Step 0: Install Ubuntu
First, follow my previous tutorial to install Ubuntu on the Razer Blade Stealth. I’m using a fresh Ubuntu 16.04.3 64bit install on a Razer Balde Stealth (late 2016).
Step 1: Update the Intel drivers
Start by updating your Intel drivers:
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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:oibaf/graphics-drivers sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade sudo apt-get dist-upgrade |
Step 2: Set the kernel options
I had to fiddle a lot to make things work. One of the major problems I got is that the machine wouldn’t properly suspend/shutdown/reboot/logout when I was using the integrated GPU witht the NVIDIA drivers installed.
At some point, I found this seamingly related issue on Bumblebee’s GitHub so I started playing with the kernel ACPI options. And I did not reproduce my issue with the following modifications… so maybe this step is useful, maybe it’s not.
Anyway, edit the value of GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT in /etc/default/grub :
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GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT='quiet splash button.lid_init_state=open acpi_osi="Linux" vga=0 rdblacklist=nouveau nouveau.modeset=0' |
Update grub by calling update-grub then reboot.
Step 3: Install the NVIDIA drivers
Then follow this tutorial to install the NVIDIA’s proprietary drivers version 384.59 and reboot.
Voilà! You should be able to use the descrete GPU and it should be listed in the NVIDIA X Server Settings (GTX 1080) in my case:
Step 4: Disable suspend when plugged in
For your information, I compiled a little recap of the last 3 versions available:
As you can see, things are getting better and version 384.59 appears to be the most functionnal so far.
But we’re not there yet: suspend “works” but it won’t resume properly. But the good thing with the Razer Core is that it provides both the discrete GPU and power. So using the NVIDIA driver implies the machine is plugged in. A simple solution is then to simply change the power options to never suspend when the machine is plugged in.