[SOLVED] Dual display setup - only one display works

[boarder428]

I was curious if anyone had any insight on this problem, I'm running F12 with Nvidia 8400GTS card, I'm trying to run dual displays but only the display plugged into the vga port is comming on when booting up. If I only have 1 monitor hooked up to DVI port that monitor will come on.

[kbs1]

do you want to run the display as separate X display or expanded X screen? [like expanded desktop]. Either way you need to edit xorg.conf, I had a similar setup on my old computer on FC9.

[boarder428]

Originally Posted by kbs1

do you want to run the display as separate X display or expanded X screen? [like expanded desktop]. Either way you need to edit xorg.conf, I had a similar setup on my old computer on FC9.

I'd like to run it as an expanded desktop

[kbs1]

well if you install the nvidia official driver, there should be a program named "nvidia-config-display" or "nvidia-display-config" or something like that, I don't remember exactly. Just run it and it can create a pretty good xorg.conf file for you, with expanded desktop settings

[boarder428]

Originally Posted by kbs1

well if you install the nvidia official driver, there should be a program named "nvidia-config-display" or "nvidia-display-config" or something like that, I don't remember exactly. Just run it and it can create a pretty good xorg.conf file for you, with expanded desktop settings

ok, I found it, it said I was'nt using the Nvidia driver, I installed it and re-started and it let me configure the second monitor. It is working now, thanks for the response!
I do have another issue though concerning compiz. I cannot seem to get any of the compiz features to work, when I click on Desktop effects it says "Accelerated 3D graphics is not avaliable Desktop effects require hardware 3d support" I do not see anything about 3D support in the nvidia settings, I have had no problems in the past running compiz effects on this hardware under Ubuntu os's.

[kbs1]

so how did you install the nvidia driver? are you sure you're using the correct one?

[boarder428]

I can't remember the exact command! I'll have to try to go thru the terminal history and find it. When I clicked on the Nvidia settings under the system tools menu it said that the settings were disabled and gave me a command to run as root to change. After running the command and re-starting Inow have configurable options under the Nvidia settings dialog which I did'nt have before so I am just assuming that it worked due to the changes! I am also haveing a problem with the computer retaining the settings after rebooting. I have to enable my 2nd monitor each time I boot. I would choose the option to "Save to X Conguration file" and it would return with the error "Unable to create new X config backup file '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup'."

Don't know if this helps...

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 1.0  (mockbuild@)  Sun Nov 22 21:05:17 EST 2009

# Xorg configuration created by livna-config-display

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Default Layout"
    Screen         "Default Screen" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    ModulePath      "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
    Option         "AIGLX" "on"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from data in "/etc/sysconfig/keyboard"
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "keyboard"
    Option         "XkbLayout" "us"
    Option         "XkbModel" "pc105"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Videocard0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Default Screen"
    Device         "Videocard0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Modes      "nvidia-auto-select"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
    Option         "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

[kbs1]

you have to run that utility as root. try that, the file you have posted does not provide configuration for expanded desktop or dual screens.

[boarder428]

Originally Posted by kbs1

you have to run that utility as root. try that, the file you have posted does not provide configuration for expanded desktop or dual screens.

I can't seem to figure out how to run it from root! I tried the recomendations listed above and none of them worked. Then I tried the following...

[root@spyder1 ~]# nvidia-xconfig

Using X configuration file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf".
Backed up file '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' as '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup'
New X configuration file written to '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'

after adjusting the settings here...



but still does'nt seem to work!

I am wondering if I should try running some of the commands in this Nvidia post? http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=204752

Also wondering how to tell if I have a PAE Kernel, I do have 4gb of ram.

[kbs1]

it should work now, just press the save to x configuration file button

PAE kernel not necessary for this.

[boarder428]

Originally Posted by kbs1

it should work now, just press the save to x configuration file button

PAE kernel not necessary for this.

thats what I thought but this is when I get the error "Unable to create new X config backup file '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup'."

[kbs1]

from what you post here:

[root@spyder1 ~]# nvidia-xconfig

Using X configuration file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf".
Backed up file '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' as '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup'
New X configuration file written to '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'

it seems the file was written ok. You have to run that utility as root.

[boarder428]

Well thanks for the reply, I did run it from root I just did'nt include the su - command when I copied the text from the terminal window. I think i'm beating a dead horse here, everything looks to be in order but it still does'nt work correctly as with compiz as well. I previously strayed away from fedora for a while when I was having similar issues in F10 but decided to give it a try again. I'm tring to get a feel for the red hat like distro but have always had much better luck with Ubuntu. Compiz and everything runs fine on this machine when booted to Ubuntu or Mint so I am pretty sure it is'nt a hardware issue. I'm frustrated with this issue and think it's time to give it a rest. The dual displays work I just have to re-enable the second display every time I boot up and I can live without compiz.
Thanks again for the effort!
Corey

[kbs1]

okay no problem, just post the contents of file /etc/X11/xorg.conf AFTER you press the "save to X configuration file button". Does the message that it failed appear even if you run the utility as root? I'm curious, this feature always worked for me back in times of Fedora 9. Now I have a new PC, and only a single monitor output, so no extended desktop for me

[boarder428]

All I can figure is that I am not actually running the config utility as root. When I type the following

[corey@spyder1 ~]$ su -
Password: 
[root@spyder1 ~]# nvidia-xconfig

I do not actually get the nvidia X Server settings window, I get the following return

Using X configuration file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf".
Backed up file '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' as '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup'
New X configuration file written to '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'

I actually have to go to Applications>System Tools>nVidia Display Settings to get the nVidia window.

the /etc/X11/xorg.conf is exactly as I posted above.
I am obviously having a problem figuring out how to run the utility as root unless I have a permissions issue that is not allowing the config utility to back up and/or write to the file(s)

EDIT: I don't know why I did'nt figure this out before but I found a simple work around, When choosing the "Save to Config" option there is an option to preview the config before saving, I just simply copied the text from the preview window, opened a terminal and pasted the text into the xorg.conf file under root priveleges, saved it and it worked.
Not that it matters but here is a copy of the file now and the computer is retaining the settings upon re-booting.

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings:  version 1.0  (mockbuild@builder.wilsonet.com)  Sun Nov 22 21:43:09 EST 2009

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 1.0  (mockbuild@)  Sun Nov 22 21:05:17 EST 2009
# Xorg configuration created by livna-config-display

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Default Layout"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
    Option         "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    ModulePath      "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
    Option         "AIGLX" "on"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from data in "/etc/sysconfig/keyboard"
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "keyboard"
    Option         "XkbLayout" "us"
    Option         "XkbModel" "pc105"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "SVA 905W"
    HorizSync       31.0 - 80.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Videocard0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 8400 GS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Default Screen"
    Device         "Videocard0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Modes      "nvidia-auto-select"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "TwinView" "1"
    Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "CRT-0"
    Option         "metamodes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, DFP: nvidia-auto-select +1440+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
    Option         "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

thanks for all the help:-)
Corey