TwinView on two CRTs & SuSE

bbking · 03-13-2006, 05:26 PM

Hi!

I have an interesting and more and more annoying problem: I updated to SuSE 10.0 and try to get my two Samsung monitors (950p plus and 957p) to work in twinview mode with a GeForce GF 5700.

The strange thing is, it worked once(!) then I turned the PC off and the next time I had only one monitor working, on the other the picture is scrumbled (=showing the image of the first monitor, but there are only color lines vertically)

I did not change anything between the working state and the next boot sequence, so what could happen? I've been searching the net and these forums for the last 4 hours, but I just don't see anything missing or wrong with my setup...

I'm using the latest NVIDIA driver

here is my xorg.conf

PHP Code:


			


Section "Files"

  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc:unscaled"

  FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local"



<cut> lots of font paths listed here...</cut>



  InputDevices "/dev/ttyS0"

  InputDevices "/dev/ttyS1"

  InputDevices "/dev/ttyS2"

  InputDevices "/dev/ttyS3"

  InputDevices "/dev/ttyS4"

  InputDevices "/dev/ttyS5"

  InputDevices "/dev/ttyS6"

  InputDevices "/dev/ttyS7"

  InputDevices "/dev/ttyS8"

  InputDevices "/dev/psaux"

  InputDevices "/dev/logibm"

  InputDevices "/dev/sunmouse"

  InputDevices "/dev/atibm"

  InputDevices "/dev/amigamouse"

  InputDevices "/dev/atarimouse"

  InputDevices "/dev/inportbm"

  InputDevices "/dev/gpmdata"

  InputDevices "/dev/mouse"

  InputDevices "/dev/usbmouse"

  InputDevices "/dev/adbmouse"

  InputDevices "/dev/input/mice"

  InputDevices "/dev/input/event0"

  InputDevices "/dev/pointer0"

  InputDevices "/dev/pointer1"

  InputDevices "/dev/pointer2"

  InputDevices "/dev/pointer3"

EndSection

Section "Module"

  Load         "dbe"

  Load         "type1"

  Load         "freetype"

  Load         "extmod"

  Load         "glx"

  Load         "v4l"

EndSection



Section "InputDevice"

  Driver       "kbd"

  Identifier   "Keyboard[0]"

  Option       "Protocol" "Standard"

  Option       "XkbLayout" "de"

  Option       "XkbModel" "pc105"

  Option       "XkbRules" "xfree86"

  Option       "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"

EndSection



Section "InputDevice"

  Driver       "mouse"

  Identifier   "Mouse[1]"

  Option       "Buttons" "5"

  Option       "Device" "/dev/input/mice"

  Option       "Name" "ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse"

  Option       "Protocol" "explorerps/2"

  Option       "Vendor" "Sysp"

  Option       "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

EndSection



Section "Monitor"

  DisplaySize  360 270

  HorizSync    28-110

  Identifier   "Monitor[0]"

  ModelName    "SYNCMASTER 950P PLUS(T)"

  Option       "DPMS"

  VendorName   "SAMSUNG"

  VertRefresh  50-160

  UseModes     "Modes[0]"

EndSection



Section "Modes"

  Identifier   "Modes[0]"

  Modeline      "1400x1050" 209.92 1400 1528 1680 1912 1050 1051 1054 1111

  Modeline      "1280x1024" 186.80 1280 1376 1520 1760 1024 1025 1028 1083

  Modeline      "1280x1024" 165.29 1280 1376 1512 1744 1024 1025 1028 1077

  Modeline      "1280x1024" 145.69 1280 1376 1512 1744 1024 1025 1028 1071

<cut> lots of modes listed here...</cut>

EndSection





Section "Screen"

  DefaultDepth 16

  SubSection "Display"

    Depth      15

    Modes      "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1024x768" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480"

  EndSubSection

  SubSection "Display"

    Depth      16

    Modes      "1400x1050" "1280x1024" "1280x960" "1280x800" "1152x864" "1280x768" "1024x768" "800x600" "768x576" "640x480"

  EndSubSection

  EndSubSection

  Device       "Device[0]"

  Identifier   "Screen[0]"

  Monitor      "Monitor[0]"

EndSection





Section "Device"

  BoardName    "GeForce FX 5700"

  BusID        "1:0:0"

  Driver       "nvidia"

  Identifier   "Device[0]"

  Option       "TwinView"

  Option       "NvAGP" "1"

  Option       "SecondMonitorHorizSync" "30-96"

  Option       "MetaModes" "1400x1050,1024x768"

  Option       "TwinViewOrientation" "RightOf"

  Option       "ConnectedMonitors" "CRT,CRT"

  Option       "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" "50-160"

  VendorName   "NVidia"

EndSection



Section "ServerLayout"

  Identifier   "Layout[all]"

  InputDevice  "Keyboard[0]" "CoreKeyboard"

  InputDevice  "Mouse[1]" "CorePointer"

  Option       "Clone" "off"

  Option       "Xinerama" "off"

  Screen       "Screen[0]"

EndSection

has anybody an advice for me?? would be great to use the 2nd monitor again...

thanks in advance!

gloomy · 03-15-2006, 02:06 AM

After a very quick overview of your xorg.conf file, I can not see anything abnormal.

Haven't been using Suse for a while but I remember that Sax tended to overwrite the settings whenever it was merely opened.

Oh, wait a second, it might be useful to add a second "Monitor" section and you do not need "ConnectedMonitors" when using "RightOf" and "MetaModes".

b.

bbking · 03-15-2006, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barbiturate

After a very quick overview of your xorg.conf file, I can not see anything abnormal.

Haven't been using Suse for a while but I remember that Sax tended to overwrite the settings whenever it was merely opened.

Oh, wait a second, it might be useful to add a second "Monitor" section and you do not need "ConnectedMonitors" when using "RightOf" and "MetaModes".

b.

thanks fot the tip, I tried it with two monitor sections, too. nothing helped. I carefully checked that sax2 doesn't overwrite anything...

this "ConnectedMonitors" stuff refers to the NVIDIA syntax of making xinemara work. the other way around is the possibility, when you define every head and monitor seperately...

the strange thing is, that it has worked even with 10.0, but only onece!!

I'm missing the second monitor soo much...

gloomy · 03-28-2006, 10:54 AM

Hmm,

I know the feeeling; just can not live without a second monitor after had the first experience of a dual view.

You might examine these:

Option "Clone" "off"
Option "Xinerama" "off"
Screen "Screen[0]"

Never had to make such options myself to get the twinview working.

What does Xorg.0.log say?

And which version of Nvidia's driver are you using? I would strongly recommend to go with the newest stuff. And did you use Yast to compile the nvidia-kernel or did you do it manually? Again I would recommend the latter.

bbking · 03-28-2006, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloomy

You might examine these:

Option "Clone" "off"
Option "Xinerama" "off"
Screen "Screen[0]"

you might have overlooked these values in my conf file....they are already there

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloomy

What does Xorg.0.log say?

I just discovered this...I'll check after a reboot whether the logfile has this values again:

Code:

(**) NV(0): DPMS enabled
(WW) NV(0): Option "TwinView" is not used
(WW) NV(0): Option "NvAGP" is not used
(WW) NV(0): Option "SecondMonitorHorizSync" is not used
(WW) NV(0): Option "MetaModes" is not used
(WW) NV(0): Option "TwinViewOrientation" is not used
(WW) NV(0): Option "ConnectedMonitors" is not used
(WW) NV(0): Option "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" is not used
(==) RandR enabled
(II) Initializing built-in extension MIT-SHM
(II) Initializing built-in extension XInputExtension
(II) Initializing built-in extension XTEST
(II) Initializing built-in extension XKEYBOARD
(II) Initializing built-in extension LBX
(II) Initializing built-in extension XC-APPGROUP
(II) Initializing built-in extension SECURITY
(II) Initializing built-in extension XINERAMA
(II) Initializing built-in extension XFIXES
(II) Initializing built-in extension XFree86-Bigfont
(II) Initializing built-in extension RENDER
(II) Initializing built-in extension RANDR
(II) Initializing built-in extension COMPOSITE
(II) Initializing built-in extension DAMAGE
(II) Initializing built-in extension XEVIE

Quote:

Originally Posted by gloomy

And which version of Nvidia's driver are you using? I would strongly recommend to go with the newest stuff. And did you use Yast to compile the nvidia-kernel or did you do it manually? Again I would recommend the latter.

NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8174-pkg1.run

I just saw, that 8178 is out....will try it tomorrow...
well, I'm not sure...I run the NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-8174-pkg1.run binary, so I guess I did it myself....

would be great if you could help me!! I gues the logfile speaks for itself, if somebody can understand it...

I'm not sure why I get "(WW) NV(0): Option "TwinView" is not used"

anyway, thanks!

seelenbild28 · 03-28-2006, 04:09 PM

hmm, for me it looks like that it can't work since both options "clone" as well as "xinerama" are "off. you should switch clone on....

bbking · 03-28-2006, 04:21 PM

I read the NVIDIA howto, and it says, it is ok to turn off xinemara, since the nvidia driver provides its own xinemara function and that should be twinview...anyway, I'll try the newest driver and post to the nvidia forum if it's still not working....

gloomy · 03-29-2006, 03:45 AM

No need to go to Nvidia's forums yet

- there exists a mess always anyhow.

If you have ran the .run file, then you'll done it "manuay" (what a bad word for a script).

I agree with seelenbild28 that there is something odd with the clone and xinerama options. What I meant was that my "Device" section looks simply like:

Code:

        Identifier        "nvidia"
        Driver            "nvidia"
         BoardName    "GeForce 6600"
        BusID             "PCI:3:0:0"
        VideoRam      262144
        Option           "NvAGP"                                  "1"
        Option           "NoLogo"                                 "true"
        Option           "RenderAccel"                          "true"
        Option           "TwinView"
        Option           "SecondMonitorHorizSync"        "30-95"
        Option           "SecondMonitorVertRefresh"      "50-180"
        Option           "MetaModes"                            "2048x1536, 1600x1200 @2048x1536; 2048x1536, 1600x1200"
        Option           "TwinViewOrientation"              "RightOf"

And the "ServerLayout" is as simple as:

Code:

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "Default Layout"
        Screen         "Default Screen"
        InputDevice    "Mice" "CorePointer"
        InputDevice    "Logitech Cordless Desktop EX 110" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Your error log provided us the information that the problem is not dependent on the driver per se.

And finally few quotes from Nvidia's documents;

Quote:

Be aware that the NVIDIA driver cannot provide the Xinerama extension if the X server's own Xinerama extension is being used. Explicitly specifying Xinerama in the X config file or on the X server commandline will prohibit NVIDIA's Xinerama extension from installing, so make sure that the X server's log file does not contain:

(++) Xinerama: enabled

if you want the NVIDIA driver to be able to provide the Xinerama extension while in TwinView.

Thus, I find no reason to disable the Xinerama if not otherwise especially needed.

Quote:

TwinViewOrientation

This option controls the positioning of the second display device relative to the first within the virtual X screen, when offsets are not explicitly given in the MetaModes. The possible values are:

"RightOf" (the default)
"LeftOf"
"Above"
"Below"
"Clone"

When "Clone" is specified, both display devices will be assigned an offset of 0,0.

Thus, I find it impossible to have both "RightOf" and "Clone".

And a good way to debug would be to try the traditional dualview (i.e. "multiple x screens" and not the "twinview") and see whether that works.

Hope this gave some help.

bbking · 04-03-2006, 04:45 PM

sorry for the late reply, I just discovered your answer...

I was experimenting with all kind of different settings, nothing worked...

then I decided to run the 8178er driver again and then the nvidia-xconfig binary, which, in the end just mangled the xorg.conf file...

but: IT'S WORKING NOW!!!

don't ask me what happened, but I got my second monitor back....I hope, it'll be working longer than just this time...

anyway, BIG THANKS to you guys who tried to help me!!!

cheers,
BBKing