optirun
bumblebee project's tool for running applications on NVIDIA Optimus laptops
TLDR
Run application with NVIDIA GPU
$ optirun [application]
Run with specific options$ optirun -b [primus] [application]
Check GPU status$ optirun --status
Run in verbose mode$ optirun -vvv [application]
Force GPU power on$ optirun --no-xorg [glxinfo]
SYNOPSIS
optirun [options] command [args...]
DESCRIPTION
optirun is the Bumblebee project's tool for running applications on NVIDIA Optimus laptops. It allows selective use of the discrete NVIDIA GPU while the integrated GPU handles the display.Bumblebee manages GPU power to save battery when discrete GPU isn't needed.
PARAMETERS
-b, --bridge method
Rendering bridge (virtualgl, primus).-c file
Configuration file.--no-xorg
Don't start secondary X.--status
Check bumblebee status.-v
Verbose output.-q
Quiet mode.
BRIDGES
$ virtualgl - VirtualGL bridge
primus - Faster, lower latency
primus - Faster, lower latency
INSTALL
sudo apt install bumblebee
sudo pacman -S bumblebee
sudo zypper install bumblebee
brew install bumblebee
nix profile install nixpkgs#bumblebee
CAVEATS
Requires Bumblebee daemon. Alternative: NVIDIA PRIME. May have compatibility issues. Being superseded by native PRIME.
HISTORY
Bumblebee was created as a Linux solution for NVIDIA Optimus laptops, which lacked official Linux support when introduced in 2011.