External display for ThinkPad W530

[Malte Dehling <mdehling%gmail.com@localhost>]

Dear all,

is there a way to get an external display to work on a ThinkPad W530?
From what I read, both the mini-dp and the vga connector work only
with discrete graphics, which I have enabled in the BIOS
(optimus/switching mode).  At boot I see these lines:

[     4.991148] nouveau0: NVIDIA GK107 (0e73c0a2)
[     4.991148] nouveau0: autoconfiguration error: error: bios: unable
to locate usable image
[     4.991148] nouveau0: autoconfiguration error: error: bios ctor failed, -22
[     4.991148] nouveau0: autoconfiguration error: unable to create
nouveau device: 22

Anyone know what the issue is?  With BIOS set to discrete only I see
the same lines and then a kernel panic (no console.)

Running xrandr shows VGA1 as disconnected even with a cable plugged in.

So 2 questions: 1) Do I really need to use the discrete graphics or is
there some other way? 2) How to get discrete graphics to work.

Any help appreciated :)

- Malte