “nvidia-graphics-drivers-173” package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in “nvidia-graphics-drivers-304” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “nvidia-graphics-drivers-304-updates” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “nvidia-graphics-drivers-331” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “nvidia-graphics-drivers-331-updates” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “nvidia-prime” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “nvidia-settings” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “screen-resolution-extra” package in Ubuntu:
  Invalid
Status in “bbswitch” source package in Precise:
  Fix Released
Status in “nvidia-prime” source package in Precise:
  Fix Committed
Status in “screen-resolution-extra” source package in Precise:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  SRU request:

  Please accept the following packages in precise-proposed.

  lightdm
  nvidia-prime
  nvidia-graphics-drivers-331
  nvidia-graphics-drivers-331-updates
  nvidia-graphics-drivers-304
  nvidia-graphics-drivers-304-updates
  nvidia-graphics-drivers-173
  nvidia-settings
  screen-resolution-extra
  bbswitch

  
  [Rationale]
  This is the result of the HWE effort to bring power management to systems with NVIDIA Optimus.

  [Impact]
  Without this work, we keep both GPUs on all the time, thus heavily impacting on battery life. Thanks to this work, it is now possible to easily disable the discrete card when raw power is not needed.

  Furthermore nvidia-prime has better hardware detection now, and won't
  try to enable hybrid graphics on desktop systems any more.

  As for the technical details:
  * bbswitch is a backport of the package that now lives in main in 14.04.
  * The actual work happened in lightdm, nvidia-331, nvidia-331-updates, nvidia-prime, screen-resolution-extra, and nvidia-settings.
  * nvidia-settings now replaces all the different nvidia-settings flavours, so as to reduce the maintainance effort. I patched the app so that it checks the driver version (at runtime) and doesn't expose features that older driver releases do not support.
  * nvidia-331 and nvidia-331-updates replace 319 and 319-updates. These are the new LTS releases by NVIDIA.
  * nvidia-304 and nvidia-304-updates recommend the new nvidia-settings, include a security update, and build against the upcoming Linux 3.11 (lts-saucy).
  * nvidia-173, in addition to being compatible with Linux 3.11 (lts-saucy), also introduces transitional packages for 173-updates, as it doesn't make sense to maintain a separate -updates flavour any more. 

  
  [Test Case]
  After installing the update, users should be able to boot the system as usual, with no regressions of any kind.

  * Systems with a single NVIDIA card: nvidia-prime will detect the
  hardware and do nothing at all on unsupported systems (such as the one
  card use case, or the desktop use case)

  * Systems with NVIDIA Optimus: nvidia-prime will preserve its previous
  behaviour by leaving both GPUs on. Users can launch nvidia-settings
  and switch to the power profile that they need.

  [Regression Potential]
  Low. The new features are enabled only if the user manually selects them.

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