LinuxQuestions.org - trying to get dual-head monitors working.

Hi,

i have been trying to get dual monitors working on my laptop for 3 days. i do not know whats going on. i have tried many different configuratoins. there is usually one of two possiblities when i run X.

A) it will fail of error (usually of "Device already in use")
or
B) logging on to X works according to the computer, but my primary screen (a laptop LCD panel) is powered on, "showing" all black (no signal), and my secodary moniter is no signaled (an external CRT)

when x is not running, my primary LCD is unpowerd, and the external CRT dlisplays the console just fine.

my videocard (ATI Mobility M4 AGP) is dual head, so i only have the one card.

me:
Dell inspiron 8000
FC3
ATI Mobility M4 AGP
Xorg - X Window System Version 6.8.1
OS Kernel: Linux version 2.6.10-1.770_FC3 (gcc version 3.4.2 20041017 (Red Hat 3.4.2-6.fc3))

(The most likely to work in my opinion version of)
My xorg.conf file (out of all of the many that i have tried):

Code:

# Xorg configuration created by system-config-display



Section "ServerLayout"

        Identifier    "Multihead layout"

        Screen      0  "Screen0" LeftOf "Screen1"

        Screen      1  "Screen1" 0 0

        InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"

        InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"

        InputDevice    "Synaptics" "AlwaysCore"

        Option            "Xinerama" "off"

        Option            "Clone" "on"

EndSection



Section "Files"



# RgbPath is the location of the RGB database.  Note, this is the name of the 

# file minus the extension (like ".txt" or ".db").  There is normally

# no need to change the default.

# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)

# By default, Red Hat 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of

# the X server to render fonts.

        RgbPath      "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"

        FontPath    "unix/:7100"

EndSection



Section "Module"

        Load  "dbe"

        Load  "extmod"

        Load  "fbdevhw"

        Load  "glx"

        Load  "record"

        Load  "freetype"

        Load  "type1"

        Load  "synaptics"

        Load  "dri"

EndSection



Section "InputDevice"



# Specify which keyboard LEDs can be user-controlled (eg, with xset(1))

#        Option        "Xleds"                "1 2 3"

# To disable the XKEYBOARD extension, uncomment XkbDisable.

#        Option        "XkbDisable"

# To customise the XKB settings to suit your keyboard, modify the

# lines below (which are the defaults).  For example, for a non-U.S.

# keyboard, you will probably want to use:

#        Option        "XkbModel"        "pc102"

# If you have a US Microsoft Natural keyboard, you can use:

#        Option        "XkbModel"        "microsoft"

#

# Then to change the language, change the Layout setting.

# For example, a german layout can be obtained with:

#        Option        "XkbLayout"        "de"

# or:

#        Option        "XkbLayout"        "de"

#        Option        "XkbVariant"        "nodeadkeys"

#

# If you'd like to switch the positions of your capslock and

# control keys, use:

#        Option        "XkbOptions"        "ctrl:swapcaps"

# Or if you just want both to be control, use:

#        Option        "XkbOptions"        "ctrl:nocaps"

#

        Identifier  "Keyboard0"

        Driver      "kbd"

        Option            "XkbModel" "pc105"

        Option            "XkbLayout" "us"

EndSection



Section "InputDevice"

        Identifier  "Mouse0"

        Driver      "mouse"

        Option            "Protocol" "IMPS/2"

        Option            "Device" "/dev/input/mice"

        Option            "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

        Option            "Emulate3Buttons" "yes"

EndSection



Section "InputDevice"

        Identifier  "Synaptics"

        Driver      "synaptics"

        Option            "Device" "/dev/input/mice"

        Option            "Protocol" "auto-dev"

        Option            "Emulate3Buttons" "yes"

EndSection



Section "Monitor"

        Identifier  "Monitor0"

        VendorName  "Monitor Vendor"

        ModelName    "Dell 1400x1050 Laptop Display Panel"

        HorizSync    31.5 - 90.0

        VertRefresh  59.0 - 75.0

        Option            "dpms"

EndSection



Section "Monitor"

        Identifier  "Monitor1"

        VendorName  "Monitor Vendor"

        ModelName    "AOC SPECTRUM 4V,4VA,4Vlr & 4VlrA, 4Vn, 4VnA"

        HorizSync    30.0 - 50.0

        VertRefresh  50.0 - 100.0

        Option            "dpms"

EndSection



Section "Device"

        Identifier  "Videocard0"

        Driver      "r128"

        VendorName  "Videocard vendor"

        BoardName  "ATI Rage Mobility M4 AGP"

EndSection



Section "Device"

        Identifier  "Videocard1"

        Driver      "r128"

        VendorName  "Videocard Vendor"

        BoardName  "ATI Rage 128 Mobility"

        BusID      "PCI:1:0:0"

        Screen      1

EndSection



Section "Screen"

        Identifier "Screen0"

        Device    "Videocard0"

        Monitor    "Monitor0"

        DefaultDepth    16

        SubSection "Display"

                Viewport  0 0

                Depth    16

                Modes    "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

        EndSubSection

        SubSection "Display"

                Viewport  0 0

                Depth    24

                Modes    "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

        EndSubSection

EndSection



Section "Screen"

        Identifier "Screen1"

        Device    "Videocard1"

        Monitor    "Monitor1"

        DefaultDepth    16

        SubSection "Display"

                Viewport  0 0

                Depth    16

                Modes    "800x600"

        EndSubSection

EndSection



Section "DRI"

        Group        0

        Mode        0666

EndSection

anyone know whats going on? please and thanks for the help