Dual Monitor, Can It Be Done?
 

I want to run 2 CRTs off of my Slackware 8.1 box, but have never tried such a feit. I am going to be using a Radeon VE 7000 32MB card. I wouldnt know the least on how to do this if its even possible. I would like to have this done since thats the reason that I bought the card at all. So Im asking:

1) Is it possible given the distro that I have, and the card im using?
2) How would I go about setting this up within linux?

1) Of course, and yes if the card is a dual head, then its almost definately do-able, but to double check as ATI and XFree haven't always gotten along, poke around www.xfree86.org

2) Acid Kewpie, the moderator of General, is the dual head master, but regardless, this is going to take a hand hacking of your XF86Config file. I found a pretty good example of one, using xinerama, here. Running a normal "./usr/X11/bin/XFree86 -configure" probe, and then modifying that file with the Xinerama specific info in comparison to that link may be rather simple.

If you don't want to use xinerama, you might want to get in touch with Kewp, but he'll probably reply here so as to keep the solution to your problem specifically in the LQ archives.

Cheers,

Finegan

I know you're asking about an ATI, but my nvidia experience
 

Rediculously easy. Of course I RTFM'd first. The NVIDIA.txt downloadable where the drivers are, spells it out in rediculously simple terms. I got my 4600 installed, and in a half hour had twinview working in both linux and 2K. If you can't get it working to your satisfaction w/your ATI, and you don't need opensource drivers, get a dualhead NV card. Beware though, as you'll need one with two RAMDAC's to use two CRT's as opposed to a CRT and a digital lcd. Also if you are shooting for two CRT's buy a card with the DVI-Analog adapter included. I had to make a trip to the local electronics supply place and fork over $20 for the thing.

I went to the sites that you recomended Finegan, but I am still unsure about the method that I should use since they obviously used to different methods. I just dont wanna fuck up my system yah know, since Ive never done this...

You can't really break anything if you load a bad XF86Config file, the worse that can really happen is that X will lock your box and you'll have to sit through an fsck. Much more likely X'll just refuse to init until you get it right. Make certain to copy the uni-monitor config you have to some /home dir somewhere, and then just have it. Experiment with that example and the info from your current XF86Config file and you'll see how everything notches into place.

Luck,

Finegan

I'm considering getting a Radeon 9000 Pro. Can any of those with multi-head experience say anything about the functionality of the multihead performance of this card in Linux?

I am especially interested in adding a third monitor using a PCI card. Will the dual outlet on this type of card continue to function with a third monitor? I'd also like to hear some reports on similar functionality in Windows XP from the dual booters.

I don't know how well the Radeon 9000 works... maybe someone else does, there have been muddled reports about the radeon provided binary drivers, and its going to take them a while to get to the functionality of the Nvidia drivers. I'm sticking with Matrox, they rock, but then again I don't care much about fps.

Will a dual head AGP card work with a PCI to build a Tri-Head? Most likely yes. Everything is usually a bit a of crap shoot. The second head off of the single card isn't going to matter much, so its really just a matter of having a PCI and an AGP card in the same box, which has reliably worked well for every configuration I've put together (although FreeBSD was cranky with 3 PCI cards and an AGP, until I took one out. Same system, same version of X-Windows, Slackware worked fine! Who knows).

It probably won't work easily and will definately take some tweaking, but the most important thing I guess is that it should work.

Cheers,

Finegan

Thanks. Yes, I've had all kinds of weird problems getting dual monitors going with a PCI card. I had all the worse kind of luck with compatibility issues. I am also trying do to some work in Windows XP, so that's my real worry right now.

I Emailed ATI support asking about Windows XP multimonitor functionality for that third monitor and he said to use the ATI Xpert 2000 to add a third monitor. I was expecting this to be a PCI card, but apparently it is an AGP card. So I'm still waiting for him to clear this up for me. I'm thinking any of the XPert PCI cards will do, but I'd prefer to make sure.

Anyone else have any clues in this area?

Not to downgrade the forum at all, but you are looking for a pretty unique combination. You might want to see if ATI has any forums that cover linux, and baring that definately hit the XFree86 mailing list archives to see if anyone has tried it there. You might want try searching by "xinerama", the option used for spanning accross multiple screens.

Cheers,

Finegan

SparceMatrix, can i suggest you don't drag up really old threads for no reason, start a new thread when you have a new question in future. thanks

I explicitly searched for threads regarding dual head cards and ATI and I found this thread. My question was regarding ATI dual head cards and these were mentioned in this thread. My question was about a dual head ATI card. Why start a new thread when there is already discussion in a thread I specifically searched for? How does my post qualify as "no reason"?

Whoa, no need to turn this into a debate.

The thread title would be somewhat misleading.

Also something most members don't really understand until they start posting a lot is that when a regular replier sees a thread with 7 or 8 posts in it, they'll normally skip past it thinking the problem is resolved or that its well under way.

So for the most part the only people that are going to look at it are those that are subscribed to the old subject and bother to drop in with a reply...

I still think you may be one of a few hundred people that have tried this... take the few tens of thousands of this card that have shipped, 1% are *nix users, and then what fraction of them want a third head? Then what fraction of that have reported their success or failure to the web?

I say leap first, then look: at worst you have a fully functional beautiful dual head arrangement, or possibly no xinerama and just mouse through windows...

Cheers,

Finegan

Some of us are on a limited budget and must look before we leap, else disappointment leaves us high and dry.

Having issues with dual displays ...

Now, I've read this thread more than a few times, tried the suggestions, and now my eyes are bleeding from the number of XF86Config files I've read....

All this wouldn't be so bad if my dual display dreams became reality.

Here I go:

AMD XP2000+
A7V333 mobo
RedHat 8
XFree86 installed (and working)
nVidia drivers installed (and working in single display mode, inc. GL)
2xOptiquest 95 (Viewsonic)
GeForce4 MX 460

...and an aching head.


Does anyone have (yet another) XF86Config file I can read through to see why I'm getting this so bloody wrong?

Cheers,
Tmanisaur

well we can't just give you examples... my one is for my own system and all you should need is the general idea about a complex server layout. tell us what you have tried and what has gone wrong, giving error messages. look in /var/log/XFree86.log.0 for messages