Dual Monitors Spring 2007

[Scythe]

I got my dual monitors to work fine with the first 2007 version. I actually pasted my xorg.conf file on an eariler thread here to reference to later if I needed it. (Note: this xorg.conf was for 2007.0)

 

In 2007.1 I installed the latest NVIDIA drivers (not the beta), it all went smoothly. I tried to enable Twinview in the NVIDIA control panel that the NVIDIA driver installs, hit apply, and the dual monitor works for until I restart X. I get this error when I restart X:

 

startx
xauth: creating new authority file /root/ .serverauth.4640

X Window System Version 7.2.0
Release Date: 22 January 2007
X Protocol Version 11, REvision 0, Release 7.2
Build Operating System: UNKNOWN
Current Operating System: Linux localhost 2.6.17-13mdv #1 SMP Fri Mar 23 19:03:31 UTC 2007 i686
Build Date: 26 March 2007
	 Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
	 to make sure that you have the latest version
Module Loader present
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
	 (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
	 (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Thu May  3 22:35:35 2007
(==) Using config file: "etc/X11/xorg.conf"
Using vt 7

xinit: connection to X server lost

 

Phew - typed all that from my laptop. This is annoying like crazy, since you'd think that with the NVIDIA program, it would write the correct settings to xorg.conf, but apparently not.

Edited May 4, 2007 by Scythe

[Scythe]

My working xorg.conf is here:

 

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 1.0  (buildmeister@builder3)  Mon Feb 26 23:38:46 PST 2007

# File generated by XFdrake (rev 142098)
# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the xorg.conf man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier	 "layout1"
Screen		 "screen1" 0 0
InputDevice	"Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice	"Mouse1" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"

# font server independent of the X server to render fonts.
# minimal fonts to allow X to run without xfs
FontPath		"unix/:-1"
FontPath		"/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load		   "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
Load		   "v4l" # Video for Linux
Load		   "extmod"
Load		   "type1"
Load		   "freetype"
Load		   "glx" # 3D layer
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"

#DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
#DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
# allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work
Option		 "allowmouseopenfail"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier	 "Keyboard1"
Driver		 "kbd"
Option		 "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option		 "XkbLayout" "us"
Option		 "XkbOptions" "compose:rwin"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier	 "Mouse1"
Driver		 "mouse"
Option		 "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option		 "Device" "/dev/mouse"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

# TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
# 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
Identifier	 "monitor1"
VendorName	 "Plug'n Play"
ModelName	  "LCD-MONITOR"
HorizSync	   29.0 - 81.0
VertRefresh	 54.0 - 76.0
ModeLine	   "768x576" 50.0 768 832 846 1000 576 590 595 630
ModeLine	   "768x576" 63.1 768 800 960 1024 576 578 590 616
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier	 "device1"
Driver		 "nvidia"
VendorName	 "nVidia Corporation"
BoardName	  "NVIDIA GeForce FX - GeForce 7950"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier	 "screen1"
Device		 "device1"
Monitor		"monitor1"
DefaultDepth	24
Option		 "DPMS"
SubSection	 "Display"
	Depth	   8
	Modes	  "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "640x480" "480x360" "320x240"
EndSubSection
SubSection	 "Display"
	Depth	   15
	Modes	  "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "640x480" "480x360" "320x240"
EndSubSection
SubSection	 "Display"
	Depth	   16
	Modes	  "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "640x480" "480x360" "320x240"
EndSubSection
SubSection	 "Display"
	Depth	   24
	Modes	  "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "832x624" "800x600" "640x480" "480x360" "320x240"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option		 "Composite"
EndSection

[Scythe]

Anyone?

[RVDowning]

I would post my xorg.conf, but I'm not at home. (Constrained to Windows XP at work.) If you still have had no luck I'll post it then.

[JonEberger]

Hi Scythe,

 

So your second post is the currently working xorg.conf for your 2007.1 install? How did the Nvidia panel change the xorg.conf file? That would be interesting to see as well. So perhaps make a backup copy of this xorg.conf and then make the change. Then you always have the working one too.

 

In my xorg.conf file if I add the lines

 

	 Option		"TwinView"
 Option		"MetaModes"		  "1680x1050,1680x1050"

 

in the "Device" Section (where the two metamodes are resolutions for the monitors), TwinView works well for me.

 

Good luck,

 

Jon

[Scythe]

I have been doing just that, experimenting with a copy xorg.conf and restoring the backup when things go awry.

 

As far as I know, the NVIDIA panel changed it just as a manual editing did. I never actually looked at it after changing it with the NVIDIA control panel, but I get the same error after manually changing my xorg.conf.

 

It's just weird. I'm using the same video card as before when I got it working and I tried the same thing I did for my previous install, but it's not working. I'm gonna keep trying things to see what works (if anything indeed does work). Once I get this working I'll be using Mandriva instead of Windows for everyday stuff.