Dual screen configuration makes keyboard stop working on X

nlw · 2012-04-19 20:22:37

Hi. My computer is working just fine. And my video card has two outputs (Nvidia[GeForce 9600 GT] (rev a1)). I got a second monitor, and I was trying to configure Xorg to use the two of them in a dual screen configuration.

I tried creating the 10-monitors.conf file like described in https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NV … e_monitors, and here is what happens. X does use the two monitors, and I can even see my mouse pointer moving from one to the other. But then my keyboard stops working, and so do the mouse keys, only moving the mouse around works.

I have the impression this is related to the missing InputDevices in the ServerLayout. Something in my configuration probably needs that still, if the ServerLayout gets explicitly configured. What should I do? Could this be related to HAL somehow? How do I turn off HAL without it trying to kill me?

Thanks.

ronmon · 2012-04-20 13:11:19

I have been using nvidia's TwinView for a long time, currently with two different monitor sizes. There is no need to do anything with udev if you have your xorg.conf set up properly. Here's what mine looks like, though you will have to adapt it according to your hardware.

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "Dual Layout"
    Screen      "Screen0"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
    Option  "AutoAddDevices"    "on"
    Option  "AutoEnableDevices" "on"
    Option  "AllowEmptyInput"   "on"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "Acer"
    HorizSync   30-81
    VertRefresh 56-76
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "GeForce 210"
    Driver      "nvidia"
    Option      "NvAGP"                     "3"
    Option      "NoLogo"                    "1"
    Option      "RenderAccel"               "true"
    Option      "AddARGBGLXVisuals"         "true"
    Option      "TwinView"                  "true"
    Option      "SecondMonitorHorizSync"    "24-70"
    Option      "SecondMonitorVertRefresh"  "56-75"
    Option      "MetaModes"                 "1680x1050, 1600x900 @1600x900"
    Option      "TwinViewOrientation"       "RightOf"
    Option      "WrappedFB"                 "true"
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
    Option  "Composite" "true"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Screen0"
    Device      "GeForce 210"
    Monitor     "Acer"
    DefaultDepth 24

    Subsection  "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes       "1680x1050" "1600x900"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
EndSection

It is best to let as much as possible be handled automatically, but getting two screens working properly requires a bit of tweaking.

Gusar · 2012-04-20 13:24:34

ronmon, you could reduce your config to just this:

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "GeForce 210"
    Driver      "nvidia"
    Option      "NoLogo"                    "1"
    Option      "TwinView"                  "true"
    Option      "MetaModes"                 "1680x1050, 1600x900 @1600x900"
    Option      "TwinViewOrientation"       "RightOf"
EndSection

If the orientation isn't right, use explicit names on that line:

Option      "TwinViewOrientation"       "DFP-1 RightOf DFP-0"

and if the primary display isn't the one you want, add this:

Option      "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder"       "DFP-0, DFP-1"

You could maybe even get rid of the MetaModes line. And that's it. People complicate way too much when it comes to setting up TwinView.

nlw · 2012-04-20 14:48:49

Great. Thank you so much, guys. I used Gusar's "minimalistic" configuration, even without the MetaModes, and the monitors looked perfect. But I _still_ had the no-keyboard/mouse issue. But then I had used this as the whole xorg.conf file, what is obviously too large of a step.

Then what I did was to cat all the previous existing configuration, and append this Device section to the end, and then it worked. I guess including that as your 10-monitor.conf file in xorg.conf.d will do as well.

I suppose also that the ScreenLayout section I created was preventing some automagic thing from working, and thus screwing my configuration. Just use Gusar's "Device" section as the sole configuration item for your dual monitors, and it should work! It would be nice to put that on the wiki.

Thanks again, folks.

Gcool · 2012-04-20 15:55:15

Good to hear it's running as expected now.

Don't forget to mark your thread as [SOLVED].

Arch Linux

#1 2012-04-19 20:22:37

Dual screen configuration makes keyboard stop working on X

#2 2012-04-20 13:11:19

Re: Dual screen configuration makes keyboard stop working on X

#3 2012-04-20 13:24:34

Re: Dual screen configuration makes keyboard stop working on X

#4 2012-04-20 14:48:49

Re: Dual screen configuration makes keyboard stop working on X

#5 2012-04-20 15:55:15

Re: Dual screen configuration makes keyboard stop working on X

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