I have a lenovo laptop with nvidia 3070 ti. I've i...

Below is a step-by-step overview of how to get NVIDIA drivers working on Arch, especially on laptops with dual (integrated + NVIDIA) GPUs. While there can be quite a few moving parts, these are the common troubleshooting steps:

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1. Check Your Kernel and Packages

1. Verify your kernel version:

   bash
   uname -r

   Make sure your installed nvidia package is built for that exact kernel version. If you are on the default Arch kernel (e.g., linux), then installing the normal nvidia package (not nvidia-dkms) is typically sufficient.

   • If you’re using a non-standard or custom kernel (e.g., linux-zen, linux-lts, or a custom-compiled version), you usually need nvidia-dkms (which compiles the module for whatever kernel you boot).

2. Confirm installed NVIDIA packages:

   bash
   pacman -Qs nvidia

   You should see something like:

   • nvidia
   • nvidia-utils
   • lib32-nvidia-utils (if you run 32-bit apps)
   • nvidia-dkms only if you use custom or non-official kernels.

Note on driver versions: For an RTX 3070 Ti, you’ll want the newest stable branch from Arch’s repositories (e.g., 530/535/570, etc.). Older legacy packages (e.g., 470xx, 390xx) are for older GPUs.

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2. Ensure Nouveau Is Blacklisted (If Needed)

The open-source Nouveau driver can conflict with the proprietary driver. Often, the Arch nvidia package will handle blacklisting automatically, but it’s good to verify:

1. Check if Nouveau is loaded:

   bash
   lsmod | grep nouveau

   If it’s there, you’ll want to blacklist it (or let the official nvidia package do it automatically).

2. After blacklisting, rebuild your initramfs:

   bash
   sudo mkinitcpio -P

   (The -P option rebuilds the initramfs for all kernels.)

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3. Load the NVIDIA Modules

Even if the driver is installed, it may not be auto-loading. Check:

1. Does the kernel module exist?

   bash
   modinfo nvidia
   modinfo nvidia_drm

   If you get “not found,” then the module isn’t building/installed for your current kernel (this usually means you need nvidia-dkms or your kernel is too new/unsupported by the driver version).

2. Try loading the module manually:

   bash
   sudo modprobe nvidia_drm

   Then check:

   bash
   lsmod | grep nvidia

   You should see nvidia, nvidia_drm, nvidia_modeset, and nvidia_uvm in the output.

3. Check if /sys/module/nvidia_drm appears after loading. If the nvidia_drm module does not load, that folder obviously will not show up.

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4. Enable Modesetting (If Desired)

Since driver version 560.35.03, DRM KMS is enabled by default for the official NVIDIA package on Arch. However, sometimes you still need to specify it or verify it’s actually enabled.

1. Add to kernel parameters (if not already there). For example, in your bootloader’s config (whether GRUB or systemd-boot), add:

   nvidia_drm.modeset=1
   

   This ensures early KMS is enabled.

2. After editing, update GRUB or your boot loader:

   bash
   sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

   or regenerate your systemd-boot configs if you use that.

3. Reboot, then run:

   bash
   dmesg | grep nvidia

   Look for messages indicating that nvidia_drm initialized.

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5. Verify Xorg (or Wayland) is Using NVIDIA

Xorg (traditional setup)

1. Check /var/log/Xorg.0.log (or the equivalent in systemd’s journal) to see whether the NVIDIA driver was loaded or if it fell back to modesetting or nouveau.
2. In many “pure NVIDIA” desktops, you can add an X config snippet (though as of recent Arch releases, an explicit xorg.conf is often optional):

   text
   Section "Device"
       Identifier "NVIDIA Card"
       Driver     "nvidia"
   EndSection

3. Then reboot or restart Xorg to see if it picks up the nvidia driver.

Wayland

• For Gnome or KDE on Wayland with NVIDIA, ensure the session is actually starting in Wayland mode with NVIDIA KMS support. Compatibility can vary depending on your DE and GDM/SDDM version.

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6. Hybrid (Optimus/Prime Offloading) Laptops

Because you have a Lenovo laptop with a 3070 Ti, you likely also have an Intel (or AMD) integrated GPU. Often, you’ll need a “hybrid graphics” setup:

1. Optimus/Prime:

   • The integrated GPU drives the display, and the NVIDIA GPU is used for offloading heavier tasks (e.g., prime-run <program>).
   • Packages you’ll typically want:
     • nvidia (and nvidia-prime or prime-run scripts)
     • The matching Intel driver (often just xf86-video-intel) or use the built-in modesetting driver.
   • Then you can run a command like:

     bash
     prime-run glxinfo | grep OpenGL

     …to confirm it’s offloading to NVIDIA.

2. If you want to run only on NVIDIA (some BIOS settings allow you to disable the integrated GPU, or you can use software solutions like optimus-manager or envycontrol to switch to “dedicated GPU only” mode).

3. Advanced Optimus (some newer laptops have firmware-level advanced mux switching). You may need extra steps or your laptop’s BIOS toggles.

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7. Common Pitfalls

• Kernel mismatch: The installed nvidia package must match the kernel you boot. If you see something like nvidia: no symbol version for module_layout, you definitely have a mismatch.
• Modules not loading: Make sure nvidia, nvidia_modeset, nvidia_uvm, and nvidia_drm are not blacklisted in any config.
• Secure Boot: If you’re using Secure Boot, the driver needs to be signed. By default, Arch does not handle module signing for you; you must do that manually.
• Outdated driver: If the GPU is new-ish (like the 30-series or 40-series), ensure your driver is not a legacy version.
• Wayland support: NVIDIA on Wayland typically requires modesetting to be enabled (which means nvidia_drm.modeset=1) and can be trickier to configure depending on the desktop environment.

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Quick Checklist

1. Install

   bash
   sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils lib32-nvidia-utils

   or if running a non-official kernel:

   bash
   sudo pacman -S nvidia-dkms nvidia-utils lib32-nvidia-utils

2. Blacklist nouveau (if needed), rebuild initramfs:

   bash
   sudo mkinitcpio -P

3. Enable modeset (if you want early KMS/Wayland):
   • Add nvidia_drm.modeset=1 to kernel command line.
   • Reboot.
4. Load modules and verify:

   bash
   sudo modprobe nvidia_drm
   lsmod | grep nvidia

5. Check logs (Xorg or dmesg):

   bash
   dmesg | grep nvidia

6. If you have hybrid graphics, configure prime offloading or an appropriate switching mechanism (optimus-manager, envycontrol, etc.).

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Final Notes

• For most Arch Linux installations with a standard Arch kernel, simply installing nvidia nvidia-utils lib32-nvidia-utils should be enough.
• If you see no /sys/module/nvidia_drm, the most common reason is simply that the module isn’t loading (due to mismatch, blacklisting, or an error during module build).
• The driver version 570.133.07 indicates a fairly recent branch that should support your RTX 3070 Ti, but confirm it’s actually getting loaded against your kernel 6.13.8.

Hopefully these steps help you pinpoint why the driver isn’t “starting.” If you systematically walk through each step (checking the kernel version, blacklisting nouveau, verifying modules load, etc.), you should end up with a working NVIDIA setup on Arch. Good luck!