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ReaperX7: perfectly logical advice. I'm more than ready to try. Since my last post I decided to start completely fresh: new motherboard (ASRock 970M Pro3), new CPU (AMD FX-8320E), 8G memory, clean installation of Slackware64 14.2, updated to the latest -- just to make sure I didn't have any drivers etc. lurking in the test platform I've been using. I have one of the RADEON FirePro cards installed.
As to step 1, here are my results -- not looking good so far: Code:
root@mark:~# Xorg -configurelspc: Code:
03:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] RV620 [FirePro 2450]What now? |
Wouldn't it be easier to get a newish computer with a 600+ power supply and a 1070 gtx?
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This is a new computer! Except for the FirePro card. I do have new NVIDIA card(s). ReaperX7 suggested trying the FirePro first, so that's where I'm at. I have a new 400W supply standing by if any of these trials indicate a power issue. As another test, I'll try running the Xorg -configure with the. NVIDIA, but I'm skeptical that will make a difference.
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OK, retried ReaperX7's suggestion using the NVIDIA card. This time I did get an xorg.conf.new file:
lspci: Code:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GT218 [GeForce 210] (rev a2)Code:
root@mark:~# Xorg -configureCode:
Section "ServerLayout"With the NVIDIA card, the DVI connection is required. That's where the BIOS/Boot and Slackware boot screen show up. The VGA or HDMI are the alternate monitors. What next? I'll try copying the xorg.conf.new file over, just to see what happens. Should I try RadicalDreamer's nvidia driver suggestion: http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html? Tweak the xorg.conf? Have any of you actually gotten more than 2 monitors working with Slackware? |
More info ...
First of all, I misstated something in my previous post. For the EVGA GeForce 210 (NVIDIA) card, the HDMI port is required for more than one monitor. A second monitor can be plugged into the VGA or presumably the HDMI (haven't tried that). The VGA (or DVI) can be used alone if nothing is plugged into the HDMI port. So, that works so far. I have 2 monitors, per normal on all Slackware systems I've used. I've now plugged in the 2nd GeForce card, lspci: 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GT218 [GeForce 210] (rev a2) 01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1) 02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GT218 [GeForce 210] (rev a2) 02:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1) but, no monitors work on this 2nd card. KDE > System Settings > Displays show only the 2 monitors for the 1st card. The 2nd card is recognized by the OS according to lspci. Now, can I enable this card to work? |
I don't know if that legacy nvidia driver comes with it but there is an application in the new ones at least called nvidia-settings which can be used to configure monitors with nvidia cards. It picked up my two monitors (one hooked up via DVI, the other HDMI). I don't have monitors to spare to try the other plugs to see if it does more than 2 but I suspect it does.
http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree8...ppendix-t.html http://www.nvidia.in/object/sli-tech...onitor-in.html You might want to ask nvidia forum: https://devtalk.nvidia.com/default/t...busid-change-/ https://devtalk.nvidia.com/default/board/98/linux/ |
RadicalDreamer: I do have 2 monitors working. In fact I've set up multiple dual-monitor Slackware systems in the past. This one was a bit tricky because the new EVGA GeForce 210 card would run any single monitor through any of the VGA, HDMI or DVI ports, but to run dual-monitors the HDMI port had to be one of them. Unfortunately, I finally determined, with the help of computer store technicians, that this card will simply not work with an HDMI to VGA adapter. After trying various cabling/adapter experiments, the solution was to get a different card. The EVGA GeForce 730 has no such problem, so I bought a 2nd such card and that's what I'm running with now. Dual-monitors both at the command line and with KDE work just fine, but nothing shows on any monitor connected to the 2nd card -- which is recognized. Here's my lspci:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GF108 [GeForce GT 730] (rev a1) 01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GF108 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1) 02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GF108 [GeForce GT 730] (rev a1) 02:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GF108 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1) I now have new everything: ASRock 970M Pro3 motherboard, AMD FX-8320E, 8G memory and the GeForce 730 video cards. Slackware is scratch installed and up-to-date, and it is a test system so I can screw-up and reinstall to my hearts content. At least Darth Vader can't complain I'm running on outdated gear. However, we've not demonstrated he is wrong in his assertion that Slackware can't do 4 monitors. I've been searching the web for weeks on this -- months if I include my efforts with USB/VGA dongles -- and have turned up plenty of claims for 4 monitors for other distros, but in fact nothing so far for Slackware. This is an LQ post from 2014 for 3+ monitors for Slackware, with comments by ReaperX7: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...rs-4175526702/, but the thread trails off with the OP not saying how it worked out. Whenever I ask the question in this or any other site, "who has more than 2 monitors running with Slackware?", I get zero response. Could Darth Vader be right after all? Yet, at the kernel/hardware level, I don't imagine there is much if any difference between Slackware and other distros, so if Ubuntu can do it I don't see why Slackware cannot. So, I will check out your suggested links and see if I can make any progress. If so, a howto needs to be created! Thanks |
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http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desk...specifications If the nvidia driver doesn't work then I don't know what to say. You'll probably have to create two screens, one for each graphics card with nvidia-settings. The GT 730 has different max resolutions for vga and hdmi. |
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My xorg.conf - created by the NVIDIA installation program: Code:
# generated by nvidia-installerxrandr shows: Code:
Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 2304 x 1024, maximum 16384 x 16384Code:
Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 2640 x 1024, maximum 16384 x 16384BTW - I've also read about something called Xinerama which supposedly is "an extension to the X Window System that enables X applications and window managers to use two or more physical displays as one large virtual display." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinerama. Perhaps that should be my next test, although I've found various websites that either tell you what it is, or assume you know all about it, but not much in the way of how to install/configure. But ... that's for next time. I'll play with xorg.conf first. |
I have never bothered with getting my second screen to work outside X.
Start kde. Open a console: Type nvidia-settings Its a nice GUI program that takes care of things for you. If that doesn't work then I don't know. You can set it up like you like with it. You have to configure it through that program if it is configurable at all with nvidia drivers. Then once you get it like you like it you can save an xorg.conf. What does it show for GPUs and Screens in nvidia-settings program? Also the specification lists VGA has having a lower max resolution limit than HDMI/DVI so not sure how that affects your setup. See at near bottom of page the screen shots http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/Lin...lMonitors.html X Server Display Configuration is where you configure your displays, setting position like first display Position 0+0, second display position +1920+0. Resolution for each display can be setup. Configuration: X screen 0, and then you might need to create screen 1 for the other card using the drop down menu. You may have to lower the resolutions of the monitors to keep the total resolution in bounds. "Multi Monitor 2 Displays 3 Displays 3 Displays Maximum Digital Resolution 3840x2160* 3840x2160* 3840x2160* Maximum VGA Resolution 2048x1536 2048x1536 2048x1536" http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desk...specifications GPU 0 = Is the GPU and DFP-0 and DFP-1 under it are the displays connected to it. You are in business if nvidia-settings is picking up your hardware. |
RadicalDreamer: Progress! I have 2 monitors connected to one video card and 1 (so far) monitor connected to the other. I used The nvidia-settings program, "X Server Display Configuration", to enable the monitor on the 2nd video card as X Screen 1. I'll post a screen shot when I get some other things straightened out.
I have some issues: 1. I have a VIZIO TV screen (soon to be replaced by a real monitor) and an Acer monitor configured as displays on the first video card on X Screen 0; the Acer to the right of the VIZIO. I have DELL monitor connected on to the 2nd video card on X screen 1; this screen is physically to the left of the other two. Problem: the VIZIO and Acer act as one big monitor. This means that the login prompt is split between the two windows; the bottom panel is also split, in fact any program I run that wants to center itself on the display ends up split between the 2 monitors. Is there a way to fix that? Essentially, I'd like it to work as with the dual-monitor system and these monitors are independent screens, not one big screen. (btw - I'm probably using the terms "monitor", "screen", "windows" and "display" incorrectly with respect to X usage - I'll sort that out eventually). 2. I can move my mouse to the DELL on video card 2, and run programs there, but I cannot drag an open window from one of the other monitors there. For example I cannot drag a FireFox browser window from the Acer to the Dell. Is there a way to fix that? 3. Possibly not a big deal, but the KDE > System Settings > Display Settings, only shows the 2 monitors connected to the 1st video card. The Dell is not there, even though I can use it (sort of, except for #2). Is this a KDE limitation? Thanks for your help so far. 3 screens is serious progress, even if a bit short-sheeted at the moment. |
Glad to hear it works.
Technically the nv driver should work with any Nvidia card on its support list, but most newer Nvidia cards will work with the nouveau and modesetting drivers just fine without the nvidia OEM driver. For the monitors I would use the supplied nvidia-settings to set up everything. |
Thanks. Did use the nvidia-settings, but as I said, problem #1 is that both monitors on screen 0 act as one big monitor and therefore all KDE windows open spread across both monitors. I need to make them into separate screen. Perhaps there is a nvidia setting to do this, but I've not been able to find it. Do you have an idea?
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Did you run nvidia-settings as root and save to X configuration file, writing over the xorg.confg in X11 folder? Maybe if you post that xorg.conf file someone can help you here, or the nvidia forum.
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