external monitor on laptop

stu_mueller · 04-29-2008, 02:54 AM

Hi all,

My F7 key on my laptop has hte symbol for switching display output to either built in LCD/Monitor/both but you have to pres hte Fn key as well.

When I tried it it wouldn't work. So after some digging around I tried setting up .Xmodmap

when running xev pressing Fn+F7 gives no keycode however pressing F7 gives keycode 73

so in .Xmodmap I have put Keycode 73 = XF86SplitScreen. I restarted X and plugged in an external monitor, but no joy with F7.

I also plugged in the external monitor then after booting to init3 started X but it still wouldn't show up on my external monitor. I'm thinking I need something in my xorg.conf, but I'm not sure what? COuld anybody provided a howto or instructions for setting this up?

Thanks

LordAnta · 04-29-2008, 03:13 AM

If you have an ati video card, install the drivers, and in init 3 write this as root:

Code:

 aticonfig --initial=dual-head

If you have an nvidia card, install the drivers, and in nvidia-settings, you will have the option to detect the displays.

Tux-Slack · 04-29-2008, 03:19 AM

Yes you do need. First you need to decide on what you're going to go for it. Merged FB mode or Dual Head, I think I couldn't have got it working on MergedFB mode on my laptop with SiS video card. But that was some while ago when I was configuring it.

And the Fn+F7 key is not for switching on which display it should show, you can then have 2 displays, two screen, two different desktops etc. And switch between them.
The Fn+F7 key is used for when you connect another computer to the laptop via the graphics and Video out/input and then switch the laptops screen to show either from the laptops graphics or the other computers one, that's at least how I got it working.

stu_mueller · 04-29-2008, 03:34 AM

What is merged FB? and I presume dual head is your desktop stretched over two mnitors?

My Fn+F7 (and I don't care what key I use to do it) doesn't stretch my desktop, it shows my current desktop on either built in LCD or external monitor plugged into VGA port or both, if both it shows the same desktop on both external monitor and built in LCD

Tux-Slack · 04-29-2008, 04:45 AM

No it does not stretch your desktop it makes another desktop. So first is on you laptop and the second on your external monitor. Two different desktops, and then you switch between them, so i.e. if you're a graphics designer you have all tools and pictures on one desktop, and the picture you are currently working you can keep it on a seperate desktop, then you switch desktop, select and copy some part, take it over to the main desktop and put into the picture or whatever you're doing.

I've tried this Fn+F7(it's F3 for me) on my laptop like you described it and it didn't have the effect like you said. But ok I wont argue with that.

MergedFB mode is Merged FrameBuffer I think. You have to configure it in your xorg.conf, as well as the dual-head mode. I'm currently at work and can't check, but MergedFB has only one graphics cars, and 2 monitors in xorg.conf I think, while dual-head has 2 graphics cards in xorg.conf configured(2 configurations for same graphics card) and 2 monitors and 2 screens and then you position them if screen 1 is right/left or above/below screen 2, I don't know why is this because it does not strech your desktop it just positions your second desktop where you say it and then you can move your mouse to that edge and it will automaticly switch to that desktop. But like I said it's a long time since I was configuring and using this(I didn't find it usefull to have 2 screens)

mcnalu · 04-29-2008, 06:11 AM

Here's my xorg.conf showing how I got dual head and xinerama (single desktop spanning both monitors) working on my laptop.

Each ServerLayout section describes a different circumstance in which I use my laptop. For example, I've got two dual head setups, one for home and for my office.

For each dual head setup I specify two screens, one is my laptop's own screen, the other is the external monitor.

Each screen section specifies a monitor and a graphics device, but I only have one graphics device: the integrated graphics chip in my laptop. I'm using the latest driver from ATI (would prefer to use the open source "ati" one, but it doesn't get on with my Radeon XPRESS 200M).

Hope this helps!

Code:

Section "Module"
    Load        "dbe"  	# Double buffer extension
    SubSection  "extmod"
      Option    "omit xfree86-dga"   # don't initialise the DGA extension
    EndSubSection
    Load        "type1"
    Load        "freetype"
    Load       "glx"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    RgbPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/CID/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic/"
    #ajc
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier	"Keyboard1"
    Driver	"kbd"
    Option      "XkbLayout" "gb"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier  "MouseTouchPad"
    Driver      "mouse"
    Option "Protocol"    "Auto"
    Option "Device"      "/dev/mouse"
EndSection


Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier	"MouseNoTouchPad"
    Driver	"mouse"
    Option "Protocol"    "Auto"
    Option "Device"      "/dev/input/mouse0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "Laptop Monitor"
    HorizSync   31.5 - 50.0
    VertRefresh 56-75
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "Optiscan Monitor"
    HorizSync   30 - 95
    VertRefresh 47-160
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "DGM19 Monitor"
    HorizSync   31.4 - 62.7
    VertRefresh 56-75.1
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "Laptop ATI"
    Driver      "fglrx"
    BusID       "PCI:1:5:0"
    Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "External ATI"
    Driver     "fglrx"
    BusID       "PCI:1:5:0"
    Screen 1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Laptop Screen"
    Device      "Laptop ATI"
    Monitor     "Laptop Monitor"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Optiscan Screen"
    Device      "External ATI"
    Monitor     "Optiscan Monitor"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes "1024x768"
    EndSubsection
EndSection


Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "DGM19 Screen"
    Device      "External ATI"
    Monitor     "DGM19 Monitor"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
#    Option "Xinerama" "true" #enables windows moving across screens
    Option "DefaultServerLayout" "normal"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "normal"
    Screen 0 "Laptop Screen"
    InputDevice "MouseNoTouchPad" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "touchpad"
    Screen 0 "Laptop Screen"
    InputDevice "MouseTouchPad" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "dualwork"
    Option "Xinerama" "true" 
    Screen 0 "Laptop Screen"
    Screen 1 "Optiscan Screen" LeftOf "Laptop Screen"
    InputDevice "MouseNoTouchPad" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "dualhome"
    Option "Xinerama" "true" 
    Screen 0 "Laptop Screen"
    Screen 1 "DGM19 Screen" LeftOf "Laptop Screen"
    InputDevice "MouseNoTouchPad" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
  Mode 0666
EndSection

stu_mueller · 04-29-2008, 07:49 AM

mcnalu,

I think I see what your xorg.conf is doing, it is basically setting up 3 dferent screens, and having your desktop over both screens so you can have a windows open on one screen and a windows open on the second screen.

I just want to have it so that if I plug a monitor into my vga port, it will display my desktop on that screen rather than my laptop screen.

under windows to change the output to my vga port I would press Fn+F7, but I don't mind what key I would have to use, if it can be mapped to something else.

Basically, I use to runa movie on my laptop but have my laptop plugged into my TV, and watch the movie on my TV.

Stuart

symatic · 04-29-2008, 08:08 AM

This topic has way too many variables. Gentoo has excellent documentation online(also man pages are fantastic).

Check out this link
http://gentoo-wiki.com/Index:HOWTO#X_Server

mcnalu · 04-29-2008, 08:23 AM

Quote:

I just want to have it so that if I plug a monitor into my vga port, it will display my desktop on that screen rather than my laptop screen.

Ah, ok, then my xorg.conf was overkill.

With my laptop Fn+F5 switches the display output but it doesn't work after I've started X.
To get the switching to work I have to shut down X and go to the console.
I can then use Fn+F5 to select the external monitor only and then startx.

You might still have to edit the xorg.conf to get the best out of the external monitor.

symatic · 04-29-2008, 08:28 AM

mcnalu, the ati control panel should allow you to switch monitors on the fly.

mcnalu · 04-29-2008, 08:41 AM

Quote:

mcnalu, the ati control panel should allow you to switch monitors on the fly.

that works - thanks for the tip!

stu_mueller · 04-29-2008, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnalu

With my laptop Fn+F5 switches the display output but it doesn't work after I've started X.
To get the switching to work I have to shut down X and go to the console.
I can then use Fn+F5 to select the external monitor only and then startx.

I'll try that then, booting to init3 switching to external VGA and startx! thanks

I've also been googling all afternoon and found a program called i810Switch which sounds like what I am after. I'll download it and have a play.

Unfortunatley I don't have an ati card. its intel.

symatic · 04-29-2008, 11:16 AM

sorry to go off topic before. Did some searching and this may help

http://www.intellinuxgraphics.org/dualhead.html

mcnalu · 04-29-2008, 03:00 PM

I'm home now and hooked the laptop up to my TV without touching xorg.conf and the results weren't great. No joy with X at all.

Here's xorg.conf - much simpler than above - that got it working nicely.

Code:

Section "Module"
    Load        "dbe"  	# Double buffer extension
    SubSection  "extmod"
      Option    "omit xfree86-dga"   # don't initialise the DGA extension
    EndSubSection
    Load        "type1"
    Load        "freetype"
    Load       "glx"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    RgbPath	"/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/CID/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic/"
    #ajc
    FontPath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier	"Keyboard1"
    Driver	"kbd"
    Option      "XkbLayout" "gb"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier	"MouseNoTouchPad"
    Driver	"mouse"
    Option "Protocol"    "Auto"
    Option "Device"      "/dev/input/mouse0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "Laptop Monitor"
    HorizSync   31.5 - 50.0
    VertRefresh 56-75
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "Toshiba TV"
    HorizSync   31.25 - 67.5
    VertRefresh 50-75
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "ATI"
    Driver      "fglrx"
    BusID       "PCI:1:5:0"
    Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Laptop Screen"
    Device      "ATI"
    Monitor     "Laptop Monitor"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes "1280x800"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Toshiba Screen"
    Device      "ATI"
    Monitor     "Toshiba TV"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes "1024x768"
    EndSubsection
EndSection


Section "ServerFlags"
#    Option "Xinerama" "true" #enables windows moving across screens
    Option "DefaultServerLayout" "normal"
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "normal"
    Screen 0 "Toshiba Screen"
    InputDevice "MouseNoTouchPad" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
  Mode 0666
EndSection