trying to get dual-head monitors working.

poiuytrewq · 03-28-2005, 01:46 PM

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

bulliver · 03-28-2005, 05:57 PM

I think for a dual-headed vid card you only want one 'Device' section. Also:

Quote:

Option "Xinerama" "off"

You are going to want that on, or dual head will not work at all...

poiuytrewq · 03-28-2005, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bulliver
I think for a dual-headed vid card you only want one 'Device' section. Also:

You are going to want that on, or dual head will not work at all...

as for the one Device section, that is a good idea, i will try that,

For your xinerama=on suggestion, i was under the impression that xinerama was for a single spanning desktop, which is my eventual goal, but first i though it wouls be smart to try and make a simpler comfiguration work of just two clone screens, then go from there. am i mistaken on this?

poiuytrewq · 03-28-2005, 07:33 PM

Edit: fixed some more, lines not gone, will post update in a bit.

old message:
ok, using only one Device section half worked

my secondary monitor still has no signal, but my primary screen now shows gnome in a distorted fashion like so ( its encouraging that im getting somewhere though):
http://img126.exs.cx/img126/8139/screenshot1ho.png
with the edges of the screen in the middle. (if i take a screenshot, i get a regular screen, but that image is what im looking at (simulated in gimp))

more help?

bulliver · 03-29-2005, 05:03 PM

Quote:

For your xinerama=on suggestion, i was under the impression that xinerama was for a single spanning desktop, which is my eventual goal, but first i though it wouls be smart to try and make a simpler comfiguration work of just two clone screens, then go from there. am i mistaken on this?

Xinerama is the extensions that make the X server aware of more than 1 display. You need xinerama to use two monitors in _any_ configuration.

As for your screenshot, it would appear the two displays are overlapping on 1 display! Is that right? I'm not sure what to tell you. I have never seen that...

This guide has some sample conf files, (They're for XFree86 but they will work fine) and also some good explanation of dual-screen configuration. Maybe you can start from scratch and build a new conf file using your current conf and examples from the guide:
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Xinerama-HOWTO/index.html

hth