EnvyControl Go

A Go port of EnvyControl - a tool for switching graphics modes on NVIDIA Optimus laptops.

WARNING!!

This is a one shot port from python (original EnvyControl) -> golang version using bolt.new, I didn't expect this to work at the first try and it must be unstable so use it with caution. USE IT WITH CAUTION!! USE IT WITH CAUTION!!

Features

• Graphics Mode Switching: Switch between integrated, hybrid, and NVIDIA-only modes
• System Detection: Automatic detection of GPU hardware and display managers
• Configuration Management: Automated creation and cleanup of system configuration files
• Caching System: Optimized operations with intelligent caching
• Cross-Distribution Support: Works across different Linux distributions
• Service Management: Automatic handling of nvidia-persistenced service

Installation

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone <repository-url>
cd envycontrol

# Build the project
./scripts/build.sh

# Install (requires root privileges)
sudo ./scripts/install.sh

Manual Installation

# Build for your platform
go build -o envycontrol .

# Copy to system directory
sudo cp envycontrol /usr/local/bin/
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/envycontrol

Usage

Basic Commands

# Check current graphics mode
envycontrol query

# Switch to integrated graphics (power saving)
sudo envycontrol switch integrated

# Switch to hybrid mode (balanced)
sudo envycontrol switch hybrid

# Switch to NVIDIA-only mode (performance)
sudo envycontrol switch nvidia

# Reset all EnvyControl changes
sudo envycontrol reset

Advanced Options

# NVIDIA mode with additional options
sudo envycontrol switch nvidia \
    --dm sddm \
    --force-comp \
    --coolbits 28

# Hybrid mode with RTD3 power management
sudo envycontrol switch hybrid --rtd3 2

# Use nvidia-current drivers instead of nvidia
sudo envycontrol switch hybrid --use-nvidia-current

# Verbose output for debugging
sudo envycontrol switch nvidia --verbose

Cache Management

# Create cache (requires hybrid mode)
sudo envycontrol cache create

# View cache content
envycontrol cache query

# Delete cache
sudo envycontrol cache delete

Display Manager Support

EnvyControl supports the following display managers:

• GDM / GDM3 (default, no additional configuration needed)
• SDDM (automatic Xsetup script generation)
• LightDM (automatic configuration)

Graphics Modes

Integrated Mode

• Uses only the integrated GPU (Intel/AMD)
• Best battery life
• NVIDIA GPU is powered off
• Suitable for basic tasks

Hybrid Mode

• Both GPUs available
• Automatic switching based on application requirements
• Balanced performance and battery life
• Supports RTD3 power management

NVIDIA Mode

• Uses NVIDIA GPU for all rendering
• Best performance for gaming and GPU-intensive tasks
• Higher power consumption
• Supports additional NVIDIA features

Configuration Options

RTD3 Power Management (Hybrid Mode)

• 0: Disabled
• 1: Enabled
• 2: Fine-grained control (default)
• 3: Coarse-grained control

Coolbits (NVIDIA Mode)

Enables GPU overclocking and fan control:

• 28: Standard overclocking (default)
• Custom values: 0-255

Force Composition Pipeline (NVIDIA Mode)

Reduces screen tearing by forcing composition pipeline.

System Requirements

• Linux distribution with systemd
• NVIDIA Optimus laptop with dual GPUs
• Root privileges for system configuration
• Go 1.21+ for building from source

Supported Distributions

EnvyControl automatically detects and supports:

• Ubuntu/Debian (update-initramfs)
• Fedora/RHEL/CentOS (dracut)
• Arch Linux/Manjaro (mkinitcpio)
• openSUSE (dracut)
• EndeavourOS (dracut-rebuild)
• ALT Linux (make-initrd)
• OSTree-based systems (rpm-ostree)

Architecture

The Go port follows a clean, modular architecture:

envycontrol/
├── cmd/           # CLI commands and argument parsing
├── internal/      # Private application logic
│   ├── config/    # Configuration templates and caching
│   ├── system/    # System detection and file operations
│   ├── modes/     # Graphics mode switching logic
│   └── utils/     # Utilities and helpers
├── pkg/           # Public API and types
└── scripts/       # Build and installation scripts

Error Handling

The application provides comprehensive error handling with detailed error messages:

• SystemError: File system and command execution errors
• ConfigError: Configuration-related errors
• ValidationError: Input validation errors
• DetectionError: Hardware detection errors

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project maintains the same license as the original Python EnvyControl project.

Credits

This Go port is based on the original EnvyControl Python project by geminis3.