Dual head configuration
 

Never mind this post. I guess I will keep trying to search on the internet for the answer. I have found some help in different websites even this, but is not clear to me if some of the changes that I will be making will change something in my files that I will not be aware of, and I cannot afford to damage this computer. I just wanted to be able to have two monitors so I can pass some of the windows in the actual desktop to that new monitor. Thanks, Clave.

Can someone tell me how to set up dual head configuration on Fedora Core 7?
I know I have to modify the file xorg.conf, but I don't know how. I tried adding screen1 and monitor1 specifications, but although it recognized the monitor that I specified it did not work.
When the computer starts I can see the text in both screens, but after this the second monitor is all one color and blinks. I have as a primary monitor a gateway FPD1810 monitor and as a secondary monitor a Gateway FPD1730 7004036 monitor.
The other thing that happens is that if I restart the computer again after reading the xorg.conf with my modifications the resolution will change from 1280X1024 to 800X600, and the changes that I make to the xorg.conf disappear.
Below I am posting both files xorg.conf:
The first one is the one to which I added screen1 and monitor1 and videocard1. Probably is all wrong. The second one is the one that the computer creates after I restart it and uncheck the option of using dual head configuration from the display options. From this files you'll see that I know very little about linux. Anyway, this files where the result of modifying an original one that was a single head configuration. Also I got a used videocard, and I really don't know if it is nvidia or nv. The only thing I know is that in the screen for display option (dual head) it says nvidia corporation NV18GL [Quadro NVS with AGP8X] for the type of second video card. I don't know if it recognizes it or if this is the default of the computer. Is there any way I can check the type of videocard I have?

xorg.conf files

file1

# Xorg configuration created by system-config-display

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "dual head configuration"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
Screen 1 "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Gateway FPD1810 18-inch LCD Flat Panel Display R0 - 7004018"
HorizSync 31.0 - 61.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 75.0
Option "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor1"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Gateway FPD1730 17-inch Analog LCD Monitor - 7004036"
HorizSync 30.0 - 80.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 85.0
Option "dpms"
EndSection

#I basically added the same section twice for videocard and change the 0 to one. The same goes for screen.
Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "nv"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard1"
Driver "nv"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1280x720" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen1"
Device "Videocard1"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1280x720" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection


File 2

# Xorg configuration created by system-config-display

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "single head configuration"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Gateway FPD1810 18-inch LCD Flat Panel Display R0 - 7004018"
HorizSync 31.0 - 61.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 75.0
Option "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "nv"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Original file that I modified is below

# Xorg configuration created by system-config-display

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "single head configuration"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Videocard0"
Driver "nv"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Videocard0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1280x720" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Any help that I can get will be apreciated. Thanks.

You could use xinerama, but I advise you (really really advise, not just suggest) to switch to the nvidia driver instead of nv, and use twinview instead of xinerama.

First, you need to install the correct driver for your video card.

The supported products list for the latest drivers is this:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/IO_18897.html

You can find the exact model that you own by using this command as root:

There might be a fedora-ish way to install the driver, so check the fedora docs, forums or whatever (hopefully a fedore user will step here as well). You first need to install the nvidia-driver, then you need to use an xorg.conf file suited for that and twinview. I put a link to mine here:

http://jesgue.homelinux.org/other-files/xorg.conf

That should work, you need to fix or at least revise a couple of things:

1.- the modes on the Screen sections at the end of the file.
2.- the Device section, specially the lines about HorizSync and VertRefresh (reffer to the manuals for your monitors to set these to valid values, otherwise X might just not boot or do weird things). Also look at the MetaModes line on that section, and the TwinViewOrientation line.

As you might see, this config defaults to a layout with two monitors on 1600x1200 and 1024x768 respectively, and has a second layout for 1600x1200 monitor alone as well. I rarely use that second layout, but for some odd reason, some wine games do not detect the size correctly unless you have that second metamode with a NULL member.

But that's another story.

Thanks for your help. I'll try this.