Comment # 11 on bug 905351 from Wolfgang Bauer

(In reply to Frank Sundermeyer from comment #10)
> * The nvidia driver is needed when wanting to play 3D games e.g. via Steam

Yes, of course. But nvidia-bumblebee is the nvidia driver as well, just
packaged differently so it doesn't break intel's OpenGL. Actually it downloads
the .run installer from nvidia when you install it, extracts the files and
copies them to the system.

My point was that the instructions should not suggest to install the standard
nvidia driver packages from the nvidia repo. It should only mention
nvidia-bumblebee as optional possibility.

> * for normal desktop use installing nvidia is not needed and therefore not 
>   recommended

Ok. But the instruction do not mention anywhere that it is not recommended.

> Whatsmore, when the nvidia driver is installed, why should one want to run
> OpenGL applications on the Intel chip, when doing the same on nvidia--which
> has far better "3D power"--is possible?

But what about the "normal desktop use" then? Do you think people won't use any
desktop any more when they choose to install the nvidia driver?

The desktop environment will still run on the intel chip with Bumblebee even
with the nvidia driver installed, and so will all applications that you start
normally. To run applications on the nvidia chip you have to explicitely run
them via optirun/primusrun AIUI.

GNOME will not even start without working OpenGL AFAIK. And KDE's desktop
effects are more sophisticated with OpenGL.