Dell Precision M4800

Installation

If you get a black screen after the initial Debian installation try to ssh into your system and edit /etc/default/grub

1. Try to disable kernel mode setting (KMS). ( The system might boot in a 1024x768 environment. )

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="nomodeset"

or

2. specify the resolution for grub and your terminal.

GRUB_GFXMODE=1024x768x16
GRUB_GFXPAYLOAD_LINUX=keep

After changing /etc/default/grub you need to run

update-grub

If you still get a black screen try to switch to a different virtual terminal (ctrl+alt+f1) and back (ctrl+alt+f7).

Hardware

# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor DRAM Controller (rev 06)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor PCI Express x16 Controller (rev 06)
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI (rev 04)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection I217-LM (rev 04)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #2 (rev 04)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #1 (rev d4)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #3 (rev d4)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #4 (rev d4)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #5 (rev d4)
00:1c.6 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #7 (rev d4)
00:1c.7 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #8 (rev d4)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #1 (rev 04)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation QM87 Express LPC Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.2 RAID bus controller: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 04)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK106GLM [Quadro K2100M] (rev a1)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GK106 HDMI Audio Controller (rev a1)
03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wireless 7260 (rev 73)
11:00.0 SD Host controller: O2 Micro, Inc. SD/MMC Card Reader Controller (rev 01)

WIFI

Required non-free firmware:

aptitude install firmware-iwlwifi 

nouveau errors

[    5.592804] nouveau  [  DEVICE][0000:01:00.0] BOOT0  : 0x0e63c0a1
[    5.592805] nouveau  [  DEVICE][0000:01:00.0] Chipset: GK106 (NVE6)
[    5.592806] nouveau  [  DEVICE][0000:01:00.0] Family : NVE0
[    5.592819] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] checking PRAMIN for image...
[    5.592824] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] ... signature not found
[    5.592824] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] checking PROM for image...
[    5.657521] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] ... appears to be valid
[    5.657522] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] using image from PROM
[    5.657632] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] BIT signature found
[    5.657634] nouveau  [   VBIOS][0000:01:00.0] version 80.06.7d.00.06
[    5.657963] nouveau  [     MXM][0000:01:00.0] BIOS version 3.0
[    5.659985] ACPI Warning: \_SB_.PCI0.PEG0.PEGP._DSM: Argument #4 type mismatch - Found [Buffer], ACPI requires [Package] (20140424/nsarguments-95)
[    5.660206] nouveau  [     MXM][0000:01:00.0] MXMS Version 3.0
[    5.660229] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: irq 46 for MSI/MSI-X
[    5.660235] nouveau  [     PMC][0000:01:00.0] MSI interrupts enabled
[    5.660275] nouveau  [     PFB][0000:01:00.0] RAM type: GDDR5
[    5.660276] nouveau  [     PFB][0000:01:00.0] RAM size: 2048 MiB
[    5.660277] nouveau  [     PFB][0000:01:00.0]    ZCOMP: 0 tags
[    5.662262] nouveau  [    VOLT][0000:01:00.0] GPU voltage: 600000uv
[    5.690519] nouveau  [  PTHERM][0000:01:00.0] FAN control: none / external
[    5.690523] nouveau  [  PTHERM][0000:01:00.0] fan management: automatic
[    5.690531] nouveau  [  PTHERM][0000:01:00.0] internal sensor: yes
[    5.690550] nouveau  [     CLK][0000:01:00.0] 07: core 405 MHz memory 810 MHz 
[    5.690572] nouveau  [     CLK][0000:01:00.0] 0a: core 405-666 MHz memory 1620 MHz 
[    5.690603] nouveau  [     CLK][0000:01:00.0] 0f: core 405-666 MHz memory 3008 MHz 
[    5.690669] nouveau  [     CLK][0000:01:00.0] --: core 405 MHz memory 810 MHz 
[    5.726798] nouveau E[    PBUS][0000:01:00.0] MMIO read of 0x00000000 FAULT at 0x400700 [ IBUS ]
[    5.726983] [TTM] Zone  kernel: Available graphics memory: 16477614 kiB
[    5.726985] [TTM] Zone   dma32: Available graphics memory: 2097152 kiB
[    5.726985] [TTM] Initializing pool allocator
[    5.726989] [TTM] Initializing DMA pool allocator
[    5.726996] nouveau  [     DRM] VRAM: 2048 MiB
[    5.726997] nouveau  [     DRM] GART: 1048576 MiB
[    5.726998] nouveau  [     DRM] TMDS table version 2.0
[    5.726999] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB version 4.0
[    5.727001] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 03: 08015fd6 0f420020
[    5.727002] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 04: 08015f92 00020020
[    5.727003] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 05: 08014fc6 0f420010
[    5.727004] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 06: 08014f82 00020010
[    5.727004] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 08: 04038fb6 0f430014
[    5.727005] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 10: 02027fa6 0f420010
[    5.727006] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 11: 02027f62 00020010
[    5.727007] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB outp 13: 02049f00 00000000
[    5.727008] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 00: 00000040
[    5.727010] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 04: 01000446
[    5.727011] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 05: 02000546
[    5.727011] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 07: 00010746
[    5.727012] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 08: 00020847
[    5.727013] nouveau  [     DRM] DCB conn 09: 00000900
[    5.745901] [drm] Supports vblank timestamp caching Rev 2 (21.10.2013).
[    5.745903] [drm] Driver supports precise vblank timestamp query.
[    5.752198] nouveau  [     DRM] MM: using COPY for buffer copies
[    8.175651] nouveau E[  PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] grctx template channel unload timeout
[    8.175750] nouveau E[  PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] failed to construct context
[    8.175816] nouveau E[  PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] init failed, -16
[    8.177449] e1000e: eth0 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: Rx/Tx
[    8.177463] e1000e 0000:00:19.0 eth0: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
[    8.177936] IPv6: ADDRCONF(NETDEV_CHANGE): eth0: link becomes ready
[    8.183565] nouveau  [     DRM] allocated 3200x1800 fb: 0x80000, bo ffff88080bbf3800
[    8.183626] fbcon: nouveaufb (fb0) is primary device
[    8.499266] Console: switching to colour frame buffer device 400x112
[    8.507094] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: fb0: nouveaufb frame buffer device
[    8.507095] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: registered panic notifier
[    8.538090] [drm] Initialized nouveau 1.1.2 20120801 for 0000:01:00.0 on minor 0
[   57.693649] nouveau E[  PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] grctx template channel unload timeout
[   57.693684] nouveau E[  PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] failed to construct context
[   57.693686] nouveau E[  PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] init failed, -16
[   82.283641] nouveau E[Xorg[1125]] failed to idle channel 0xcccc0000 [Xorg[1125]]
[   97.286987] nouveau E[Xorg[1125]] failed to idle channel 0xcccc0000 [Xorg[1125]]
[  100.717043] nouveau E[  PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] grctx template channel unload timeout
[  100.717078] nouveau E[  PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] failed to construct context
[  100.717080] nouveau E[  PGRAPH][0000:01:00.0] init failed, -16

Optional non-free driver:

# nvidia-detect 
Detected NVIDIA GPUs:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GK106GLM [Quadro K2100M] [10de:11fc] (rev a1)
Your card is supported by the default drivers.
It is recommended to install the
    nvidia-driver
package.

Severe Problems:

Missing VT output with the non-free driver

https://devtalk.nvidia.com/default/topic/726285/linux/missing-vt-output-with-all-current-drivers-on-qhd-k2100m

Dell disabled Optimus support

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/laptop/f/3518/t/19530676?pi239031352=2