Can't get separate X screens to work...

Shauni · 2012-09-18 01:53:17

I've been fiddling around with separate X screens for my dual monitors for a while now, and after configuring xorg.conf and restarting X it always starts on 1 monitor, the other one also turns on, background shows black and you can even move a cursor there (although it's the shape of an X). xrandr however does not recognize the input at all (picture: http://i.imgur.com/rAQbn.jpg ) - DVI-I-0 is the other monitor that doesnt exist).

My xorg.conf file: http://pastie.org/4744156

I just realized, this log when i start X says some strange things, maybe it's related: http://pastie.org/4744163

Kernel: 3.5.3-1-ARCH
Nvidia Driver: 304.43
xorg-xrandr 1.3.5-1

Last edited by Shauni (2012-09-18 01:53:52)

bestwc · 2012-09-18 03:33:46

xrandr -q

and then put this at the beginning of your xinit file.

xrandr --output LVDS-1 --mode 1920x1200 --pos 0x0 --output DP-1 --mode 1280x1024 --pos 1920x0

Checkout: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/DualScreen

Shauni · 2012-09-18 06:35:43

Hmm, i put xrandr --output DVI-I-0 --auto --output DVI-D-0 --auto --left-of DVI-I-0 (according to my ports) in the beginning of xinitrc, it didn't seem to work. The command works if I switch to separate x screens without restarting x, but once i restart x it only recognizes one monitor.

TheSaint · 2012-09-18 07:40:14

(WW) NVIDIA(0): Option "TwinView" is not used

What about nvidia-settings, it should generate your xorg.conf. Once is done it might be necessary to move it into /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/.

Shauni · 2012-09-18 11:27:34

Why are you quoting that? I'm trying not to use twinview.

I've tried to generate my xorg.conf file through nvidia-settings, but I've also tried writing it manually, as I suspected the issue had to do with nvidia not generating it properly, causing issues with xrandr. Same thing for both though.
I didn't move the sections into conf.d, but I'm quite sure xorg.conf can still be used? I never learned how to properly create configs in conf.d, so many numbers and categories for each config...

rebootl · 2012-09-18 13:35:18

I would try to configure only one "main" screen with xorg.conf. When this is properly working I would only use xrandr for the second screen. No need to do this with xorg.conf AFAIK! Maybe it could be a problem with your window manager (You said it's only displaying a backround with a x pointer, that's X running on it, without windowmanager.). i3-wm has very nice multi-monitor support (tiling). However, as long it's not recognized by xrandr it won't work i think...
Regards

Edit:
I think what you're trying is documented here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Multihead#Xinerama
There it says for example:

# If you have multiple video cards, the BusID controls which one this definition refers
  # to. You can omit it if you only have one card.
  BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"

And:

  # For nVidia devices, this controls which connector the monitor is connected to.
  Option      "UseDisplayDevice"   "DFP-0"

All in section "Device"
I would not make three "Device" sections, only two are needed I think. And yes I think too you can put all this in xorg.conf directly.
But as I said I think it's much simpler to use only xrandr. Or what would be the advantage of this ? (I think this was needed when xrandr did not exist yet.)

Last edited by rebootl (2012-09-18 14:15:08)

Shauni · 2012-10-10 22:46:12

I can't configure anything with xrandr since it only recognizes one monitor. I've also tried to write the options manually in xorg.conf with two entries for each section as hinted in the last reply with no success. I was briefly investigating if it had anything to do with my window manager, but it seems like i3 just sees exactly what xrandr sees, which means I cannot start a workspace or i3 session on the monitor with an X cursor. Sigh, I'm out of ideas again...

Last edited by Shauni (2012-10-10 22:46:35)

Trilby · 2012-10-10 22:57:11

I think you either need to add a Severlayout section to your xorg.conf, or remove all the screen/monitor sections. In the absence of a Serverlayout X uses *only* the first screen in xorg.conf.

Shauni · 2012-10-10 23:32:19

I use a serverlayout, two monitor sections, one device and two screen sections. Anyway, it seems like i3 doesn't support separate x screen, from what I've read now. I guess you could start two different i3wm on both screens, but I'm not sure as how to do that?

Trilby · 2012-10-11 00:13:13

You can easily start two X sessions just be issuing "xinit --vt8" to launch a second on tty8. This could run a second i3. But you couldn't move windows between them. This would be "multiseat" not "multihead".

rebootl · 2012-10-12 18:23:28

Did you try xrandr with an autogenerated xorg.conf ? (Remove, rename your xorg.conf and start X on your standard monitor, then maybe connect your second monitor and try xrandr, just an idea...)
Regards

bsilbaugh · 2012-10-13 04:13:51

Which graphics card do you have? (Obviously, nvidia, but which?)

Last edited by bsilbaugh (2012-10-13 04:18:33)

virtualeyes · 2013-03-02 04:46:02

Yep, out of the box Nvidia card on i3 with dual monitor setup will create 1 huge screen, regardless of whether or not you get xorg.conf setup for Xinerama with separate X screens.

This works perfectly fine in Awesome, not sure why i3 interprets the dual monitors as one massive screen.

Love the ability to custom tile in i3 (which is what most annoys me 1 week into Awesome and its arggghhh inducing default layouts), but kind of a deal breaker when you open up, say, 3 terminals, and having the middle terminal span laptop and external monitor, or, go full screen in browser window and have one pointlessly huge browser window.

Might be missing something obvious (have the force Xinerama setting in ~/.xsession), just got i3 setup tonight, would be nice to get it working on separate screens; if not, Awesome is plenty awesome, just annoyed with fixed layouts (will need to change those via LUA config if I wind up sticking with it).

Last edited by virtualeyes (2013-03-02 04:54:59)

Arch Linux

#1 2012-09-18 01:53:17

Can't get separate X screens to work...

#2 2012-09-18 03:33:46

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#3 2012-09-18 06:35:43

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#4 2012-09-18 07:40:14

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#5 2012-09-18 11:27:34

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#6 2012-09-18 13:35:18

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#7 2012-10-10 22:46:12

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#8 2012-10-10 22:57:11

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#9 2012-10-10 23:32:19

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#10 2012-10-11 00:13:13

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#11 2012-10-12 18:23:28

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#12 2012-10-13 04:13:51

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

#13 2013-03-02 04:46:02

Re: Can't get separate X screens to work...

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