dual monitor setup on opensuse 11.0/dell latitude D630

project722 · 09-22-2009, 05:35 PM

I have a clean install of suse 11.0(kde 3.5) with 2 brand new identical dell 1908FP monitors. My laptop is in a docking station which has 1 analog vga and 1 dvi connector. so I have one monitor using dvi and the other using vga. It defaulted to using the monitor with the dvi connection. I have gone into yast and tried to setup dual head mode but it is not working and i dont know what else to try. It acts like the config is working because when I lock the screen the window is cut off between the two monitors. The problem is the vga monitor just wont initialize for some reason and is black with an amber light. any ideas.

Meson · 09-23-2009, 10:01 AM

I think the most important question to ask first is: what is your video card? If you're not sure, it should be listed by the command:

Code:

$ lspci

project722 · 09-23-2009, 10:56 AM

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile GM965/GL960 Integrat
ed Graphics Controller (rev 0c)

Meson · 09-23-2009, 11:07 AM

Try this xorg.conf and tinker with it as necessary. If it doesn't work, be sure to check your Xorg log to see what happened:

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier     "Layout0"
	Screen         "Screen0" 0 0
	Screen         "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
	Option         "Xinerama" "false"
	Option         "DontZap" "false"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier     "Monitor0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier     "Monitor1"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier     "Videocard0"
	Screen          0
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier     "Videocard1"
	Screen          1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier     "Screen0"
	Device         "Videocard0"
	Monitor        "Monitor0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier     "Screen0"
	Device         "Videocard0"
	Monitor        "Monitor0"
EndSection

Meson · 09-23-2009, 11:08 AM

Oh. Do you want to separate desktops, or one continuous one? The previous post is for two separate desktops.

project722 · 09-23-2009, 01:57 PM

Thanks for the help so far.I'm tinkering now. No luck yet. I wanted an extended desktop, not a clone.

project722 · 09-23-2009, 04:47 PM

Nothing seems to be working. I noticed your config shows "videocard0" and "videocard1". I only have the one video controller. Here is my current xorg conf file:

Section "Monitor"
DisplaySize 376 301
HorizSync 29-81
Identifier "Monitor[0]"
ModelName "1908FP(Digital)"
Option "PreferredMode" "1280x1024"
VendorName "DELL"
VertRefresh 56-76
UseModes "Modes[0]"
EndSection

Section "Modes"
Identifier "Modes[0]"
Modeline "1280x1024" 106.97 1280 1360 1496 1712 1024 1025 1028 1059
Modeline "1280x1024" 87.75 1280 1328 1360 1440 1024 1027 1034 1053 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "1280x960" 107.32 1280 1360 1496 1712 960 961 964 995
Modeline "1280x960" 88.25 1280 1328 1360 1440 960 963 967 989 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "1280x800" 107.21 1280 1360 1496 1712 800 801 804 835
Modeline "1280x800" 98.89 1280 1352 1488 1696 800 801 804 833
Modeline "1280x800" 91.61 1280 1352 1488 1696 800 801 804 831
Modeline "1280x800" 88.25 1280 1328 1360 1440 800 803 809 829 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "1280x800" 83.46 1280 1344 1480 1680 800 801 804 828
Modeline "1152x864" 106.51 1152 1224 1352 1552 864 865 868 903
Modeline "1152x864" 97.69 1152 1224 1344 1536 864 865 868 900
Modeline "1152x864" 90.02 1152 1224 1344 1536 864 865 868 897
Modeline "1152x864" 88.00 1152 1200 1232 1312 864 867 871 895 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "1152x864" 81.62 1152 1216 1336 1520 864 865 868 895
Modeline "1280x768" 104.48 1280 1360 1496 1712 768 769 772 803
Modeline "1280x768" 95.88 1280 1352 1488 1696 768 769 772 800
Modeline "1280x768" 88.42 1280 1352 1488 1696 768 769 772 798
Modeline "1280x768" 85.75 1280 1328 1360 1440 768 771 778 796 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "1280x768" 80.14 1280 1344 1480 1680 768 769 772 795
Modeline "1280x720" 96.93 1280 1352 1488 1696 720 721 724 752
Modeline "1280x720" 89.89 1280 1352 1488 1696 720 721 724 750
Modeline "1280x720" 82.10 1280 1344 1480 1680 720 721 724 748
Modeline "1280x720" 80.50 1280 1328 1360 1440 720 723 728 746 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "1280x720" 74.48 1280 1336 1472 1664 720 721 724 746
Modeline "1024x768" 83.00 1024 1080 1192 1360 768 769 772 803
Modeline "1024x768" 76.89 1024 1080 1192 1360 768 769 772 800
Modeline "1024x768" 70.50 1024 1072 1104 1184 768 771 775 796 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "1024x768" 70.07 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 798
Modeline "1024x768" 64.11 1024 1080 1184 1344 768 769 772 795
Modeline "1280x600" 80.06 1280 1344 1480 1680 600 601 604 627
Modeline "1280x600" 73.49 1280 1336 1472 1664 600 601 604 625
Modeline "1280x600" 67.08 1280 1336 1464 1648 600 601 604 623
Modeline "1280x600" 67.00 1280 1328 1360 1440 600 603 613 622 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "1280x600" 61.50 1280 1336 1464 1648 600 601 604 622
Modeline "1024x600" 64.04 1024 1080 1184 1344 600 601 604 627
Modeline "1024x600" 58.65 1024 1072 1176 1328 600 601 604 625
Modeline "1024x600" 55.00 1024 1072 1104 1184 600 603 613 622 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "1024x600" 54.05 1024 1072 1176 1328 600 601 604 623
Modeline "1024x600" 48.96 1024 1064 1168 1312 600 601 604 622
Modeline "800x600" 50.32 800 840 928 1056 600 601 604 627
Modeline "800x600" 45.93 800 840 920 1040 600 601 604 625
Modeline "800x600" 44.75 800 848 880 960 600 603 607 622 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "800x600" 42.33 800 840 920 1040 600 601 604 623
Modeline "800x600" 38.22 800 832 912 1024 600 601 604 622
Modeline "768x576" 46.12 768 808 888 1008 576 577 580 602
Modeline "768x576" 42.06 768 800 880 992 576 577 580 600
Modeline "768x576" 41.50 768 816 848 928 576 579 583 597 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "768x576" 38.82 768 800 880 992 576 577 580 599
Modeline "768x576" 34.96 768 792 872 976 576 577 580 597
Modeline "640x480" 31.13 640 664 728 816 480 481 484 502
Modeline "640x480" 29.75 640 688 720 800 480 483 487 498 +HSync -Vsync
Modeline "640x480" 28.83 640 664 728 816 480 481 484 500
Modeline "640x480" 26.60 640 664 728 816 480 481 484 499
Modeline "640x480" 23.86 640 656 720 800 480 481 484 497
Modeline "1280x1024" 108 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066 +hsync +vsync
EndSection

Section "Screen"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1280x720" "1024x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480"
Virtual 3840 1200
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1280x720" "1024x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480"
Virtual 3840 1200
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1280x720" "1024x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480"
Virtual 3840 1200
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1280x720" "1024x768" "1280x600" "1024x600" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480"
Virtual 3840 1200
EndSubSection
Device "Device[0]"
Identifier "Screen[0]"
Monitor "Monitor[0]"
EndSection

Section "Device"
BoardName "965 GM"
Driver "intel"
Identifier "Device[0]"
Option "SaXDualHead"
Option "monitor-VGA" "Monitor[0]"
Option "SaXDualMonitorVendor" "--> VESA"
Option "monitor-LVDS" "EXT"
Option "SaXDualOrientation" "RightOf"
Option "SaXDualResolution" "1280x1024"
Option "SaXDualMode" "Xinerama"
Option "SaXDualHSync" "31-81"
Option "SaXDualMonitorModel" "1024X768@60HZ"
Option "monitor-TMDS-1" "EXT"
Option "SaXDualVSync" "56-76"
Option "SaXExternal" "Identifier&EXT+DisplaySize&303 190+VendorName&--> VESA+RightOf&Monitor[0]+PreferredMode&1280x1024+HorizSync&31-81+ModelName&1024X768@60HZ+VertRefresh&56-76"
VendorName "Intel"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
DisplaySize 303 190
HorizSync 31-81
Identifier "EXT"
ModelName "1024X768@60HZ"
Option "RightOf" "Monitor[0]"
Option "PreferredMode" "1280x1024"
VendorName "--> VESA"
VertRefresh 56-76
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout[all]"
InputDevice "Keyboard[0]" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse[1]" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Mouse[3]" "SendCoreEvents"
Option "Clone" "off"
Option "Xinerama" "off"
Screen "Screen[0]"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Group "video"
Mode 0660
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "on"
EndSection

What should I edit here?

Meson · 09-23-2009, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by project722

Nothing seems to be working. I noticed your config shows "videocard0" and "videocard1". I only have the one video controller.

They should still pick up the same video card. One for each monitor. You need to get a good feel for the difference between a SCREEN and a MONITOR. A monitor is a physical thing, you have 2 of them. A screen is more abstract, you can have 1 or 2 of them.

Having seperate X screens does not mean that you have a clone. If you have seperate X screens, some of the practicle implications are: you can't drag windows from one screen to the other, the screen with the mouse on it is the one that is active, you will have different desktop background and panel settings for each screen.

If you have a continuous desktop across both monitors (using xinerama) it's only considered one screen: you can move windows between screens, you'll have one giant background, (I think that your panel will stretch accross both of them if they are horizontally oriented), and I think when you maximize a windows it will stretch over both of them. I'm not sure about some of these because I've never really used Xinerama, I have an nvidia card and it has its own built in feature for having one screen span multiple monitors.

project722 · 09-23-2009, 05:10 PM

Ok, I'll keep making adjustments. I actually had this working at one time using the xinerama mode. Unfortunately I never peeked at the xorg conf file.

project722 · 09-24-2009, 09:16 AM

I see now what is happening. When I open up the laptop display there is my second screen, showing the desktop. This appears to be why suse is not using the 2nd ext monitor.

But how do I get suse to only use the two external monitors and not the laptops?

I have been into the BIOS and toggled between the "onboard video" and "dock video" selection but that makes no difference.

Meson · 09-24-2009, 10:59 AM

Try changing the screens in the "Device" sections from 0 and 1 ===> 1 and 2