Help with multihead setup

warl0ck · 2020-08-02 21:42:29

I just switched to AMD for this build, and I am trying to configure my monitors the way I had them before.

Currently I have the following lines in my i3 config to be executed when i3 starts.

 exec xrandr --output HDMI-1 --right-of DP-1 --rotate left
 exec xrandr --output DP-2 --left-of DP-1

The thing is that if I am sitting at the desktop and enter these commands, my displays arrange how I like. But when they get autoexecuted on login, it is extremely glitched with my middle display being cut in half and combined/mirrored on to my right display somehow. Running the above commands and refreshing i3 fixes it.

When I try to manually arrange the monitors the way I want with arandr, I constantly get the error

xrandr: Configure crtc 0 failed

when I try to save my config through arandr or export and run the script generated by arandr.

Additionally, the monitors are not exactly aligned. I need to be able to make a custom vertical offset to account for the difference in height. Here is the current output of xrandr after getting the desktop how it should be with the commands:

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 4920 x 1920, maximum 16384 x 16384
DP-1 connected primary 1920x1080+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 596mm x 335mm
   1920x1200     59.88    59.95    59.95  
   1920x1080     59.97    59.96    60.00    50.00    59.94    59.93* 
   1600x1200     75.00    70.00    65.00    60.00  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1400x1050     74.76    59.98  
   1600x900      59.99    59.94    59.95    59.82  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1440x900      59.90  
   1400x900      59.96    59.88  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1440x810      60.00    59.97  
   1368x768      59.88    59.85  
   1366x768      60.00  
   1280x800      59.99    59.97    59.81    59.91  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1280x720      60.00    59.99    59.86    60.00    50.00    59.94    59.74  
   1024x768      75.05    60.04    75.03    70.07    60.00  
   960x720       75.00    60.00  
   928x696       75.00    60.05  
   896x672       75.05    60.01  
   1024x576      59.95    59.96    59.90    59.82  
   960x600       59.93    60.00  
   832x624       74.55  
   960x540       59.96    59.99    59.63    59.82  
   800x600       75.00    70.00    65.00    60.00    72.19    75.00    60.32    56.25  
   840x525       60.01    59.88  
   864x486       59.92    59.57  
   720x576       50.00  
   700x525       74.76    59.98  
   800x450       59.95    59.82  
   720x480       60.00    59.94  
   640x512       75.02    60.02  
   700x450       59.96    59.88  
   640x480       60.00    75.00    72.81    75.00    60.00    59.94  
   720x405       59.51    58.99  
   720x400       70.08  
   684x384       59.88    59.85  
   640x400       59.88    59.98  
   576x432       75.00  
   640x360       59.86    59.83    59.84    59.32  
   512x384       75.03    70.07    60.00  
   512x288       60.00    59.92  
   416x312       74.66  
   480x270       59.63    59.82  
   400x300       72.19    75.12    60.32    56.34  
   432x243       59.92    59.57  
   320x240       72.81    75.00    60.05  
   360x202       59.51    59.13  
   320x180       59.84    59.32  
DP-2 connected 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 598mm x 336mm
   1920x1080     60.00*+  59.96    50.00    59.94    59.93  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1400x1050     74.76    59.98  
   1600x900      59.95    60.00    59.82  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1440x900      60.00  
   1400x900      59.96    59.88  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1440x810      59.97  
   1368x768      59.88    59.85  
   1280x800      59.99    59.97    59.81    59.91  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1280x720      60.00    59.99    59.86    60.00    50.00    59.94    59.74  
   1024x768      75.05    60.04    75.03    70.07    60.00  
   960x720       75.00    60.00  
   928x696       75.00    60.05  
   896x672       75.05    60.01  
   1024x576      59.95    59.96    59.90    59.82  
   960x600       59.93    60.00  
   832x624       74.55  
   960x540       59.96    59.99    59.63    59.82  
   800x600       75.00    70.00    65.00    60.00    72.19    75.00    60.32    56.25  
   840x525       60.01    59.88  
   864x486       59.92    59.57  
   720x576       50.00  
   700x525       74.76    59.98  
   800x450       59.95    59.82  
   720x480       60.00    59.94  
   640x512       75.02    60.02  
   700x450       59.96    59.88  
   640x480       60.00    75.00    72.81    75.00    60.00    59.94  
   720x405       59.51    58.99  
   720x400       70.08  
   684x384       59.88    59.85  
   640x400       59.88    59.98  
   576x432       75.00  
   640x360       59.86    59.83    59.84    59.32  
   512x384       75.03    70.07    60.00  
   512x288       60.00    59.92  
   416x312       74.66  
   480x270       59.63    59.82  
   400x300       72.19    75.12    60.32    56.34  
   432x243       59.92    59.57  
   320x240       72.81    75.00    60.05  
   360x202       59.51    59.13  
   320x180       59.84    59.32  
DP-3 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI-1 connected 1080x1920+3840+0 left (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 598mm x 336mm
   1920x1080     60.00*+  59.96    50.00    59.94    59.93  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1400x1050     74.76    59.98  
   1600x900      59.95    60.00    59.82  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1440x900      60.00  
   1400x900      59.96    59.88  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1440x810      59.97  
   1368x768      59.88    59.85  
   1280x800      59.99    59.97    59.81    59.91  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1280x720      60.00    59.99    59.86    60.00    50.00    59.94    59.74  
   1024x768      75.05    60.04    75.03    70.07    60.00  
   960x720       75.00    60.00  
   928x696       75.00    60.05  
   896x672       75.05    60.01  
   1024x576      59.95    59.96    59.90    59.82  
   960x600       59.93    60.00  
   832x624       74.55  
   960x540       59.96    59.99    59.63    59.82  
   800x600       75.00    70.00    65.00    60.00    72.19    75.00    60.32    56.25  
   840x525       60.01    59.88  
   864x486       59.92    59.57  
   720x576       50.00  
   700x525       74.76    59.98  
   800x450       59.95    59.82  
   720x480       60.00    59.94  
   640x512       75.02    60.02  
   700x450       59.96    59.88  
   640x480       60.00    75.00    72.81    75.00    60.00    59.94  
   720x405       59.51    58.99  
   720x400       70.08  
   684x384       59.88    59.85  
   640x400       59.88    59.98  
   576x432       75.00  
   640x360       59.86    59.83    59.84    59.32  
   512x384       75.03    70.07    60.00  
   512x288       60.00    59.92  
   416x312       74.66  
   480x270       59.63    59.82  
   400x300       72.19    75.12    60.32    56.34  
   432x243       59.92    59.57  
   320x240       72.81    75.00    60.05  
   360x202       59.51    59.13  
   320x180       59.84    59.32

My middle monitor (DP-1), is 2560x1440p. However this is not shown in xrandr or arandr. I had the monitor running fine when I had it plugged in with a DVI cable from my GTX 970.

seth · 2020-08-03 07:00:19

What most likely happens is that you change the root window layout while i3 is configuring itself.
=> Run this before starting i3, eg. in your xinitrc. Alternatively you can use some xorg configlet (the "Identifier" in the "Monitor" section needs to match the output name in xandr)

Is DP-1 straight display port connection or HDMI on either end?

warl0ck · 2020-08-03 16:19:02

DP-1 and DP-2 are DP -> HDMI cables since my monitors are not new enough for DP and my GPU only has one HDMI and the rest DP.

I'll look into putting the commands in xinitrc. I'm just confused why simply dragging and dropping with arandr is giving me errors. If I run the xrandr commands individually and open arandr, it reflects that those commands worked.

But if I try to drag them a tiny bit to account for the IRL offset, I get

xrandr: Configure crtc 0 failed

seth · 2020-08-03 18:21:23

The adapter/cable needs to support HDMI 1.4b / "High Speed" or "Premium High Speed" to drive 2560x1440 @60Hz

About arandr, does it print the actual xrandr commands it tries to run?

warl0ck · 2020-08-03 21:18:47

When I use the "save" icon in arandr, It generates

#!/bin/sh
xrandr --output DP-1 --primary --mode 1920x1080 --pos 1920x0 --rotate normal --output DP-2 --mode 1920x1080 --pos 0x0 --rotate normal --output DP-3 --off --output HDMI-1 -code]-mode 1920x1080 --pos 3840x0 --rotate left

Running that script generates the

xrandr: Configure crtc 0 failed

error.

So you suspect that my DP -> HDMI adapter does not support that resolution? that seems odd.

seth · 2020-08-04 06:36:30

Is the stray "-code]" a typo or actually there?
Otherwise it's probably because of the attempt to configure all outputs in one command.

Adapter limitations are actually not that odd - which device (vendor/label/amazon link…) is this?

warl0ck · 2020-08-04 18:28:44

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TB … UTF8&psc=1

I am now reading the description of the cable and it says:

Supports video resolution up to 1920x1200 / 1080P (Full HD)

Well that is completely on me. I had just assumed that it would support it, DisplayPort being the "next generation" of display protocols and all. Why was my ancient HDMI -> DVI-D adapter fine with 1440p?

That code block was a typo, no clue how it got there. My bad.

seth · 2020-08-04 18:41:18

The issue is not on the display port side (even the earliest version supports 1440p@85Hz) but HDMI allows lower resolutions and, well, it's cheaper this way ;-)
The DVI/HDMI adapter was simply "better™" - all protocols have seen various versions and dual DVI-D is good for 2560×1600@60Hz

warl0ck · 2020-08-04 20:47:30

So would I be able to get an adapter that supports the correct resolution? Because I literally just upgraded my GPU and no longer have DVI-D ports.

seth · 2020-08-04 20:53:30

Sure, just search for "display port hdmi 4k" (they'll do 4k at 30Hz, but 1440p @60Hz)

warl0ck · 2020-08-05 17:22:04

Sounds good, new cable is the easiest solution I could have asked for. When I do get it though, what can I do about the arandr errors? It just seems to not want to be able to write config changes.

seth · 2020-08-05 18:17:12

what can I do about the arandr errors?

Not much except
a) not using arandr
b) patching arandr to split the xrandr calls
c) patching xrandr to split the protocol calls

Afaiu the idea was to automatically configure this w/ the session anyway, was it?

warl0ck · 2020-08-05 23:30:49

Yeah I'm not sure how to do a .xinitrc or anything because I've never had to use it before. I prefer the tools that are a bit more abstracted from raw X confs because I hear those can break easily.

seth · 2020-08-06 05:20:29

xinitrc is not "raw X" but a shell script that is sourced by xinit, startx and some DMs (notably XDM) - it also doesn't "break easily", because it's not very complicated
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinit#xinitrc

But if you don't have one right now, editing it won't work - which DM do you use?

warl0ck · 2020-08-06 18:04:16

I use LightDM which logs me straight into i3. Which is why i initially put the xrandr commands as part of the i3 start process because I know that will be run as my session starts.

seth · 2020-08-06 19:09:37

You can make it run any script here, https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Li … ng_monitor

warl0ck · 2020-08-06 20:31:34

I should specify that I am using Lightdm-slick-greeter. Also the login prompt is mirrored on all three screens, but I don't have an issue with that necessarily. Unless I am missing something, the link you sent is for solving that issue, I don't see where I can run arbitrary scripts.

stingA0815 · 2020-08-06 20:50:46

If everything is fine by xrandr, you should take a look at the display manager configuration.

I use (gdm) autorandr with i3+X and sway+kanshi on wayland

seth · 2020-08-06 21:00:17

"display-setup-script" will run whatever script you assign to configure the displays (and do other stuff at that time, if you want)

warl0ck · 2020-08-07 23:10:19

So I got a new DP - HDMI cable that supports up to 4K, and all of a sudden arandr can deploy configurations without error!

Arch Linux

#1 2020-08-02 21:42:29

Help with multihead setup

#2 2020-08-03 07:00:19

Re: Help with multihead setup

#3 2020-08-03 16:19:02

Re: Help with multihead setup

#4 2020-08-03 18:21:23

Re: Help with multihead setup

#5 2020-08-03 21:18:47

Re: Help with multihead setup

#6 2020-08-04 06:36:30

Re: Help with multihead setup

#7 2020-08-04 18:28:44

Re: Help with multihead setup

#8 2020-08-04 18:41:18

Re: Help with multihead setup

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Re: Help with multihead setup

#10 2020-08-04 20:53:30

Re: Help with multihead setup

#11 2020-08-05 17:22:04

Re: Help with multihead setup

#12 2020-08-05 18:17:12

Re: Help with multihead setup

#13 2020-08-05 23:30:49

Re: Help with multihead setup

#14 2020-08-06 05:20:29

Re: Help with multihead setup

#15 2020-08-06 18:04:16

Re: Help with multihead setup

#16 2020-08-06 19:09:37

Re: Help with multihead setup

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Re: Help with multihead setup

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