[Usability] Narrowing specifically on dual-chip video cards etc

[Teunis Peters <teunis peters gmail com>]

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In the presence of a dual-video-chip system, secondary chip should only be enabled when high-performance graphics is necessary.  (not by default, and not anywhere in the shell)
OS provides switch capability.
- - App should request access.  It might require a lock.  (I'd lock it...  I only want this to happen if there's power active and cpu load is below a threshold)
- - App must release access on finish, and secondary chip disabled.  The same can apply to CUDA support (which this nvidia does have).
3D rendering and video playing both benefit.
- - Under no circumstances should core functions ever enable the secondary 3D chip.  That is a bug if it ever happens.   I'm pretty sure the Intel has its own 3D as well - but 3D
effects have no point in running on a power managed device. (I'm not saying no 3d.  Actually, 3D rendering paths are generally superior for 2D, as Apple has shown - that's a good
change)

Where this specifically crosses into gnome territory:
- - An application will need a drawable (X) in order to provide rendering target.
- - there should be a way to apply the switch to be enabled for some applications.
- - this feature should not be enabled by default.   While dual-video's growing in netbooks (and mobile actually), it takes a different form on laptops and desktops.

Ideas?  Where would I look to how to work with this?

PS: A bug I should file, but am not sure where:
if intel + (neuveaux or nvidia) driver are both present, system will lock hard as soon as gnome-shell activates.  I'm not sure why but I'm guessing that the system is attempting
to call the nvidia tools because they're present.   If you've got both of these present and primary driver is intel - it's an ION2 or the like chipset.  (apparently, there's also
versions with Intel/ATI).  This could be a problem anywhere in gnome-desktop - or in the window manager.   Unable to narrow it down effectively do to solid lockup.

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