[SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

keepitsimpleengineer · 2012-06-25 20:20:38

New minimal install for testing.

Had to forego Grub2 and use grub .99 on multiboot system.

In any case, after the grub screen ( on monitor 0), Arch Linux boots onto monitor 2, not suitable as "primary monitor". A new thing for me, woderng how I might fix it?

Last edited by keepitsimpleengineer (2012-08-04 01:45:48)

nomorewindows · 2012-06-26 21:21:50

Are they multiple monitors on the same graphic card or separate graphics cards?

keepitsimpleengineer · 2012-06-27 17:41:19

nomorewindows wrote:

Are they multiple monitors on the same graphic card or separate graphics cards?

There are 2 graphic adapters, nvidia running SLI. There are two monitors, each connected to the primary (by PCIe slot) graphic adapters. The primary monitor is connected to the primary DVI connector.

The primary monitor is large and the secondary monitor is smaller, situated up and to the right. The secondary monitor is primarily used for monitoring ( a monitor monitor )

On other systems running on the computer, two windows and two ubuntu linux, all present initially on the primary monitor. Grub always presents on primary monitor.

Only ArchLinux's initial console presents on the secondary monitor.

Not so much a problem but a curious anomaly.

nomorewindows · 2012-06-28 00:42:58

Not that it matters, but if each card has a VGA and a DVI connector on them, you could attach up to 4 monitors to it. with a little help from tuning the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file or configuration with supporting wm/de of choice.
I've seen this behaviour and I haven't figured it out why it does that, but with more than one monitor on the same card, it repeats the same output on both monitors attached to the same card in console mode. Within the Xrandr extension of X, you can have your virtual desktop extend across all available graphics cards/monitors for one gigantic screen.

bartonc · 2012-06-30 16:46:41

On my dual head nvidia system the boot screen was also on the non-primary monitor if it was powered on. The Arch Wiki gave some good clues:
"...save the configuration to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-monitor.conf" was the final key that I had been missing.

After much googling, I came up with settings that work well on my system:

Section "Monitor"

    # HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Acer H274HL"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 94.0
    VertRefresh     49.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
    Option         "Primary" "True"
EndSection

Section "Device"

    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 8400 GS"
    Option         "ConnectedMonitor" "DFP-0, CRT-1"
EndSection

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

I use the generated setting provided by nvidia-utils as a starting point.

Of course, this assumes that TwinView (as opposed to "separate screens") is what you're after.

EDIT:
It should be noted that the proprietary nVidia drivers cause a kernel taint.
Also, this link may explain why my boot screen no longer uses the monitor's native resolution.

EDIT #2:
After thinking about it due to this post, I'm strongly considering switching back to the Nouveau driver.

Last edited by bartonc (2012-06-30 20:46:36)

keepitsimpleengineer · 2012-06-30 22:03:55

nomorewindows wrote:

Not that it matters, but if each card has a VGA and a DVI connector on them, you could attach up to 4 monitors to it. with a little help from tuning the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file or configuration with supporting wm/de of choice.

The adapters have two DVI and one HDMI each.

nomorewindows · 2012-06-30 22:41:47

I don't know that console mode has any way of handling multiple monitors, but X does. Again, ubuntu rarely uses text mode, it instead uses gnome or unity now, so it for the most part goes straight into graphic mode. No problem with windows, it was designed to do that also. You could try putting both monitors on the same card, but I don't think it'll change anything. BIOS usually tries to use the primary first if it's the only card, but if there is an add-on it expects it to be an upgrade (not always the case), and tries to use it first. From kernel to initramfs image, there is a drm switch on the video that probably provokes the split output.

keepitsimpleengineer · 2012-06-30 23:00:27

bartonc wrote:

....After much googling, I came up with settings that work well on my system:....

I've just started using Archlinux after some years of Ubuntu. This was actually a test turned into a usable, working system.

Since I'm a Arch noob, I just followed the Beginners' Guide. Because I need compiz extra plugins for cube & 3D for my work (hobbies really as I'm retired) I installed the proprietary driver per the Beginners' Guide and NVIDIA wiki. I used nvidia-settings (run as root so the xorg.conf file can be saved) to get them started and everything worked "out of the box" so to speak. Note: I use separate X windows. Because nvidia-settings (GUI) has worked so well for me the last few years, I don't think about it too much. I fact I didn't even look at xorg.conf until reading this post.

Also perhaps I wasn't clear in my original post, but all the things I was describing happened before X windows opened.

You can see some details and the nice results at https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 2#p1122512

Here is my xorg.conf (JIC):

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings:  version 302.17  (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-04.nvidia.com)  Tue Jun 12 17:05:32 PDT 2012

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    Screen      1  "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
    Option         "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

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

Section "InputDevice"
    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    # HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "HP LP3065"
    HorizSync       49.3 - 98.5
    VertRefresh     59.9 - 59.9
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    # HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
    Identifier     "Monitor1"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Samsung SyncMaster"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 81.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce GTX 560 Ti"
    BusID          "PCI:3:0:0"
    Screen          0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device1"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce GTX 560 Ti"
    BusID          "PCI:3:0:0"
    Screen          1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "Stereo" "0"
    Option         "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen1"
    Device         "Device1"
    Monitor        "Monitor1"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "Stereo" "0"
    Option         "metamodes" "DFP-2: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

bartonc · 2012-07-01 05:21:23

keepitsimpleengineer wrote:

<snip>
Also perhaps I wasn't clear in my original post, but all the things I was describing happened before X windows opened.
<snip>

I agree that it doesn't make sense that the xorg settings should change the behavior of the driver before X loads, but this, indeed, is what got my system working the way I intend from BIOS to Grub to X (which where all on the secondary screen before I made the change to the standard nVidia generated file). Hmmm...

PS
I did manage to get grub to use a nice resolution (1024x768) during kernel load by appending vga=773 to the kernel command line in /boot/grub/menu.lst

Last edited by bartonc (2012-07-01 05:28:28)

keepitsimpleengineer · 2012-08-04 01:44:56

I think I should follow up on this post. Re-installing (after clearing up some other things) and the problem disappeared.

I now have completed the 64bit install (AIF) successfully and am finishing up the new install method on my venerable legacy 32bit system.

Thanks to all the assistance, I am impressed by this community!

Arch Linux

#1 2012-06-25 20:20:38

[SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

#2 2012-06-26 21:21:50

Re: [SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

#3 2012-06-27 17:41:19

Re: [SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

#4 2012-06-28 00:42:58

Re: [SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

#5 2012-06-30 16:46:41

Re: [SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

#6 2012-06-30 22:03:55

Re: [SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

#7 2012-06-30 22:41:47

Re: [SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

#8 2012-06-30 23:00:27

Re: [SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

#9 2012-07-01 05:21:23

Re: [SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

#10 2012-08-04 01:44:56

Re: [SOLVED]New test install, grub on monitor 0, Arch on monitor 1…

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