Dual Monitors

[mcmanus69]

Okay, I bought a 2nd PCI video card (another GF2 MX... good reliable card with good drivers) for my 2nd monitor. I read a short 'article' on how to setup my XF86Config file to make it work. (http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/linux/mandrake7/) However, I have a question... the sample given to me was:

#************************************************* *********************
# Graphics device section
#************************************************* *********************

Section "Device"
Identifier "Diamond Viper 770 Ultra"
Driver "nv"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0" # BusID always starts with PCI, even if it is an AGP card
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Diamond Viper 550"
Driver "nv"
BusID "PCI:0:13:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Diamond Fire GL 1000 Pro"
Driver "glint"
BusID "PCI:0:14:0"
EndSection

My question is, how do I know what BusID to use??? It's a PCI video card in the 2nd PCI slot.

(using slack, as usual ;) )

[ 19 March 2002: Message edited by: mcmanus69 ]

[jlany]

Originally posted by mcmanus69:
<STRONG>Okay, I bought a 2nd PCI video card (another GF2 MX... good reliable card with good drivers) for my 2nd monitor. I read a short 'article' on how to setup my XF86Config file to make it work. (http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/linux/mandrake7/) However, I have a question... the sample given to me was:

#************************************************* *********************
# Graphics device section
#************************************************* *********************

Section "Device"
Identifier "Diamond Viper 770 Ultra"
Driver "nv"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0" # BusID always starts with PCI, even if it is an AGP card
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Diamond Viper 550"
Driver "nv"
BusID "PCI:0:13:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Diamond Fire GL 1000 Pro"
Driver "glint"
BusID "PCI:0:14:0"
EndSection

My question is, how do I know what BusID to use??? It's a PCI video card in the 2nd PCI slot.

(using slack, as usual ;) )</STRONG>


Do a 'cat /proc/pci' to get the info needed.

[mcmanus69]

Thanks for the info! I got XF86Config all edited the way I like it, but I can't get it to work. It worked once when I tried "init 4", but it froze halfway thru loading Sawfish (Gnome's default), but even that doesn't work anymore. And my mobo is rather quirky with the video card bootup options... if I boot PCI up first everything works fine, but if I load AGP first, then the PCI card doesn't work. But when I do PCI first the text display (BIOS, POST, CLI) is all on the 2nd monitor... :( this is rather cumbersome, and Microsoft does get a big plus on the incredible ease of getting it working in WinXP, as well as being able to position the display in certain positions. Oh well...

[mcmanus69]

...I also lose mouse support after I reboot everytime X crashes hard. It's a USB mouse and support is compiled into the kernel, so I don't know what's up. Maybe a bad symlink? I still don't see why it would get deleted.

*sigh* dual monitors is impossible to get working. my XF86Config file works, but I don't know how to setup X to use both as one screen (trying to learn about xinerama... reading up linuxdoc now about it... when windows doesn't crash, grrr...). 'init 4' opens up X on 2nd monitor and KDM is running on the 1st, which is good, but all of the window managers crash. If anyone has had previous experience getting dual monitors working, please tell me about your success story.

[gwpritch]

I have been able to get dual monitors working in both mandrake and debian although I have not been able to get xinerama to work with mdk.I got it going in Debian but dumped it. Its a real PITA when you maximize a window and it tries to take over both monitors.

Also Gnome Sawfish does not seem to work with dual monitors. I think Sawfish may be the problem, since other window managers do work.

Lets have a look at your XF86Config.

Here is my XF86Config-4 file:

Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
FontPath "unix/:-1"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "Keyboard"
Option "AutoRepeat" "250 30"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "MouseManPlusPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Princeton Ultra 72"
VendorName "Princeton"
ModelName "Unknown"
HorizSync 30-70
VertRefresh 50-120
EndSection


Section "Monitor"
Identifier "monitor2"
VendorName "Princeton"
ModelName "Unknown"
HorizSync 30-70
VertRefresh 50-120
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Generic VGA"
Driver "vga"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Mach64 1"
VendorName ""
BoardName ""
Driver "ati"
Option "DPMS" "on"
BusID "PCI:0:9:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel 740 (generic) 2"
VendorName ""
BoardName ""
Driver "i740"
Option "DPMS" "on"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen1"
Device "ATI Mach64 1"
Monitor "Princeton Ultra 72"
DefaultColorDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x400"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen2"
Device "Intel 740 (generic) 2"
Monitor "monitor2"
DefaultColorDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x400"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"
Screen "screen1"
Screen "screen2" RightOf "screen1"
# Option "Xinerama" "on"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

[ 19 March 2002: Message edited by: gwpritch ]

[mcmanus69]

Hmmm... still doesn't work. My XF86Config file is similar to yours (I will post it up in a bit), except that I have 2 nvidia cards, both using the nvidia driver. I don't know if this is a problem or not... I tried using both

Option "Xinerama" "on" (in XF86Config)
and then run startx

and

startx -- +xinerama

and it hangs. This is the result I get...

pic1 (http://www.kaosoverlords.net/members/mcmanus/lnxdual1.jpg)

pic2 (http://www.kaosoverlords.net/members/mcmanus/lnxdual2.jpg)

pic3 (http://www.kaosoverlords.net/members/mcmanus/lnxdual3.jpg)

[mcmanus69]

...and here is my XF86Config:

# ************************************************** ********************
# Monitor section
# ************************************************** ********************

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Impression 7 Plus"
HorizSync 31.5 - 64.3
VertRefresh 50-70
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Compaq V70"
HorizSync 30.0 - 69.0
VertRefresh 50-125
EndSection


# ************************************************** ********************
# Graphics device section
# ************************************************** ********************

Section "Device"
Identifier "Standard VGA"
VendorName "Unknown"
BoardName "Unknown"
Driver "vga"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "NVIDIA GeForce2 MX - 32MB"
Driver "nvidia"
VideoRam 32768
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 - 64MB"
Driver "nvidia"
VideoRam 65536
BusID "PCI:2:1:0"
EndSection


# ************************************************** ********************
# Screen sections
# ************************************************** ********************

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "NVIDIA GeForce2 MX - 32MB"
Monitor "Impression 7 Plus"
DefaultDepth 16
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x960" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 2"
Device "NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 400 - 64MB"
Monitor "Compaq V70"
DefaultDepth 16
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x960" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

# ************************************************** ********************
# ServerLayout sections.
# ************************************************** ********************

Section "ServerLayout"

Identifier "2 monitors"

Screen "Screen 1"
Screen "Screen 2" RightOf "Screen 1"

Option "Xinerama" "on"

InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

EndSection

[mcmanus69]

I also don't know how I should load up X. Should I switch to run-level 4, use startx -- +xinerama, or edit KDM/GDM like in the linuxdoc.org HOWTO? so confused, so confused... :(

[gwpritch]

Getting back to basics, which version of X are you using 3 or 4.
If you are using 4 which would probably be best, your config file should be XF86Config-4 not XF86Config.
Also, try without xinerama and see if that helps.
Is this your complete file? I notice you haven't specified your Input devices, ie mouse and keyboard. As far as I know, as is, X will know nothing about them, compiled in kernel or not.
Two of the same graphics card is ok as long as you have the right BusID's identified.

Which ever way you boot into X doesn't matter either. Just make sure the proper WM is configured into /home/user/.xinitrc for startx or into the appropriate display manager files eg /etc/X11/gdm/Sessions.

[ 20 March 2002: Message edited by: gwpritch ]

[mcmanus69]

Originally posted by gwpritch:
<STRONG>Getting back to basics, which version of X are you using 3 or 4.
If you are using 4 which would probably be best, your config file should be XF86Config-4 not XF86Config.
Also, try without xinerama and see if that helps.
Is this your complete file? I notice you haven't specified your Input devices, ie mouse and keyboard. As far as I know, as is, X will know nothing about them, compiled in kernel or not.
Two of the same graphics card is ok as long as you have the right BusID's identified.

Which ever way you boot into X doesn't matter either. Just make sure the proper WM is configured into /home/user/.xinitrc for startx or into the appropriate display manager files eg /etc/X11/gdm/Sessions.

[ 20 March 2002: Message edited by: gwpritch ]</STRONG>

I'm using XFree86 4, and I didn't bother including the really long keyboard, fonts, mouse, etc. section of the XF86Config file. Oh, it doesn't have to be named 4, unless XF86Config (w/out the -4)exists (usually for XFree86 3).

As for Xinerama, I tried both ways, with and without, and it still crashes. I will tweak with it more today, but overall it doesn't like me.

[mcmanus69]

Okay, I just installed MDK 8.2 onto my box as well, and it seems to do Xinerama dual-monitors just fine (except the mouse goes out after X starts... grrr....), so I know Xinerama can work on my system... However, it is using the default 'nv' driver that comes with MDK 8.2 (not the "full" nvidia driver). I do know that it alwayz locks up after the second video card gets initialized. Maybe driver issue? I'm using the latest. Either way, I'm gonna try upgrading XF86 to 4.2.0 first.

I think I'm gonna upgrade to the latest version of X. I know X 4.2.0 packages are out for Slack, so I'm gonna try to get that working *soon*.

As for why the mouse goes out in Mandrake, I have no clue. My system has issues, ones which I will hopefully resolve eventually.

[gwpritch]

Originally posted by mcmanus69:
<STRONG> I do know that it alwayz locks up after the second video card gets initialized. </STRONG>

I wonder if you have a device conflict going on. Have you checked the interupts etc for the video card and the usb ports. Does the mouse work if you use only the 1st card...only the second.?

[mcmanus69]

Originally posted by gwpritch:
<STRONG>I wonder if you have a device conflict going on. Have you checked the interupts etc for the video card and the usb ports. Does the mouse work if you use only the 1st card...only the second.?</STRONG>

Yeah, that's something I was thinking of last nite as well... I have ALL of my PCI slots filled up in my i815E board, there's probably a conflict somewhere. How do I check the interrupts?

The thing is, though, it works in MDK using the 'nv' default driver, but it didn't work in MDK after I installed the real full nvidia driver. Maybe it's an nvidia issue? It also doesn't work in windows when I try to play a game... I hafta switch it to AGP only, otherwise everything crashes. Very very quirky. I'm thinking it might also be a power supply issue. Last I checked I have a ton of devices in my computer, and 3 HD's, etc. etc. etc. and I don't remember if my power supply is very good. But I need to double-check, 'cuz I did pay a ton of $ for my case.

[mdwatts]

The gui way would be the KDE Control Center under Information.

Commandline you can use

lspci to get a list

cat /proc/pci
cat /proc/ioports
cat /proc/interrupts

Have a look in /proc for any others I may have forgotten.

[mcmanus69]

Nope, nothing wrong with the interrupts or ioports... there's no conflicting resources in linux... in the BIOS I do see some devices with conflicting IRQs... I know I do have too much old hardware in this POS :D (along lines of Dxr3 decoder board, Hauppauge WinTV Theater board.........)

[mdwatts]

Have you gone through the X docs/manpages installed in /usr/X11R6/docs or something like that? There is one on xinerama I beleive.

I saved the following for future use if I ever get around to hooking up a second monitor to my Matrox G450. Not sure if it's any help to you though.

Section "Device"
Identifier "G450_1"
VendorName ""
BoardName ""
Driver "mga"
# Clock lines

# Uncomment following option if you see a big white block
# instead of the cursor!
# Option "sw_cursor"

Option "DPMS"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "G450_2"
VendorName ""
BoardName ""
Driver "mga"
# Clock lines

# Uncomment following option if you see a big white block
# instead of the cursor!
# Option "sw_cursor"

Option "DPMS"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen1"
Device "G450_1"
Monitor "Generic|High Frequency SVGA, 1024x768 at 70 Hz"
DefaultColorDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen2"
Device "G450_2"
Monitor "Generic|High Frequency SVGA, 1024x768 at 70 Hz"
DefaultColorDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"

Screen "screen1" LeftOf "screen2"
Screen "screen2"
#This is fairly self-explanatory. Matrox's
#documentation explains how to do more
#complicated layouts should you need to.

Option "Xinerama"
#Xinerama mode joins the screens into one
#desktop.

InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Mouse2" "SendCoreEvents"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

[gwpritch]

Have you had a look through the XFree86 log files in /var/log for any clues to the problem?

[mcmanus69]

yeah, nothing at all in log files. But this I do know... Dual monitors works using the 'nv' driver (the non-full driver.. it's like a mock driver without 3D support for nvidia cards), I had just kept forgetting to comment out the 'Load "glx" ' line when I tested it. SO that works, but I lose everything USB-related. I don't know why. And there is no resource sharing. SO I'm confused. And why wouldn't the full-blown nVIdia driver work? it loads up fine on the first monitor, but it hangs on the second one. I guess that's an nVidia issue. But the USB going out? I dunno about that.... GOnna do some searching and find out.

Anyone using dual monitors with two nVidia cards? Let me know how you got it all working.

[mcmanus69]

AHA!!! I have figured out part of the problem... My AGP video card is dying! 3D doesn't work on it anymore, it alwayz hangs/locks the whole system, be it linux or windows. It does 2D just fine, though, in Windows, and in Linux, it hangs when the full nvidia driver is initialized (when X is started). That's part of the reason it only works with the mock nv driver. I ended up dropping about $400 and ordered myself a GeForce4 Ti4600, so I will be a happy camper when that comes in.

That's still only part of the problem, though. I still don't know why USB always go es out. However, I've noticed that it only goes out when I have the motherboard set to initialize PCI video cards first before the Onboard OR AGP video card. So my guess is that it's my motherboard's issue, and nothing I can really do... Does ANYONE at all have an i815 board (or an Abit SA6R) who has had issues with this? I've done some searching and haven't come up with anything. Will experiment around some more when i get the new vid card. I guess this is my last post about this for a while (heh, I've kept this thread alive more than long enough, huh?) ;)

[gwpritch]

I've kept this thread alive more than long enough, huh?) ;)[/QB]

Sometimes keeping the thread going just allows you to brainstorm an answer to your own problem.
But you know I may be having the same problem and never realized...I have an i740 (agp) and a pci card ati and I have never been able to get my usb network interface working. I finally just gave up on it. Its the only usb device I've ever tried...hmmmm!

[mcmanus69]

Heh, I wuz beginning to think I was the only one =)

Is yours integrated video? I'm thinking that might be at least part of the problem. There's an 82815 integrated video card (at least that's what Windows calls it) on my mobo. So who knows. I will test it out on a motherboard without integrated video sometime, and let ya know what goes on.

As for your usb network interface, try disabling one of the vid. cards and seeing if it works. (I have had to disable my PCI card with the AGP plugged in to get USB working, haven't tested it since I pulled the AGP out, tho)

[mcmanus69]

AHA!!! I have a little bit of insight to the madness...

In your mobo BIOS options, there should be something like "In Order Depth Queue" (it varies from board to board) for your CPU. Default was 4 for this board (it was either 4 or 1... on previous boards I've had 1 and 8...). Well, I talked to a friend who works at AMD (no, it's not intel, but they have similar options...), and he said that it controls a crystal in the board that controls timing for devices such as USB controllers, etc. And the different options you have are like different sampling rates to access the device, and often the slower the more stable it is. So set it lower if you are having stability and/or USB problems.

...Now....this hasn't exactly fixed the problem in linux. I still lose USB support in linux when using two monitors. However, in Windows, everything actually works properly now. My USB doesn't randomly go out (and get re-initialized) anymore, and I can actually get the 2nd monitor to work even tho I've initialized the AGP video card first. SO I guess I've gotten somewhere with this problem, altho I still think the i815 is to blame, and I can't completely work around the problem. (I have another problem now of a maximum of 64MB aperture size, so memory performance with my 128 MB GF4 is lacking...) I blame Intel for this, heh. My friend told me about all sorts of tricks (read: HACKS!) that chip designers do to work around bugs/issues/instabilities. Go fig. Oh well, I won't post again to this thread unless I can get it working in linux. Good luck anyone running dual-monitors with Intel integrated-video mobos!!! :D

[ 08 April 2002: Message edited by: mcmanus69 ]