[SOLVED] xorg.conf for 3 displays across 2 video cards

bradbobak · 11-15-2011, 12:40 AM

I am currently using a nvidia pcie card to control 2 of my displays. I'm using the nvidia "TwinView" option.
This all works fine and dandy, but now my problem is that I want to add another display connected to the onboard ati radeon video.
I used nvidia-xconfig to set up the nvidia stuff, but now I'm having a hard time setting up /etc/X11/xorg.conf to enable the 3rd monitor.

Here is my current xorg.conf

Code:

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings:  version 280.13  (buildd@allspice)  Thu Aug 11 20:54:45 UTC 2011

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 280.13  (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-03.nvidia.com)  Wed Jul 27 17:15:58 PDT 2011

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen     0  "Screen0" 0 0
Screen "Screen0" LeftOf "Screen1"
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
    Option         "Xinerama" "false"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

	# generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Acer X223W"
    HorizSync       31.0 - 84.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 77.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor1"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    HorizSync       31.0 - 84.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 77.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier "Device0"
	Driver "nvidia"
	BusID "02:00:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier "Device1"
	Driver "radeon"
	BusiD "01:05:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen1"
    Device         "Device1"
    Monitor        "Monitor1"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "DynamicTwinView" "true"
    Option         "NoLogo" "False"
    Option         "TwinView" "1"
    Option         "metamodes" "DFP: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, CRT: nvidia-auto-select +1680+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

fukawi1 · 11-15-2011, 12:58 AM

In my experience it is not possible to use the onboard VGA simultaneously with a PCI* VGA card.

I have had 4x screens working with a pair of nvidia geforce 6500's (AGP and a PCI) (i think, it was a while ago), and am currently running 3 on a ATI radeon HD5770 (I think i paid $150AUD 12 months ago for it)

I would recommend using identical cards, for simplicity of configuring xorg.
Start out with the default settings created by nvidia-xorg-configure/ati-config (or whatever their called).

The newer versions of xorg does its best to auto configure itself. I have had good experience with Fedora 15/16 where 3 screens and xinerama work out of the box.

adamk75 · 11-15-2011, 04:42 AM

You don't actually explain what, specifically, happens when you use that xorg.conf, nor do you show us the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file.

In general, though, fukawi1 is right. It's going to be difficult getting two video card to work from separate manufacturers. It's going to be made even more complicated by trying to mix open source and closed source drivers. You might have more luck using the nouveau drivers with the nvidia GPU, instead.

Adam

bradbobak · 11-16-2011, 01:17 AM

I've got this working now. The offending line was:

Quote:

Screen "Screen0" LeftOf "Screen1"

Which I've replaced with:

Quote:

Screen 2 "Screen1" LeftOf "Screen0"

Xinerama works if enabled as well, but I like the separate screen since this monitor will only be running lan computer monitoring stuffs.