prime-run

Run commands on dedicated Nvidia GPU

TLDR

Run command on dedicated Nvidia GPU

$ prime-run [command]

Run a game on the Nvidia GPU

$ prime-run steam

Verify Nvidia card is used

$ prime-run glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

Check Vulkan renderer

$ prime-run vulkaninfo | grep "deviceName"

SYNOPSIS

prime-run command [arguments...]

prime-run executes programs using a dedicated Nvidia GPU on hybrid graphics systems (Optimus). It is a thin wrapper that sets the environment variables __NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1, __NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD_PROVIDER=NVIDIA-G0, __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia, and __VK_LAYER_NV_optimus=NVIDIA_only before executing the given command.The tool is part of PRIME render offload, allowing selective use of the powerful GPU for specific applications while conserving power with integrated graphics for general use.

CAVEATS

Requires nvidia-prime package and proper driver setup. Only works with Nvidia proprietary drivers. Some applications may not respect the environment variables. Wayland support varies by compositor.

HISTORY

prime-run was introduced with NVIDIA's PRIME render offload support in driver version 435. It provides a simpler alternative to Bumblebee for hybrid graphics on Linux laptops.