Multi Head / Screen / Monitor Set-up in FC6 with dual ATI's

Le_Renouveau · 06-08-2007, 09:45 AM

Hey,
You solution worked for me except that I can't drag windows between the two desktops... is there any way to do that or am I gonna have to get used to it?

Thanks

barneygumble742 · 06-08-2007, 12:52 PM

you should be able to move items across from one monitor to the other and even stretch them out and stuff. i was very surprised that even video expands to both monitors without any sync issues whereas xp gave you one black video on one of the screens.

here's my xorg.conf if anyone's curious:

Code:

# BusID "bus-id" This specifies the bus location of...

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "layout1"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
    Screen 0 "screen0" LeftOf "screen1"
    Screen 1 "screen1" RightOf "screen0"
    Option "Xinerama" "on"
    Option "Clone" "off"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor0"
    VendorName "Plug'n Play"
    ModelName "SAMSUNG 1"
    HorizSync 31-83
    VertRefresh 56-75
    Option "DPMS
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "monitor1"
    VendorName "Plug'n Play"
    ModelName "SAMSUNG 2"
    HorizSync 31-83
    VertRefresh 56-75
    Option "DPMS
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "device0"
    VendorName "ATI Technologies Inc."
    BoardName "ATI Radeon (fglrx)"
    Driver "radeon"
    BusID "PCI:1:0:00"
    Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "device1"
    VendorName "ATI Technologies Inc."
    BoardName "ATI Radeon (fglrx)"
    Driver "radeon"
    BusID "PCI:1:0:00"
    Screen 1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "screen0"
    Device "device0"
    Monitor "monitor0"
    DefaultColorDepth 24
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Viewport 0 0
        Depth 24
        Modes "1280x1024"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "screen1"
    Device "device1"
    Monitor "monitor1"
    DefaultColorDepth 24
    
    Subsection "Display"
        Viewport 0 0
        Depth 24
        Modes "1280x1024"
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "Files"
    # font server independent of the X server to render fonts.
    FontPath "unix/:-1"
    
    # minimal fonts to allow X to run without xfs
    FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled"
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
    Option "Composite"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
    #DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
    #DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
    AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
    Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
    Load "extmod"
    Load "type1"
    Load "freetype"
    Load "glx" # 3D layer
    Load "dri" # direct rendering
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Keyboard1"
    Driver "kbd"
    Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
    Option "XkbLayout" "us"
    Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rwin"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Mouse1"
    Driver "mouse"
    Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
    Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
EndSection

regimen · 07-09-2007, 09:18 PM

I copied damber's final configuration and pasted into my xorg.conf (with a few mods to the monitors sections, so as not to hurt my CRTs!) and added my keyboard and mouse information from my old xorg.conf file. Restarted X, and it "works" as in, it didn't crash, but my two heads on the single card STILL FREAKING CLONE!!! ARRRRRGH while stretching the desktop to the second card/3rd monitor!!! What is so different about Xorg in Debian than FC4 that his configuration would not also work for me in Debian sid??

I can use the fglrx drivers from Debian sid perfectly and it works perfectly, only I can't use the 3rd monitor on my second video card. Its either a blank screen, or I can cause it to crash the whole system under certain circumstances.

Note: The 2nd card in question is an onboard Xpress 200.

If i could have my fglrx drivers using all 3, that would be ideal. It has been my observation that using aticonfig --initial=dual-head makes it work ok (that is not an exact command, but you get the idea), but no matter my changes to xorg.conf, as long as I load the fglrx drivers, it seems to replace MY xorg.conf with whatever one it created each time X starts. Does any body know what I am talking about? Or where I can find this mysterious file?

ANY Help would be MUCH appreciated. I can post logs or config files, but my config file currently is copied and pasted from damber's above. Thanks!!

damber · 07-10-2007, 10:28 AM

Did you definitely include: [Option "Clone" "off"] in the configuration ? I found that the realisation of the configuration was at best flakey, and could be broken by simply having the monitors orientation a different way (I think it just gives up sometimes) - try a few variations on the LeftOf RightOf business to see if it corrects the issue. You could also check whether you defined the Screen # in the device section (this defines which port on the card to output to).

regimen · 07-11-2007, 12:16 AM

damber: Thanks so much for the reply! I figured this thread had died as it is geting old. I did explicitly include "option "clone" "off"" in the config... I was able to force everything to work, then break it by reorienting the monitors as you said, but did find a comfortable medium, in the end. Read on, if you dare...haha!

The rabbit hole ended up going much, much deeper (seems mostly to do with throwing an on board ATI card into the mix). I have to enable an option called "surround view" in my BIOS and force the onboard card to be primary to get it to come on at all (if I don't, the desktop can extend to it, but X never turns it on). It is my hunch that it is an ACPI or DPMS issue.

Anyway, I can now get (Thanks to your configuration) all 3 monitors to come on and work as one big desktop, but the catch is, I have to load X and GDM with "ati" or "radeon" set as my drivers FIRST for both cards (getting 2 mirrored and 1 stretched). THEN, change my xorg.conf to load fglrx on my dual head card (which is an X800), restart GDM and I'm golden. If I try to load the fglrx drivers first, it will blank all my screens and sync them, then crash the whole system with out a clue as to why in Xorg's log file. I cannot use fglrx for my onboard video at all, either, or it will do the same. I have to load BOTH CARDS with "ati" or "radeon" first, then to get a desktop streteched on all 3 monitors, i have to set the X800 to use fglrx, and leave "ati" or "radeon" for the onboard card. Its confusing, i know, but I guess that's what we get for using buggy ATI stuff in Linux...

I have yet to have all 3 monitors just be stretched using Xorg's built-in radeon or ati drivers. It will always mirror the two on the X800. To make matters worse, I loose all DRI support when I use all 3 monitors. Not as big a deal as loosing my 3rd monitor as I don't do much 3D stuff in Linux... I play all my games in windows (sorry cedega!! You'll get there some day!!).

Well, I doubt any of this really helps, but if somebody out there finds this and has an identical problem, maybe we can work together on a solution. In the mean time, I'll keep recompiling drivers and messing with the config file until I figure it out!! Thanks again, damber! At least I can force it to work now!! That is progress..lol!

One more funny thing: At one point, i could get the onboard and X800 to clone eachother and stretch to the second head on the X800!! HAHA!

damber · 07-11-2007, 03:37 AM

hahaha... that's funny :-) mostly because I really feel your pain!

Linux hardware support sucks.
Xorg sucks even more.

you would think that nvidia would be the answer wouldn't you ? but I'm having the same problem with my new nvidia cards (see other thread) - basically it uses the Int10 module (which you may want to try) to initialise the secondary card (both are PCI-E) , but (of course) this module fails to load, meaning that I can only use 1 card at a time.... duh. I think for anyone who just wants to get a single monitor with no 3d acceleration it's pretty easy... anyone who wants multi-card,multi-head,multi-monitor is gonna have to work for it... because the hardware vendors don't seem to be able(or want) to deliver in linux what they do in windows (lazy gits) and the open source community just doesn't seem to be able to get it right... and let's not even mention xorg's many many nuances..

all I can do is wish you the best of luck - but take comfort in the fact that you're not the only one with this headache ;-)

shevegen · 11-09-2007, 12:11 PM

Quote:

hahaha... that's funny :-) mostly because I really feel your pain!

I can agree with you guys.

Quote:

Linux hardware support sucks.
Xorg sucks even more.

I am quite happy with Linux hardware support so far. Most works.
And if something doesnt work, then I can go back to my last Windows XP computer, no big deal.

But I do agree that Xorg sucks more. And the guilty one are the Xorg developers.
They have modularized Xorg, and catered to the needs of distributions.
As a single user, getting to run modular Xorg from scratch is very difficult.

Take my scenario:
- I managed to compile monolithic without problem
- I STILL have not managed to get modular xorg to work.

The BIGGEST problem is that
- Xorg developers ignore complaints about this. They do not improve docu. When you complain, they tell you to shutup and dont whine or instead help with code (but THEY introduced this complexity in the first place)
- There is in general a big lack about this "advanced" stuff.

I can compile KDE and Gnome and the linux Kernel, even firefox. All have this or that problem. BUT I STILL DID NOT MANAGE TO GET TO DO SO WITH THE MODULAR XORG.

To me, the main reason for the xorg devs was to introduce complexity which can be managed by the fat distributions. You will be a slave to the fat distributions and be a slave (this is a bit too drastic, I know, but how many people do you know
that compiled modular xorg on their own successfully without the distribution package manager doing the job? Event Gentoo they just do some emerge foo and thats it...)

Quote:

because the hardware vendors don't seem to be able(or want) to deliver in linux what they do in windows (lazy gits)

I agree partially, but you know... this is also the fault of Linux.
The fucking Kernel introduces more and more security. What do I care about security? I am a single user. I dont care. I only care for the fancy stuff ...
I am willing to learn, but I wont invest my time to help on the C level.
My time is too precious, I have only one life.

Quote:

and the open source community just doesn't seem to be able to get it right... and let's not even mention xorg's many many nuances..

I think the distributions are to blame for it too.
I like the Linux from scratch project, but we could need more from that, and less
distributions that babysit you through processes. Where is the learning factor from babysitting? Oh well..

Quote:

all I can do is wish you the best of luck - but take comfort in the fact that you're not the only one with this headache ;-)

I can only agree.

I also hope that this forum will help people. Its a very good forum.