I need to restore my system so that X server works again, but how?

Iltbreg · 03-10-2008, 04:06 PM

Hi,

Using Fedora 8 on my Acer TravelMate 6291 laptop, I tried to enable dual head monitor in order to expand the desktop. First thing I did was to plug the second monitor to the laptop and reboot. At this point, both monitors were working and they were displaying the exact same thing. Then I went to the Display manager and checked the box to activate dual monotor but when I was clicking Apply, it wasn't working. It was also mentioning that there was no monitor selected as the second screen, so I clicked the Configure... box to specify the model of the second monitor : NEC MultiSync XE17. I Clicked on Apply and this time it seemed to work as I got the message telling me to log back in. But that's when things got all messed up.

Now everytime I boot I get the Failed to start the X server... box and looking at the details, it tells me the following:

Code:

(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(==) Server Layout "Multiheat layout"
(**) |-->Screen "Screen0" (0)
(**)     |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
(**)     |-->Device "Videocard0"
(WW) No monitor specified for screen "Screen0"
(**) |-->Screen "Screen1" (1)
(**)     |-->Monitor "Monitor 1"
(**)     |-->Device "Videocard1"
...

And now, xorg.conf is like this:

Code:

# Xorg configuration created by system-config-display

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier    "Multihead layout"
        Screen      0 "Screen0" LeftOf "Screen1"
        Screen      1 "Screen1" 0 0
        InputDevice   "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
        InputDevice   "Synaptics" "CorePointer"
        Option      "Xinerama" "off"
        Option      "Clone" "on"
EndSection

...

...

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier    "Monitor1"
        VendorName    "Monitor Vendor"
        ModelName     "NEC MultiSync XE17"
        HorizSync     31.0 - 65.0
        VertRefresh   55.0 - 120.0
        Option        "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier    "Videocard0"
        Driver        "Intel"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier    "Videocard0"
        Driver        "Intel"
        VendorName    "Videocard Vendor"
        BoardName     "Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/940GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller"
        BusID         "PCI:0:2:0"
        Screen        1
EndSection

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

Section "Screen"
        Identifier    "Screen1"
        Device        "Videocard1"
        Monitor       "Monitor1"
        DefaultDepth       24
        SubSection    "Display"
                Viewport    0 0
                Depth      24
                Modes     "1200x800"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

The thing is that in reality, I have a single video card, and the system messes up, no matter whether the second monitor is plugged to the laptop or not.

I'm pretty sure that it must be quite simple to return things back to normal, like disabling the dual monitor option or something like that, but I have no idea how I must do that in text mode; no need to say that system-config-display isn't working. I got the rescue CD but it's not helping me much.

Can somebody please help?

Thank you for your time.

forrestt · 03-10-2008, 04:16 PM

Try copying this to your xorg.conf file:

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "Multihead layout"
        Screen      0  "Screen0" RightOf "Screen1"
        Screen      1  "Screen1" 0 0
        InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
        Option      "Xinerama" "on"
        Option      "Clone" "off"
EndSection

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

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "Monitor0"
        HorizSync    31.0 - 65.0
        VertRefresh  55.0 - 120.0
        Option      "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "Monitor1"
        HorizSync    31.0 - 65.0
        VertRefresh  55.0 - 120.0
        Option      "dpms"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "Videocard0"
        Driver      "Intel"
        BusID       "PCI:0:2:0"
        Screen      1
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "Videocard1"
        Driver      "Intel"
        BusID       "PCI:0:2:0"
        Screen      0
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Videocard0"
        Monitor    "Monitor0"
        DefaultDepth     24
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     24
                Modes    "1200x800"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen1"
        Device     "Videocard1"
        Monitor    "Monitor1"
        DefaultDepth     24
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     24
                Modes    "1200x800"
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Let me know if it works or not,

Forrest

v00d00101 · 03-10-2008, 09:51 PM

Do the following.

Open up a text editor, like gedit or kedit.
Copy the contents of the code box, that forestt wrote, and paste it into the text editor window. (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V)
Save it to /home/yourname/xorg.conf
Open up a console/terminal, like xterm/gnome-terminal/kterm/etc.
Type:

Code:

su -
cat /home/yourname/xorg.conf > /etc/X11/xorg.conf
/sbin/shutdown -r now

Now your computer will reboot and all should be well.

Iltbreg · 03-11-2008, 01:45 PM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by v00d00101

Now your computer will reboot and all should be well.

Not quite. Unfortunately, the file Forrest provided did not work.

However, it showed me the way towards the solution. I downloaded Fedora 8 Live, ran it on my laptop (without the other screen) to get its xorg.conf file and copied it in my installed OS (using vi), and it works! My laptop is now back to normal. Thanks very much to both of you for your help!!

But still, I would really like to know how I could get dual heads working. Any idea?