trusty (1) nvidia-settings.1.gz

Provided by: nvidia-settings_331.20-0ubuntu8_amd64 bug

NAME

       nvidia-settings - configure the NVIDIA graphics driver

SYNOPSIS

       nvidia-settings [options]
       nvidia-settings [options] --no-config
       nvidia-settings [options] --load-config-only
       nvidia-settings [options] {--query=attr | --assign=attr=value} ...
       nvidia-settings [options] --glxinfo

       Options: [-vh] [--config=configfile] [-c ctrl-display]
                [--verbose={none | errors | deprecations | warnings | all}]
                [--describe={all | list | attribute_name}]

       attr has the form:
            DISPLAY/attribute_name[display_devices]

DESCRIPTION

       The  nvidia-settings  utility  is  a  tool  for  configuring  the NVIDIA graphics driver.  It operates by
       communicating with the NVIDIA X driver, querying and updating state as appropriate.   This  communication
       is done via the NV-CONTROL, GLX, XVideo, and RandR X extensions.

       Values  such  as brightness and gamma, XVideo attributes, temperature, and OpenGL settings can be queried
       and configured via nvidia-settings.

       When nvidia-settings starts, it reads the current settings from its configuration file  and  sends  those
       settings to the X server.  Then, it displays a graphical user interface (GUI) for configuring the current
       settings.  When nvidia-settings exits, it queries the current settings from the X server and  saves  them
       to the configuration file.

OPTIONS

       -v, --version
              Print the nvidia-settings version and exit.

       -h, --help
              Print usage information and exit.

       --config=CONFIG
              Use the configuration file CONFIG rather than the default ~/.nvidia-settings-rc

       -c CTRL-DISPLAY, --ctrl-display=CTRL-DISPLAY
              Control  the  specified X display.  If this option is not given, then nvidia-settings will control
              the display specified by '--display' ; if  that  is  not  given,  then  the  $DISPLAY  environment
              variable is used.

       -l, --load-config-only
              Load  the  configuration  file, send the values specified therein to the X server, and exit.  This
              mode of operation is useful to place in your xinitrc file, for example.

       -n, --no-config
              Do not load the configuration file.  This mode of  operation  is  useful  if  nvidia-settings  has
              difficulties starting due to problems with applying settings in the configuration file.

       -r, --rewrite-config-file
              Write  the  X  server  configuration  to  the  configuration  file, and exit, without starting the
              graphical user interface.  See EXAMPLES section.

       -V VERBOSE, --verbose=VERBOSE
              Controls how much information is printed.  Valid values are 'none' (do not print status messages),
              'errors' (print error messages), 'deprecations' (print error and deprecation messages), 'warnings'
              (print error, deprecation, and warning messages), and 'all' (print error, deprecation, warning and
              other informational messages).  By default, 'deprecations' is set.

       -a ASSIGN, --assign=ASSIGN
              The ASSIGN argument to the '--assign' command line option is of the form:

                {DISPLAY}/{attribute name}[{display devices}]={value}

              This  assigns  the  attribute  {attribute  name}  to the value {value} on the X Display {DISPLAY}.
              {DISPLAY} follows the usual {host}:{display}.{screen} syntax of the DISPLAY  environment  variable
              and  is  optional;  when  it  is  not specified, then it is implied following the same rule as the
              --ctrl-display option.  If the X screen is not specified, then the assignment is  made  to  all  X
              screens.  Note that the '/' is only required when {DISPLAY} is present.

              {DISPLAY}  can  additionally  include  a target specification to direct an assignment to something
              other than an X screen.  A target specification is contained within brackets  and  consists  of  a
              target  type  name, a colon, and the target id.  The target type name can be one of screen , gpu ,
              framelock , vcs , gvi , or fan ; the target id is the index into the list  of  targets  (for  that
              target type).  The target specification can be used in {DISPLAY} wherever an X screen can be used,
              following the syntax {host}:{display}[{target_type}:{target_id}].  See the output of

                nvidia-settings -q all

              for information on which target types can be used with which attributes.  See the output of

                 nvidia-settings -q screens -q gpus -q framelocks -q vcs -q gvis -q fans

              for lists of targets for each target type.

              The [{display devices}] portion is also optional; if it is not specified, then  the  attribute  is
              assigned to all display devices.

              Some examples:

                -a FSAA=5
                -a localhost:0.0/DigitalVibrance[CRT-0]=0
                --assign="SyncToVBlank=1"
                -a [gpu:0]/DigitalVibrance[DFP-1]=63

       -q QUERY, --query=QUERY
              The QUERY argument to the '--query' command line option is of the form:

                {DISPLAY}/{attribute name}[{display devices}]

              This  queries the current value of the attribute {attribute name} on the X Display {DISPLAY}.  The
              syntax is the same as that for the '--assign' option, without '= {value}' ; specify '-q  screens',
              '-q  gpus', '-q framelocks', '-q vcs', '-q gvis', or '-q fans' to query a list of X screens, GPUs,
              Frame Lock devices, Visual Computing Systems, SDI Input Devices, or Fans, respectively,  that  are
              present on the X Display {DISPLAY}.  Specify '-q all' to query all attributes.

       -t, --terse
              When  querying  attribute  values  with  the '--query' command line option, only print the current
              value, rather than the more verbose description of  the  attribute,  its  valid  values,  and  its
              current value.

       -d, --display-device-string
              When  printing  attribute  values in response to the '--query' option, if the attribute value is a
              display device mask, print the value as a list of display devices (e.g., "CRT-0,  DFP-0"),  rather
              than a hexadecimal bit mask (e.g., 0x00010001).

       -g, --glxinfo
              Print GLX Information for the X display and exit.

       -e DESCRIBE, --describe=DESCRIBE
              Prints  information  about  a particular attribute.  Specify 'all' to list the descriptions of all
              attributes.  Specify 'list' to list the attribute names without a descriptions.

       -p PAGE, --page=PAGE
              The  PAGE  argument  to  the  '--page'  commandline  option  selects  a  particular  page  in  the
              nvidia-settings  user  interface  to  display upon starting nvidia-settings.  Valid values are the
              page names in the tree view on the left side of the nvidia-settings user interface; e.g.,

                --page="X Screen 0"

              Because some page names are not unique (e.g., a "PowerMizer" page is present under each GPU),  the
              page  name  can optionally be prepended with the name of the parent X Screen or GPU page, followed
              by a comma.  E.g.,

                --page="GPU 0 - (Quadro 6000), PowerMizer"

              The first page with a name matching the PAGE argument will be used.  By  default,  the  "X  Server
              Information" page is displayed.

       -L, --list-targets-only
              When  performing  an  attribute  query  (from  the  '--query' command line option) or an attribute
              assignment (from the '--assign' command line  option  or  when  loading  an  ~/.nvidia-settings-rc
              file), nvidia-settings identifies one or more targets on which to query/assign the attribute.

USER GUIDE

   Contents
       1.   Layout of the nvidia-settings GUI
       2.   How OpenGL Interacts with nvidia-settings
       3.   Loading Settings Automatically
       4.   Command Line Interface
       5.   X Display Names in the Config File
       6.   Connecting to Remote X Servers
       7.   Licensing
       8.   TODO

   1. Layout of the nvidia-settings GUI
       The  nvidia-settings  GUI  is  organized  with a list of different categories on the left side.  Only one
       entry in the list can be selected at once, and the selected category controls which "page"  is  displayed
       on the right side of the nvidia-settings GUI.

       The  category  list is organized in a tree: each X screen contains the relevant subcategories beneath it.
       Similarly, the Display Devices category for a screen contains all the enabled display devices beneath it.
       Besides  each X screen, the other top level category is "nvidia-settings Configuration", which configures
       behavior of the nvidia-settings application itself.

       Along the bottom of the nvidia-settings GUI, from left to right, is:

       1)     a status bar which indicates the most recently altered option;

       2)     a Help button that toggles the display of a help window which provides a detailed  explanation  of
              the available options in the current page; and

       3)     a Quit button to exit nvidia-settings.

       Most  options  throughout nvidia-settings are applied immediately.  Notable exceptions are OpenGL options
       which are only read by OpenGL when an OpenGL application starts.

       Details about the options on each page of nvidia-settings are available in the help window.

   2. How OpenGL Interacts with nvidia-settings
       When an OpenGL application starts, it downloads the current values from the X driver, and then reads  the
       environment  (see  APPENDIX  E: OPENGL ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE SETTINGS in the README).  Settings from the X
       server override OpenGL's default values, and settings from the environment override  values  from  the  X
       server.

       For example, by default OpenGL uses the FSAA setting requested by the application (normally, applications
       do not request any FSAA).  An FSAA  setting  specified  in  nvidia-settings  would  override  the  OpenGL
       application's   request.    Similarly,   the   __GL_FSAA_MODE  environment  variable  will  override  the
       application's FSAA setting, as well as any FSAA setting specified in nvidia-settings.

       Note that an OpenGL application only retrieves settings from the X server when it starts, so if you  make
       a  change  to  an  OpenGL  value  in nvidia-settings, it will only apply to OpenGL applications which are
       started after that point in time.

   3. Loading Settings Automatically
       The NVIDIA X driver does not preserve values set with nvidia-settings between runs of the  X  server  (or
       even  between  logging in and logging out of X, with xdm(1), gdm, or kdm ).  This is intentional, because
       different users may have different preferences, thus these settings are stored on a per-user basis  in  a
       configuration file stored in the user's home directory.

       The  configuration  file  is named ~/.nvidia-settings-rc.  You can specify a different configuration file
       name with the --config command line option.

       After you have run nvidia-settings once and have generated a configuration file, you can then run:

            nvidia-settings --load-config-only

       at any time in the future to upload these settings to the X server again.  For example, you  might  place
       the above command in your ~/.xinitrc file so that your settings are applied automatically when you log in
       to X.

       Your .xinitrc file, which controls what X applications should be started when you log into X (or startx),
       might look something like this:

            nvidia-settings --load-config-only &
            xterm &
            evilwm

       or:

            nvidia-settings --load-config-only &
            gnome-session

       If  you  do  not  already  have an ~/.xinitrc file, then chances are that xinit(1) is using a system-wide
       xinitrc file.  This system wide file is typically here:

            /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

       To use it, but also have nvidia-settings upload your settings, you could create an  ~/.xinitrc  with  the
       contents:

            nvidia-settings --load-config-only &
            . /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

       System administrators may choose to place the nvidia-settings load command directly in the system xinitrc
       script.

       Please see the xinit(1) man page for further details of configuring your ~/.xinitrc file.

   4. Command Line Interface
       nvidia-settings has a rich command line interface: all attributes that can be manipulated  with  the  GUI
       can  also  be  queried and set from the command line.  The command line syntax for querying and assigning
       attributes matches that of the .nvidia-settings-rc configuration file.

       The --query option can be used to query the current value of attributes.  This will also report the valid
       values  for  the  attribute.   You  can  run nvidia-settings --query all for a complete list of available
       attributes, what the current value is, what values are valid for the attribute, and through which  target
       types  (e.g.,  X screens, GPUs) the attributes can be addressed.  Additionally, individual attributes may
       be specified like this:

               nvidia-settings --query Overlay

       An attribute name may be prepended with an X Display name and a forward slash to indicate a  different  X
       Display; e.g.:

               nvidia-settings --query localhost:0.0/Overlay

       An attribute name may also just be prepended with the screen number and a forward slash:

               nvidia-settings --query 0/Overlay

       in  which  case  the default X Display will be used, but you can indicate to which X screen to direct the
       query (if your X server has multiple X screens).  If no X screen is specified, then the  attribute  value
       will be queried for all valid targets of the attribute (eg GPUs, Displays X screens, etc).

       Attributes  can  be addressed through "target types".  A target type indicates the object that is queried
       when you query an attribute.  The default target type is an X screen, but other possible target types are
       GPUs, Frame Lock devices, Visual Computing Systems, SDI Input Devices, and fans.

       Target  types  give  you  different granularities with which to perform queries and assignments.  Since X
       screens can span multiple GPUs (in the case of Xinerama, or SLI), and multiple X screens can exist on the
       same GPU, it is sometimes useful to address attributes by GPU rather than X screen.

       A  target  specification is contained within brackets and may consist of a target type name, a colon, and
       the target id.  The target type name can be one of screen, gpu, framelock, vcs, gvi, fan,  thermalsensor,
       svp,  or  dpy;  the  target  id  is  the  index  into the list of targets (for that target type).  Target
       specifications can be used wherever an X screen is used in query  and  assignment  commands;  the  target
       specification  can  be  used  either  by itself on the left side of the forward slash, or as part of an X
       Display name.

       For example, the following queries address X screen 0 on the localhost:

               nvidia-settings --query 0/VideoRam
               nvidia-settings --query localhost:0.0/VideoRam
               nvidia-settings --query [screen:0]/VideoRam
               nvidia-settings --query localhost:0[screen:0]/VideoRam

       To address GPU 0 instead, you can use either of:

               nvidia-settings --query [gpu:0]/VideoRam
               nvidia-settings --query localhost:0[gpu:0]/VideoRam

       Note that if a target specification is present, it will override any X screen specified  in  the  display
       name as the target to process.  For example, the following query would address GPU 0, and not X screen 1:

            nvidia-settings --query localhost:0.1[gpu:0]/VideoRam

       A  target  name  may  be  used  instead of a target id, in which case all targets with matching names are
       processed.

       For example, querying the DigitalVibrance of display device DVI-I-1 may be done like so:

            nvidia-settings --query [dpy:DVI-I-1]/DigitalVibrance

       When a target name is specified, the target type name may be omitted, though this  should  be  used  with
       caution since the name will be matched across all target types.  The above example could be written as:

            nvidia-settings --query [DVI-I-1]/DigitalVibrance

       The  target  name  may  also simply be a target type name, in which case all targets of that type will be
       queried.

       For exmple, querying the BusRate of all GPUs may be done like so:

            nvidia-settings --query [gpu]/BusRate

       The target specification may also include a target qualifier.  This is useful to limit  processing  to  a
       subset  of  targets,  based  on  an  existing  relationship(s) to other targets.  The target qualifier is
       specified by prepending a target type name, a colon,  the  target  id,  and  a  period  to  the  existing
       specification.  Only one qualitfer may be specified.

       For example, querying the RefreshRate of all DFP devices on GPU 1 may be done like so:

            nvidia-settings --query [GPU:1.DPY:DFP]/RefreshRate

       Likewise, a simple target name (or target type name) may be used as the qualifier.  For example, to query
       the BusType of all GPUs that have DFPs can be done like so:

            nvidia-settings --query [DFP.GPU]/BusType

       See the output of

               nvidia-settings --query all

       for what targets types can be used with each attribute.  See the output of

               nvidia-settings --query screens --query gpus --query framelocks --query vcs --query gvis --query fans

       for lists of targets for each target type.

       The --assign option can be used to assign a new value to an attribute.  The valid values for an attribute
       are  reported  when  the  attribute is queried.  The syntax for --assign is the same as --query, with the
       additional requirement that assignments also have an equal sign and the new value.  For example:

               nvidia-settings --assign FSAA=2
               nvidia-settings --assign [CRT-1]/DigitalVibrance=9
               nvidia-settings --assign [gpu:0]/DigitalVibrance=0

       Multiple queries and assignments may be specified  on  the  command  line  for  a  single  invocation  of
       nvidia-settings.   Assignments  are  processed  in  the  order  they are entered on the command line.  If
       multiple assignments are made to the same attribute or to multiple attributes with dependencies, then the
       later assignments will have priority.

       If  either  the --query or --assign options are passed to nvidia-settings, the GUI will not be presented,
       and nvidia-settings will exit after processing the assignments and/or queries.  In  this  case,  settings
       contained within the ~/.nvidia-settings-rc configuration file will not be automatically uploaded to the X
       server, nor will the  ~/.nvidia-settings-rc  configuration  file  be  automatically  updated  to  reflect
       attribute assignments made via the --assign option.

   5. X Display Names in the Config File
       In the Command Line Interface section above, it was noted that you can specify an attribute without any X
       Display qualifiers, with only an X screen qualifier, or with a full X Display name.  For example:

               nvidia-settings --query FSAA
               nvidia-settings --query 0/FSAA
               nvidia-settings --query stravinsky.nvidia.com:0/FSAA

       In the first two cases, the default X Display will be used, in the  second  case,  the  screen  from  the
       default  X  Display  can  be  overridden,  and  in  the  third  case, the entire default X Display can be
       overridden.

       The same possibilities are available in the ~/.nvidia-settings-rc configuration file.

       For example, in a computer lab environment, you might log into any of  multiple  workstations,  and  your
       home  directory  is  NFS  mounted  to  each  workstation.   In  such  a  situation,  you  might want your
       ~/.nvidia-settings-rc file to be applicable to all the workstations.  Therefore, you would not want  your
       config  file to qualify each attribute with an X Display Name.  Leave the "Include X Display Names in the
       Config File" option unchecked on the nvidia-settings Configuration page (this is the default).

       There may be cases when you do want attributes in the config file to be  qualified  with  the  X  Display
       name.   If you know what you are doing and want config file attributes to be qualified with an X Display,
       check the "Include X Display Names in the Config File" option on the nvidia-settings Configuration page.

       In the typical home user environment where your home directory is local to one computer and you are  only
       configuring  one X Display, then it does not matter whether each attribute setting is qualified with an X
       Display Name.

   6. Connecting to Remote X Servers
       nvidia-settings is an X client, but uses two separate X connections: one to display the GUI, and  another
       to  communicate the NV-CONTROL requests.  These two X connections do not need to be to the same X server.
       For example, you might run nvidia-settings on the computer stravinsky.nvidia.com, export the  display  to
       the computer bartok.nvidia.com, but be configuring the X server on the computer schoenberg.nvidia.com:

               nvidia-settings --display=bartok.nvidia.com:0 \
                   --ctrl-display=schoenberg.nvidia.com:0

       If  --ctrl-display  is  not  specified,  then  the  X Display to control is what --display indicates.  If
       --display is also not specified, then the $DISPLAY environment variable is used.

       Note, however, that you will need to have X permissions configured such  that  you  can  establish  an  X
       connection  from  the  computer  on  which you are running nvidia-settings (stravinsky.nvidia.com) to the
       computer where you are displaying the GUI (bartok.nvidia.com) and the computer whose X  Display  you  are
       configuring (schoenberg.nvidia.com).

       The  simplest,  most common, and least secure mechanism to do this is to use 'xhost' to allow access from
       the computer on which you are running nvidia-settings.

               (issued from bartok.nvidia.com)
               xhost +stravinsky.nvidia.com

               (issued from schoenberg.nvidia.com)
               xhost +stravinsky.nvidia.com

       This will allow all X clients run on stravinsky.nvidia.com to connect and display on  bartok.nvidia.com's
       X server and configure schoenberg.nvidia.com's X server.

       Please  see  the  xauth(1)  and  xhost(1)  man  pages,  or refer to your system documentation on remote X
       applications and security.  You might also Google for terms such as "remote  X  security"  or  "remote  X
       Windows", and see documents such as the Remote X Apps mini-HOWTO:

            ⟨http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Remote-X-Apps.html⟩

       Please also note that the remote X server to be controlled must be using the NVIDIA X driver.

   7. Licensing
       The  source  code  to nvidia-settings is released as GPL.  The most recent official version of the source
       code is available here:

            ⟨ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/nvidia-settings/⟩

       Note that nvidia-settings is simply an  NV-CONTROL  client.   It  uses  the  NV-CONTROL  X  extension  to
       communicate with the NVIDIA X server to query current settings and make changes to settings.

       You  can  make  additions  directly  to  nvidia-settings,  or  write  your  own  NV-CONTROL client, using
       nvidia-settings as an example.

       Documentation  on  the  NV-CONTROL  extension  and  additional  sample  clients  are  available  in   the
       nvidia-settings source tarball.  Patches can be submitted to linux-bugs@nvidia.com.

   8. TODO
       There are many things still to be added to nvidia-settings, some of which include:

       -      different  toolkits?   The  GUI  for  nvidia-settings  is  cleanly abstracted from the back-end of
              nvidia-settings that parses the configuration file and  command  line,  communicates  with  the  X
              server, etc.  If someone were so inclined, a different front-end GUI could be implemented.

       -      write  a design document explaining how nvidia-settings is designed; presumably this would make it
              easier for people to become familiar with the code base.

       If there are other things you would like to see added (or better yet, would like to add yourself), please
       contact linux-bugs@nvidia.com.

FILES

       ~/.nvidia-settings-rc

EXAMPLES

       nvidia-settings
              Starts the nvidia-settings graphical interface.

       nvidia-settings --load-config-only
              Loads the settings stored in ~/.nvidia-settings-rc and exits.

       nvidia-settings --rewrite-config-file
              Writes the current X server configuration to ~/.nvidia-settings-rc file and exits.

       nvidia-settings --query FSAA
              Query the value of the full-screen antialiasing setting.

       nvidia-settings --assign RedGamma=2.0 --assign BlueGamma=2.0 --assign GreenGamma=2.0
              Set the gamma of the screen to 2.0.

AUTHOR

       Aaron Plattner
       NVIDIA Corporation

SEE ALSO

       nvidia-xconfig(1), nvidia-installer(1)

       Copyright © 2010 NVIDIA Corporation.