I hate to ask...TwinView or Xinerama

garrettstj · 08-07-2003, 02:32 AM

Hello All,

I'm really not that new to Linux, but getting my dual monitors up and running has been giving me a pain in the back. Just for notification, I think I have read every post on TwinView that exists in this and other forums, but to no avail. Here is the problem....

I have an AGP Nvidia RIVA TNT2 card connected to my secondary monitor. I have a PCI Nvidia GeForce 4 420MX connected to my primary monitor. This setup worked perfectly in Windowz, so I know that the older AGP card is able to do it. I am wondering if this situation is meant to be taken care of with Nvidia drivers or Xinerama. Ideas? Right now I have the latest Nvidia drivers from the site loaded. Doesn't seem to have had any effect what so ever. There have been a few times that it jumps from the primary monitor to the secondary after refreshing the X server, but doesn't seem to hold constant for any amount of time. I would like for the desktop to span from one to the next and not be a separate desktop on its own.

I will post my XFree86Config file after this post for you to check out. I am sure that by this point it has been mangled, but I have faith in someone out there who can make my sleepless night last night worthwhile and get me up and running. Thanks in advance!

garrettstj · 08-07-2003, 02:43 AM

You can see my XF86Config file here:
http://www.thestjohn.com/XF86Config.txt

Thanks!!

acid_kewpie · 08-07-2003, 03:59 AM

well you certainly don't want twinview as that's a built in feature of dual head NVidia cards, not an X option primarily. so you'll need Xinerama. persaonlyl I say stick with seperate desktops, it's much nicer to use i think....

my "classic" config that i must have posted about 100 times is... http://thirtythreeandathird.net/dualhead it's all in the serverlayout

garrettstj · 08-08-2003, 01:26 AM

I want to start by saying thanks to acid_kewpie. Your file really got me kick started. I have both monitors up right now, but they are both at very wrong resolutions. I am guessing that monitor1 is at 640x480 and monitor2 is 800x600. I want them to both be at 1280x1024. Can you help? Also, it seems that the boot at login and what might be considered the default monitor is monitor2 which shouldn't be the case. The combos should be the GeForce4/New Envision and TNT2/Old Envision with GeForce4 being the default (left of the TNT2). What does ModeLine do?

I am reposting my updated XF86Config at http://www.thestjohn.com/XF86Config.txt

Thanks!

acid_kewpie · 08-08-2003, 05:57 AM

hmm... possibly your modelines or refresh frequency is too high.... check the /var/log/Xfree86.0.log to see if it is specifically rejecting those modeiles, as you've got them set up ok.... try lowering the refresh for a start.

garrettstj · 08-08-2003, 09:53 PM

Still having issues...seems there are a view things that show up in the log. Warning and error about loading XV and CLX as well as an issue with the videoram. I went ahead and commented these out. I also moved the default depth to 24. Seems to have kill the left monitor...

I think this must have to do with frequencies and reolution. I am pretty much clueless as to how to adjust these in the XF86Config file. What is ModeLine? I think that the issue may lie in there....

As always my newest XF86Config:
http://www.thestjohn.com/XF86Config.txt

And now my Xfree86.0.log
http://www.thestjohn.com/Xfree86.0.log

Ideas?

garrettstj · 08-08-2003, 10:04 PM

I think the God's may be smiling down on me. I think I have it working at 1280x1024 on both....Who would have thought. You are a life saver!! One more thing before I present you with my first born....

Ideas on creating one single desktop.... I would really like to convenience of dragging windows from one screen to the next.

Thanks again!

acid_kewpie · 08-09-2003, 06:14 AM

well that's where you need to use xinerama. in the serverlayout i *htink* you just need to use

Code:

option "Xinerama" "on"

but it sucks IMHO as changing desktop on one scren changes it on the other as well... like i have mine so i have IM's / TV on one screen and work on the other, so on my work screen i'm jumping around workspaces but as i don't use xinerama i can still always watch TV doing this, with no need to fart about making some things stick and so forth...

Kane2002 · 03-26-2004, 01:30 PM

Quote:

well you certainly don't want twinview as that's a built in feature of dual head NVidia cards, not an X option primarily. so you'll need Xinerama. persaonlyl I say stick with seperate desktops, it's much nicer to use i think....

hello im having a pain setting up dual head display with xinerama

i noticed you said stick with seperate desktops...what do you mean by this?