Trim Enabler and Nvidia Web Drivers (on Yosemite)

[matthewtoney]

So, I've recently learned (the hard way) that with the current version of the Trim Enabler you can't have both it enabled and the Nvidia web drivers if you're running Yosemite: http://www.cindori.org/forums/topic/trim-enabler-conflict-with-nvidia-drivers/

I can verify the behaviour since I just swapped GPUs and am using an unflashed GTX 970 now. *If* I turn on Trim Enabler it will work fine, but then the system will always come up with the default OSX driver for the Nvidia card rather than the web drivers. (which means with nothing but the 970 in there it doesn't work)

I'm kinda surprised that nobody here has mentioned this issue yet as it seems to be based on the fact that both require the use of NVRAM parameters when the system boots. Is there a previous version of the drivers or the enabler that doesn't mind the two parameters and works? Anyone have a working Yosemite install with both enabled?

 

[DougTheImpaler]

Oh, so the thread has the solution, but doesn't quite spell it out. Since you have to install Yosemite with something other than the 970, you should install Trim Enabler first, reboot, and then install the web drivers and shut down and do the swap. The web drivers are smart enough to not erase other boot args, whereas trim enabler isn't.

When I patched for Trim, I did it with the Chameleon Trim Enabler. It's free, and it didn't screw anything else up. http://chameleon.alessandroboschini.com/

 

[flowrider]

I'm running a MVC modded GTX 780 and use TRIM Enabler and Web Driver's. I have not had a conflict. Everything is working as it should.

Lou

 

[matthewtoney]

Oh, so the thread has the solution, but doesn't quite spell it out. Since you have to install Yosemite with something other than the 970, you should install Trim Enabler first, reboot, and then install the web drivers and shut down and do the swap. The web drivers are smart enough to not erase other boot args, whereas trim enabler isn't.

When I patched for Trim, I did it with the Chameleon Trim Enabler. It's free, and it didn't screw anything else up. http://chameleon.alessandroboschini.com/

Hmmm, well that's partly why I was asking the question - I wasn't *quite* sure how to interpret what was being suggested there.

Thing is, that's exactly what I've done - well quite close to it anyway. I already had the web drivers installed and was using them - then I installed Trim Enabler and did its reboots. (one to turn on the dev-mode flag and the second to enable it) Once I did that though it comes up using the OSX nvidia driver and not the web one. If I try and switch it the web driver it reboots, kernel panics, then reboots again and comes up fine but with the OSX nvidia driver again.

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I'm running a MVC modded GTX 780 and use TRIM Enabler and Web Driver's. I have not had a conflict. Everything is working as it should.

Lou

Do you know (or recall) the order you went in to install/enable them?

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BTW, when I'm trying this it is with a MacVidCards modified Nvidia GT640 as the only card in the machine. My thought was I wanted it working with both Trim Enabler *and* the web drivers first, *then* I would shut it down and swap back in the 970.

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Oh, so the thread has the solution, but doesn't quite spell it out. Since you have to install Yosemite with something other than the 970, you should install Trim Enabler first, reboot, and then install the web drivers and shut down and do the swap. The web drivers are smart enough to not erase other boot args, whereas trim enabler isn't.

When I patched for Trim, I did it with the Chameleon Trim Enabler. It's free, and it didn't screw anything else up. http://chameleon.alessandroboschini.com/

Think I'd be better then re-installing the web drivers after Trim? I've been working under the assumption that using the Nvidia option in system prefs and choosing the web driver there would actually be putting the nvram arg back.

 

[DougTheImpaler]

Think I'd be better then re-installing the web drivers after Trim? I've been working under the assumption that using the Nvidia option in system prefs and choosing the web driver there would actually be putting the nvram arg back.

That might do it, too. The big thing is making sure that both are in the boot args, and the thread you linked has the solution in a terminal command. Write to nvram to have both dev mode and nv driver set to 1, and you're good to go.

 

[flowrider]

Do you know (or recall) the order you went in to install/enable them?

I'm sure the Web Driver was installed after TRIM Enabler, since the Web Driver's are updated for every OS Update, and TRIM Enabler hasn't been updated for a little while.

However, with each OS Update, I disable TRIM Enabler, and after installation, I reenable it.

Lou

 

[matthewtoney]

That might do it, too. The big thing is making sure that both are in the boot args, and the thread you linked has the solution in a terminal command. Write to nvram to have both dev mode and nv driver set to 1, and you're good to go.

Yeah, except I tried that (using the terminal command) and after reboot that just kernel panicked and rebooted withOUT the nvidia arg in there - weird.

I'm gonna try this all again tonight - this time perhaps with the Chameleon enabler instead.

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I'm sure the Web Driver was installed after TRIM Enabler, since the Web Driver's are updated for every OS Update, and TRIM Enabler hasn't been updated for a little while.

However, with each OS Update, I disable TRIM Enabler, and after installation, I reenable it.

Lou

Well I'll try some other variations then tonight - good to hear that at least some having both enabled and working. From that thread on the trim enabler's site I wasn't so sure.

 

[prograham]

Just thought I'd chime in that I'm watching this thread as it is very relevant to my interests. Been looking at video cards for past two weeks debating getting a flashed card or just a regular PC nvidia and living without boot screen... and as I have my own SSD installed with trim enabler as well, ....yeah, I'd like to hear updates on how this goes.

 

[MacVidCards]

Using the NVIDIA control panel ADDS the boot arg, it doesn't OVERWRITE it.

So trim first, then enable web driver.

No need for re-install anything.

No issue here, nothing to worry about

 

[matthewtoney]

Using the NVIDIA control panel ADDS the boot arg, it doesn't OVERWRITE it.

So trim first, then enable web driver.

No need for re-install anything.

No issue here, nothing to worry about

Sure enough. Tonight I tried it again - had the 970's in there already with the web drivers enabled - just added the kext-dev-mode back manually as the second parameter and turned Trim Enabler back on - all booted fine this time.

 

[avkdm]

Error in Post

 

[avkdm]

Using the NVIDIA control panel ADDS the boot arg, it doesn't OVERWRITE it.

So trim first, then enable web driver.

No need for re-install anything.

No issue here, nothing to worry about

Wow,
I have been swapping out Nvidia and AMD Video cards like crazy with trim enabler enabled.
But I found out the hard way when I disabled it (trim enabler) preparing for a CPU upgrade, yes I got scared and heeded Cindori's warning about hardware maintenance. The old black screen of death. So my thoughts are that you can leave it switched on with Hardware upgrades/swaps without problems - is this correct? I think Cindori advised against this somewhere on his web page, unless I am misinterpreting what Cindori means by hardware maintenance..
Quote
"To avoid this situation, you can make sure to disable Trim before performing any hardware maintenance or PRAM reset on your Mac."

 

[MacVidCards]

What I was trying to say has gotten lost.

If you type the boot arg fix off Cindori's site, it OVERWRITES any other boot args.

So for people with an unflashed 970/980 and no EFI card, they will end up with a black screen on next boot.

If you do the sudo boot args thing, and THEN unchoose and re-choose the Nvidia driver, it will ADD the nvda string to boot args. So TRIM and 970/980 will keep working.

Our EFI cards won't have this issue as once Web Driver is installed, you can turn it off and still see desktop.

 

[Cindori]

Issue is on my side, not Nvidia. As seen in OP's link, this is a bug with Trim Enabler. When you disable Trim it currently removes all your boot-args instead of preserving non-Trim related ones. I have fixed it in the new software release I am launching later this month. For now, just make sure to re-enable the Nvidia driver after disabling Trim.