Setting up multiple monitors

[Veritai]

I just got given a monitor and want to set it up to expand the desktop. How is this done? I am able to get it to function as a clone of the first display but not able to extend the desktop.

From configure your desktop --> display and monitor --> size & orientation  No matter what I select for the position of DVI-0 it functions as a clone of DVI-1.


From configure your desktop --> display and monitor --> multiple monitors  I am told, "This module is only for configuring systems with a single desktop spread across multiple monitors. You do not appear to have this configuration.

Configure your computer --> Hardware --> Set up the graphical server does not give me the option of selecting/enabling multiple displays.

I know it is possible on this machine as I have done it already with M$

[CJ]

A bit late in the game, are you still having these issues? If so, please tell us what video card you are using (eg. Nvidia, ATI).
Also, are the monitors of the same type and resolution?

Personally, I am using Nvidia with two identical LCD monitors, though I ended up editing xorg.conf manually to get what I wanted. I am far (!) from an expert in these matters but will help you if I can - as will others, I am sure, if you provide a little more info.

Cheers!
CJ

[Veritai]

Still having the same issue.
The video card is an ati radeon
one monitor is a dell and the other is a Sony.
Both flat screens and both set to the same resolution 1280x1024.

[CJ]

Hm, must admit I don't know about ATI.
If it will help, I will post the relevant part of my xorg.conf file. At least, it might give you an idea on how to search further.

Firstly - if you haven't done this already - you will probably need to install the propriety ATI driver that matches your graphic card (have a look in Synaptic for a match).

The following applies to Nvidia, so treat it as a guideline only!

(* Before making any changes to your xorg.conf file, make sure you back it up first! *)

As root, edit etc/X11/xorg.conf.

Under the 'Device' section, set

Code: [Select]

Option "DynamicTvinview" "true"(If I remember correctly, this only needs to be set if you plan to change between one- and two-display modes real-time.)

In the 'Screen' section, I have this:

Code: [Select]

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "screen1"
    Device "device1"
    Monitor "monitor1"
    DefaultColorDepth 24
    
    Subsection "Display"
        # Viewport   0 0
        Depth 24
        Modes "1920x1200"
    EndSubsection
    Option "TwinView" "1"

    Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: 1920x1200_60 +0+0, DFP-1: 1920x1200_60 +1920+0;"
EndSection
The 'DFP' refers to your type of monitor, in this case LCD. (I think it actually refers to the connection type, i.e. DVI, but I am a bit rusty).
You would, of course, change the metamode line to your resolution (1280x1024).
The '_60' is the refresh rate, change it to match yours.
The last '+ 1920' is the x-offset of the second monitor (yours should then be '+ 1280'), '+ 0' the y-offset.

The biggest caveat is that I am not sure that ATI calls the setup for twinview, it might be only Nvidia.

I hope someone with more ATI experience will come by and help you out soon! Sorry I could be of no more help.

Cheers!
CJ

[7272andy]

Do you have the catalyst control center installed?

(fglrx-control-center from synaptic)

[Veritai]

Now I'm really confused... admittedly that doesn't take much. I have the catalyst control center installed and when I tried running it I received the error, "There was a problem initializing Catalyst Control Center Linux edition.  It could be caused by the following.

No ATI graphics driver is installed, or the ATI driver is not functioning properly.
Please install the ATI driver appropriate for you ATI hardware, or configure using aticonfig."

So, I ran aticonfig in a terminal and got, "No supported adapters detected"

Next I went to Config your computer and this is what came up for the hardware profile



 

[7272andy]

OK, in your position I'd do the following;

• Open the PCC and go to Hardware and then set up the graphical server
• Select the correct Graphic Card driver, when the button is pressed it will usually autodetect the correct driver for you.
• Click OK
• Click Yes to use the proprietary driver (if one is available)
• Tick the box to Enable Translucency and click OK
• Click Quit. Do not click on the Test button
• Click Yes
• Close the PCC and open Synaptic
• install the fglrx-control-center
• Open a Konsole and su to root
• Enter aticonfig --initial -f
• Re-boot the computer

Retry the catalyst control center.

Regards
Andy

[Veritai]

Everything worked until the "aticonfig --initial - f" part when the error "No supported adapters detected" was returned.

[7272andy]

It looks as though ATI have dropped their support for your card (which I believe is an x600) from the current Catalyst driver to legacy status see here.
Searching the ATI site shows that the 9.3 Catalyst driver should be the latest one to support your card available here.

Before we go any further can you confirm your card by opening a Konsole entering lspci | grep VGA and posting the result here

Can you also confirm that you are happy working from the command line and that you have your system backed up.

Regards

[Socratea]

Hi Guys (and girls?),

I have exactly the same problem as Veritai. I followed the advice in this tread and my system has responded in the exact manner as Veritai.

It looks as though ATI have dropped their support for your card (which I believe is an x600) from the current Catalyst driver to legacy status see here.
Searching the ATI site shows that the 9.3 Catalyst driver should be the latest one to support your card available here.

I believe ATI has also dropped support for my card (ATI Radeon XPRESS 200M / renamed the 1150). I downloaded version 9.3 just now. When I try

sh ./ati-driver-installer-9-3-x86.x86_64.run

I get:
Error: ./default_policy.sh does not support version
default:v2:i686:lib::none:2.6.33.5-pclos1.bfs; make sure that the version is being
correctly set by --iscurrentdistro

Before we go any further can you confirm your card by opening a Konsole entering lspci | grep VGA and posting the result here

01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE)

- remember that my system has reponded in exactly the same way as Veritai's system.

Can you also confirm that you are happy working from the command line and that you have your system backed up.

Confirmed on point 1, though I've only been using linux for 5 weeks now - and I will backup before attempting anything more. BTW can you recommend any easy backup techniques?

Thanks!!

[7272andy]

Personally I boot the system with a Parted Magic live CD to boot the system and then use Ghost for Linux (G4L) to image the root and any other partitions I want at that time.

There are plenty of other methods though, including the remasterme script included with PCLinuxOS.

Regards
Andy

[Veritai]

It looks as though ATI have dropped their support for your card (which I believe is an x600) from the current Catalyst driver to legacy status see here.
Searching the ATI site shows that the 9.3 Catalyst driver should be the latest one to support your card available here.

Before we go any further can you confirm your card by opening a Konsole entering lspci | grep VGA and posting the result here

Can you also confirm that you are happy working from the command line and that you have your system backed up.

Regards

What was returned was: Ati Technologies Inc RV380 [Raedon X600 (PCIE)]
I am comfortable working in the command line
System is backed up.

Thanks for the help so far.

[7272andy]

Verital, if you download the file from  ATI and run it in a Konsole session, what output do you get?

Writhen, welcome to the distro boards, why not introduce yourself over at the the Welcome Center, you may pick up some extra help along the way too. Did you execute the file as a user or as root? if it was as a user could you retry from a root Konsole?

[Socratea]

Verital, if you download the file from  ATI and run it in a Konsole session, what output do you get?

Writhen, welcome to the distro boards, why not introduce yourself over at the the Welcome Center, you may pick up some extra help along the way too. Did you execute the file as a user or as root? if it was as a user could you retry from a root Konsole?

Just tried it as root - nope same error!

Thus far the only drawback of linux compared to windows for me: No multiple monitors --- so I really hope to get back to zero drawbacks soon!

Sorry for the slow reply (stuck at a boring workshop for a few days),

Cheers,

Writhen

[7272andy]

Research suggests this looks like a kernal issue, two suggestions are

• install the headers for your kernal and try again
• downgrade the kernal (if possible) install the headers and try again

another option may be to use xrandr from the command line; not an elegant solution, but it usually works.