Dual Monitor, ATI Radeon, Slackware 12.1

kixx · 11-26-2008, 05:50 AM

I had two monitors working perfectly on slackware 12.0 with the following xorg.conf. What would have changed in Slack 12.1 to cause this to stop working? (My desktop is just duplicated on each monitor, and when I get out of X my terminal is extremely dim... So something is wrong)

Code:

Section "ServerFlags"
# MergedFB2: best for dual-head, but no compiz
        Option          "DefaultServerLayout"   "MergedFB2Layout"
# added this to stop ctrl-alt-Fn from happening -kixx
	Option		"DontVTswitch"		"on"
# added this to stop ctrl-alt-Backsp from terminating the x server
	Option		"DontZap"		"on"
EndSection

Section "Module"
        Load    "bitmap"
        Load    "ddc"
        Load    "dri"
        Load    "extmod"
        Load    "freetype"
        Load    "glx"
        Load    "int10"
        Load    "type1"
        Load    "vbe"

EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver          "kbd"
        Option          "CoreKeyboard"
        Option          "XkbRules"      "xorg"
        Option          "XkbModel"      "pc105"
        Option          "XkbLayout"     "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
        Driver          "mouse"
        Option          "CorePointer"
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
        Option          "Protocol"              "ImPS/2"
        Option          "Emulate3Buttons"       "true"
        Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier      "MergedFB2 ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility 7500 (M7 LW)"
        Driver          "radeon"
        BusID           "PCI:1:0:0"
        Option          "DynamicClocks" "on"
        Option          "MergedFB"      "true"
        Option          "CRT2Position"  "LeftOf"
    # This allows X to use MergedFB if the second monitor is not connected
    # when I start X.  The ranges are taken from DDC values of the CTX monitor
    # I use at the office; as listed in Xorg.log.
        Option          "CRT2HSync"     "30-81"
        Option          "CRT2VRefresh"  "56-76"
    # The next line lets me switch between dual-head and several clone modes
    # of varying resolutions with xrandr.
        Option          "MetaModes"     "1024x768-1024x768 1280x1024-1280x1024"
    # A newer version of the radeon driver has an option that disables vertical
    # scrolling for the 1024x768 part.
        Option          "MergedNonRectangular"  "true"
    # In 1024x768-1280x1024 mode the DPI is correct (100), but in all other
    # modes it is weird.  Try to override
        Option          "MergedDPI"     "100 100"

# I need
   Option  "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps"      "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier      "Generic Monitor"
        Option          "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier      "Second Monitor"
        Option          "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier      "MergedFB2 Screen"
        Device          "MergedFB2 ATI Technologies, Inc. Radeon Mobility 7500 (M7 LW)"
        Monitor         "Generic Monitor"
        DefaultDepth    24
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth           24
                Modes           "1024x768"
        EndSubSection

EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier      "MergedFB2Layout"
        Screen          "MergedFB2 Screen"
        InputDevice     "Generic Keyboard"
        InputDevice     "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
        Mode    0666
EndSection

I suspect that there is a new ATI Driver in Slack 12.1 that does not support Merged FB2? If this is the case, I still have all my Slack 12.0 on different partitions and I could get the ATI driver from there, but what is the best way to regress if I need to?

mcnalu · 11-28-2008, 02:36 AM

I had a problem with my dual head setup under slackware 11 (with the 2.6.17 kernel). Switching to use the fglrx driver solved it for me, but it means going from "open" to "closed" software

In my case, I think it was because the Radeon XPress 200M isn't well supported by the radeon driver. In fact, even with the radeon driver in 12.1 I get messages like "Warning: ATI radeon XPress 200M detected".

symatic · 11-28-2008, 05:39 AM

From what I know about the radeon driver it no longer uses mergedfb but instead uses xrandr. You should probably man xrandr and it should provide you with the info needed. I have an x1600 and use the fglrx driver for video playback and some games. The radeon driver included with 12.1 doesn't work well with my card and I don't have time to update all sorts of non-sense just to get it to work.

check it out http://dri.freedesktop.org/wiki/ATIRadeon

Please post back when you get it going, I'd like to take a look at it.