Arch Linux

gauthma

Member

Registered: 2010-02-16

Posts: 215

Website

Two monitors, and the choice of primary.

Here's the situation: I have two monitors connected to the same graphics card (an nVidia): an LCD connected via DVI, and an older CRT (via VGA). I want the LCD to be the primary monitor, and I have X configured accordingly. My problem is that *outside* X, so to speak, the CRT acts as the primary. I.e. when booting up, and shutting down, as well as when using the tty, the only active monitor is the CRT. I suspect this can be set up properly tweaking the kernel, but thus far I've been unable to do solve this. Ideas, pointers anyone?

George.Harmony

Member

From: Off The Wire

Registered: 2010-04-30

Posts: 97

Re: Two monitors, and the choice of primary.

If you use kernel mode setting and framebuffering you can then disable one of them  on start up via the kernal line in grub.

This page

and

This page

One craveat: This is how I got both monitors active on the console but I could never get my smaller monitor to disable.  I believe it was because I had a DVI to VGA converter in line with the smaller monitor. I scripted fbset to run in my rc.local in order to set my resolution to the larger monitor and I just ignore my smaller monitor until I start X. When X starts I use Xrandr to set up my dual screens. Much easier then using Xorg.conf . Also all this was done on an ATI card.

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Desktop:  Compiz Stand Alone w/ Cairo Dock.
Laptop:    Pekwm w/ Tint2
Jukebox:   MPD w/ cli
Gateway: Vuurmuur w/dialog

gauthma

Member

Registered: 2010-02-16

Posts: 215

Website

Re: Two monitors, and the choice of primary.

I should have mentioned this in the original post, but I use the nvidia binary driver, and have both monitors using TwinView. Both links you posted are for the nouveau driver; is there any way to fix this using the binary driver? (I suspect the answer is negative, but I'll cross my fingers and ask, just in case).