No support for switchable IGP/GPU (#9089) · Issues · tails / tails

No support for switchable IGP/GPU

Originally created by @01 on #9089 (Redmine)

Case:

Macbook Pro 15 Retina Late 2013 uses explicitly dedicated GPU (NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M).
Integrated graphic processor isn’t listed at all.

Result: Not being able to switch or turn off discrete card to improve battery life.

Tails version:

Tails 1.3 (Debian/Wheezy)

Desired solution:

Either:

Have Intel Iris Pro graphics processors supported by the kernel
and therefore be able to switch off the discrete one.

Or:

Be able to hardcode this solution into the kernel of Tails by myself
to use explicitly the IGP (Intel Iris Pro Graphics)

Hardware:

Macbook Pro Retina 15 Late 2013
Intel Iris Pro Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic graphics switching

Logs:

lspci -v

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation Device 0fe9 (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Apple Inc. Device 0130
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 48
Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
Memory at 80000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
Memory at 90000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
I/O ports at 1000 [size=128]
Expansion ROM at c1000000 [disabled] [size=512K]
Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
Capabilities: [78] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
Capabilities: [b4] Vendor Specific Information: Len=14 <?>
Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel
Capabilities: [128] Power Budgeting <?>
Capabilities: [420] Advanced Error Reporting
Capabilities: [600] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=024 <?>
Capabilities: [900] #19
Kernel driver in use: nouveau

cat /proc/version

Linux version 3.16.0-4-amd64 (debian-kernel@lists.debian.org) (gcc version 4.8.4 (Debian 4.8.4-1) ) #1 SMP Debian 3.16.7-ckt4-3 (2015-02-03)

Notes:

There are many services like vgaswitcheroo, acpi_call etc.
However, none of them can work if the IGP (in this case Intel Iris Pro is not listed at all - or recognized by the system?)

rant: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/hybrid_graphics

Related issues

Related to #7505 (closed)

_Originally created by @01 on [#9089 (Redmine)](https://public-redmine-archive.tails.boum.org/code/issues/9089)_

## **Case:**

Macbook Pro 15 Retina Late 2013 uses explicitly dedicated GPU (**NVIDIA
GeForce GT 750M**).  
Integrated graphic processor isn’t listed at all.

Result: Not being able to switch or turn off discrete card to improve
**battery life**.

## **Tails version:**

Tails 1.3 (Debian/Wheezy)

## **Desired solution:**

**Either:**

Have Intel Iris Pro graphics processors supported by the kernel  
and therefore be able to switch off the discrete one.

**Or:**

Be able to hardcode this solution into the kernel of Tails by myself  
to use explicitly the IGP (**Intel Iris Pro Graphics**)

## **Hardware:**

Macbook Pro Retina 15 Late 2013  
**Intel Iris Pro Graphics**  
**NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M** with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and automatic
graphics switching

## **Logs:**

***lspci -v***

> 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation Device 0fe9
(rev a1) (prog-if 00 \[VGA controller\])  
> Subsystem: Apple Inc. Device 0130  
> Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 48  
> Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) \[size=16M\]  
> Memory at 80000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) \[size=256M\]  
> Memory at 90000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) \[size=32M\]  
> I/O ports at 1000 \[size=128\]  
> Expansion ROM at c1000000 \[disabled\] \[size=512K\]  
> Capabilities: \[60\] Power Management version 3  
> Capabilities: \[68\] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+  
> Capabilities: \[78\] Express Endpoint, MSI 00  
> Capabilities: \[b4\] Vendor Specific Information: Len=14 \<?>  
> Capabilities: \[100\] Virtual Channel  
> Capabilities: \[128\] Power Budgeting \<?>  
> Capabilities: \[420\] Advanced Error Reporting  
> Capabilities: \[600\] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1
Len=024 \<?>  
> Capabilities: \[900\] #19  
> Kernel driver in use: nouveau

***cat /proc/version***

> Linux version 3.16.0-4-amd64 (debian-kernel@lists.debian.org) (gcc
version 4.8.4 (Debian 4.8.4-1) ) #1 SMP Debian 3.16.7-ckt4-3
(2015-02-03)

## Notes:

There are many services like vgaswitcheroo, acpi\_call etc.  
However, none of them can work if the IGP (in this case Intel Iris Pro
is not listed at all - *or recognized by the system?*)

rant: <https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/hybrid_graphics>

### Related issues

- **Related to** tails/tails#7505

Edited May 15, 2020 by 01

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