[SATLUG] Dual Monitors with FC6

Tue May 29 14:50:41 CDT 2007

Hi Matt,

I wasn't on my computer much this weekend, so sorry for the late response.

As for the XF86 error, that sounds like the driver just cannot handle what
you want. I'd try what Charles suggested and use the ATI proprietary driver.
ATIs are notoriously hard to configure with Linux, though some do have great
success with it. I've never used ATI with Linux so I cannot offer any help
there.

My video card has two VGA outs and I specify the same card on videocard0 and
videocard1, so I know that can work. That being said, the card I have is
specifically designed for multi-monitor support. You have stated you get
cloned monitors, so we know the card can give a signal to two monitors at
the same time. Whether it can deliver something different is the question.

You will want to disable cloning and enable xinerama once you get to that
point. Xinerama spreads the desktop across two monitors allowing different
content on each.

The only error you get now is regarding the videocards not being allowed to
be assigned to the same device. If that is not allowed, then you will get an
error saying no devices detected and no screens found as there is no valid
device at that point.

I also found a link to someone's xorg.conf file using FC3 and a Sony Vaio
PCG-GRX616MP. I'm not sure what model you have, but you can see in their
xorg file they used the "radeon" video card driver. There are definitely
some differences in their system and yours, but it should help you out. The
also were cloning, where you want xinerama, so leave the stuff about cloning
out of the second monitor and make sure at the top it stays xinerama "on"
and clone "off".
http://prouchon.free.fr/Linux/Fedora%20Core%203%20on%20Sony%20Vaio%20PCG-GRX616MP.html#DUAL_HEAD

Gabe

>
>
> Matt Kinsel wrote:
> > Thanks, Gabriel.  I've fixed up my xorg.conf file like you said; you can
> > see
> > it here: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgrrq4fk_89dkgpnp
> >
> > But I'm still not able to start my X server with that config.  I get
> these
> > errors in Xorg.0.log:
> > (EE) ATI: XF86Config Device sections "Videocard0" and "Videocard1" may
> not
> > be assigned to the same adapter
> > (EE)No devices detected
> >
> > And after those two errors there's this message:
> > Fatal server error:
> > no screens found
> >
> > As you can see on my xorg.conf, "Videocard0" and "Videocard1" are
> referring
> > to the same card, which is sending outputs to both monitors.  Should I
> just
> > eliminate "Videocard1" and have both "Screen" sections link to
> > "Videocard0"?
> >
> > And I forgot to mention some important info in the last email.  The
> > dual-screen "kind of" works - the video card sends outputs to both
> > monitors.  However, they both display the same thing.  When I move the
> > mouse, it moves on both monitors.  Windows, typing, and other actions
> > display exactly the same on both monitors.  As you know, this is not
> what I
> > want.  I would like to be doing two different things on two different
> > monitors, with the mouse moving between the two.  By the way, since I
> can't
> > even get X to start with the dual-head xorg.conf (
> > http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgrrq4fk_89dkgpnp), this half-way
> dual-screen
> > deal is the result of my normal, single-head xorg.conf:
> > http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgrrq4fk_90jjqtn5
> >
> > Thanks for the help!
> >
> > On 5/26/07, Gabriel Doss <gabriel.doss at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> I don't use ATI or a laptop, but I do have dual monitors using FC6
> using
> >> an
> >> nVidia card. Screen0 needs to be linked to something. Try specifying
> the
> >> laptop monitor as Monitor0. It would default to that with only one
> >> monitor
> >> so you don't need it in the single-head config.
> >>
> >> To sum up, add a: "Monitor" "Monitor0" line to Screen0. Also add a
> >> monitor
> >> device identified as "Monitor0." Use the specs of your laptop monitor
> for
> >> that. I'd also edit xorg.conf by hand as I've never had
> >> system-config-display work when attempting a dual monitor setup. There
> >> are
> >> just too many variables that it does not account for.
> >>
> >> The other thing you may want to check is if the ati driver can handle
> >> dual
> >> monitors. You may need the proprietary fglrx driver. I have no idea
> >> whether
> >> it can or cannot, just may be something you want to check.
> >>
> >> And good luck. Trial and error is how I got mine to work. I've had to
> >> redo
> >> my xorg.conf file many times as I make hardware and other changes, and
> it
> >> is
> >> usually a struggle.
> >>
> >> On 5/26/07, Matt Kinsel <mkinsel at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > Hi all,
> >> >
> >> > I'm running Fedora Core 6 on a Sony Vaio laptop, and I've got an
> extra
> >> CRT
> >> > monitor that I want to use as a second monitor for my system.  My
> >> laptop
> >> > has
> >> > a VGA port which I will connect the monitor to.  I used the GUI tool
> >> > "system-config-display" to attempt to configure a dual-head
> >> environment.
> >> > After I saved the settings I logged out and tried to restart my X
> >> server.
> >> > However, I received a message saying "Failed to start X server", and
> >> then
> >> > I
> >> > was given the option to view the Xorg.0.log.  The first thing I found
> >> was
> >> > this warning:
> >> > (WW) No monitor specified for screen "Screen0"
> >> > Using a default monitor configuration
> >> >
> >> > I also found two errors:
> >> > (EE) ATI: XF86Config Device sections "Videocard0" and "Videocard1"
> may
> >> not
> >> > be assigned to the same adapter
> >> > (EE)No devices detected
> >> >
> >> > And after those two errors there was this message:
> >> > Fatal server error:
> >> > no screens found
> >> >
> >> > That was the end of the Xorg.0.log, and then I was able to try to
> >> > reconfigure the X server settings.  After typing in my root password,
> >> the
> >> > shell output this:
> >> > Couldn't start X server on card 0
> >> > Couldn't start X server with old config, trying with a fresh
> >> configuration
> >> >
> >> > After that I was given the "system-config-display" GUI tool to
> >> reconfigure
> >> > the settings.  I put them back how they were (no dual-head), and then
> >> the
> >> > X
> >> > server started fine.
> >> >
> >> > Well, that's how it went down. Sorry for the play-by-play details,
> >> but I
> >> > feel that the more info given the better.  Anyways, here are my
> >> > /etc/X11/xorg.conf files for the two setups:
> >> >
> >> > Single head: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgrrq4fk_90jjqtn5
> >> > Dual head: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgrrq4fk_89dkgpnp
> >> >
> >> > Could y'all help me out with this?
> >> > TIA
> >> > --
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