CachyOS CHWD GPU Migration - ryzendew/Linux-Tips-and-Tricks GitHub Wiki

CachyOS CHWD GPU Migration Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to using CHWD (CachyOS Hardware Detection) for GPU migration and driver management.

Table of Contents

  1. Understanding CHWD
  2. GPU Migration Basics
  3. Using CHWD for GPU Migration
  4. Driver Management
  5. Troubleshooting

Understanding CHWD

What is CHWD?

CHWD (CachyOS Hardware Detection) is a tool for hardware detection and driver management.

What it does:

  • Detects hardware: Identifies graphics cards
  • Installs drivers: Automatically installs correct drivers
  • GPU migration: Switches between GPUs
  • Driver management: Manages graphics drivers

See CachyOS Tools Guide for basic CHWD usage.

GPU Migration Basics

What is GPU Migration?

GPU migration switches between different graphics cards.

When needed:

  • Dual GPU systems: Switch between integrated and dedicated
  • Driver changes: Switch between driver versions
  • Testing: Test different GPU configurations

GPU Types

Integrated GPU:

  • Built into CPU
  • Lower performance
  • Power efficient

Dedicated GPU:

  • Separate graphics card
  • Higher performance
  • More power consumption

Using CHWD for GPU Migration

Detecting GPUs

Detect hardware:

sudo chwd -h

What this does:

  • Scans system for hardware
  • Identifies graphics cards
  • Shows detected GPUs

GPU Migration

Migrate to NVIDIA:

sudo chwd -h -a nvidia

What this does:

  • Detects hardware
  • Installs NVIDIA drivers
  • Configures NVIDIA GPU

Migrate to AMD:

sudo chwd -h -a amd

What this does:

  • Detects hardware
  • Installs AMD drivers
  • Configures AMD GPU

Migrate to Intel:

sudo chwd -h -a intel

What this does:

  • Detects hardware
  • Installs Intel drivers
  • Configures Intel GPU

After Migration

Reboot required:

sudo reboot

What this does:

  • Reboots system
  • Loads new drivers
  • Activates new GPU

Verify migration:

# For NVIDIA
nvidia-smi

# For Intel/AMD
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

Driver Management

Removing Drivers

Remove NVIDIA drivers:

sudo chwd -h -r nvidia

What this does:

  • Removes NVIDIA drivers
  • Cleans up driver files
  • Prepares for migration

Remove AMD drivers:

sudo chwd -h -r amd

What this does:

  • Removes AMD drivers
  • Cleans up driver files
  • Prepares for migration

Driver Information

List installed drivers:

chwd -l

What this does:

  • Lists installed drivers
  • Shows driver information
  • Helps identify current setup

Troubleshooting

Migration Failed

Check hardware:

lspci | grep -i vga

What this does:

  • Lists graphics cards
  • Verifies GPU detection
  • Helps identify issues

Check drivers:

pacman -Q | grep -i nvidia
pacman -Q | grep -i mesa

What this does:

  • Lists installed drivers
  • Verifies driver installation
  • Helps troubleshoot

GPU Not Detected

Rescan hardware:

sudo chwd -h

What this does:

  • Rescans for hardware
  • Updates hardware database
  • May detect previously missed GPUs

Manual driver installation:

# For NVIDIA
sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils

# For AMD
sudo pacman -S mesa vulkan-radeon

What this does:

  • Manually installs drivers
  • Bypasses CHWD if needed
  • Alternative installation method

Additional Resources

Summary

This guide covered:

  1. Understanding CHWD - What CHWD is and what it does
  2. GPU migration basics - What GPU migration is
  3. Using CHWD - How to migrate between GPUs
  4. Driver management - Managing graphics drivers
  5. Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions

Key Takeaways:

  • CHWD simplifies GPU migration
  • Use -a flag to add/migrate to GPU
  • Use -r flag to remove drivers
  • Reboot after migration
  • Verify migration with GPU tools
  • Check hardware detection if issues occur

This guide is based on the CachyOS Wiki and expanded with detailed explanations for beginners. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the official CachyOS documentation.