[SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

fukawi2 · 2013-06-26 08:44:55

I've got a brand new desktop machine, with dual monitors powered by a GT640-based card.

Using the proprietary nvidia drivers, I can configure the dual monitors correctly (side-by-side, using TwinView for 1 wide desktop)

No matter how I 'save' the config though, it never persists after I logout (either logout and back in, or reboot). EDIT: after I log back in, both monitors are mirrored until I open nvidia-settings and drag the primary monitor to the left of the secondary; initially they are stacked directly on 'top' of each other)

The xorg.conf file it generates is below; I've configured and saved it many times, comparing old and new and it never changes for my given config.

I've always just used the nvidia-settings tool to configure this in the past on other dual-monitor systems, so I can't figure out what is different about this time.

Any ideas for what I'm doing wrong, or what is missing, would be great.

# nvidia-xconfig: X configuration file generated by nvidia-xconfig
# nvidia-xconfig:  version 319.23  (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-11)  Thu May 16 20:17:21 PDT 2013

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    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      "Samsung SMS24A450"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 81.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce GT 640"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "Stereo" "0"
    Option         "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, DFP-2: nvidia-auto-select +1920+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Last edited by fukawi2 (2013-07-02 09:13:24)

Gwenonkled · 2013-06-26 18:24:29

Could be related to this issue
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=163319

alphaniner · 2013-06-26 18:58:35

I had to switch from nouveau and apparently I got lucky because everything 'defaulted' just how I wanted it. I was going to compare my xorg.conf to yours but realized I don't have one. However, when I use the gui tool to generate one, there is one noteworthy difference: in the Screen section I have

    Option         "nvidiaXineramaInfoOrder" "CRT-1"

FWIW, CRT-1 is my primary display and it's on the right.

fukawi2 · 2013-06-26 23:07:04

I didn't think I was using Xinerama since both monitors are running from the same GPU... I'll have a look at both these suggestions when I get home. I'm interested in the fact that you're running without an xorg.conf file at all though @alphaniner so I might try that first

Thanks guys

fukawi2 · 2013-07-01 01:31:12

It just occurred to me to compare my work desktop (working dual monitors) to my home desktop with the broken dual-monitors. Ignoring comments and whitespace, there are some differences:

-    Option         "Stereo" "0"
+    Option         "TwinView" "1"
+    Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-0"

I'll try duplicating this config tonight and see how I go. If that works, then I'm going to have to assume that something in nvidia-settings has been broken since I built my work desktop

fukawi2 · 2013-07-01 08:29:58

OK, well copy-pasting my working config from my work desktop achieved.... Absolutely nothing. No change in behaviour.

Now I'm really confused.

fukawi2 · 2013-07-01 08:47:01

OK, so I just realized it works at the login manager (slim).

Here's some interesting lines from the X log file:

[     2.815] (II) NVIDIA(0): Setting mode "DFP-0:nvidia-auto-select+0+0,DFP-2:nvidia-auto-select+1920+0"
[     8.775] (II) NVIDIA(0): Setting mode "DVI-D-0: nvidia-auto-select @1920x1200 +0+0 {ViewPortIn=1920x1200, ViewPortOut=1920x1200+0+0}, DVI-D-1: nvidia-auto-select @1920x1200 +0+0 {ViewPortIn=1920x1200, ViewPortOut=1920x1200+0+0}"
[    39.445] (II) NVIDIA(0): Setting mode "DFP-0:nvidia-auto-select@1920x1200+0+0,DFP-2:nvidia-auto-select@1920x1200+1920+0"

The first line (2.815) is when slim loads (dual monitors are correctly configured).
The second (8.775) is after I enter my password (monitors are mirrored instead of extended).
The third (39.445) is after I open nvidia-settings and reconfigure it correctly.

SO, something is happening between slim and xfce starting that it making X reconfigure itself incorrectly. I've compared my config to the good work desktop and everything matches:

/etc/slim.conf

default_path        /bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin
default_xserver     /usr/bin/X
xserver_arguments -nolisten tcp vt07
halt_cmd            /sbin/shutdown -h now
reboot_cmd          /sbin/shutdown -r now
console_cmd         /usr/bin/xterm -C -fg white -bg black +sb -T "Console login" -e /bin/sh -c "/bin/cat /etc/issue; exec /bin/login"
xauth_path         /usr/bin/xauth 
authfile           /var/run/slim.auth
numlock             on
login_cmd           exec /bin/bash -login ~/.xinitrc %session
sessions            xfce4,icewm-session,wmaker,blackbox
screenshot_cmd      import -window root /slim.png
welcome_msg         Welcome to %host
shutdown_msg       The system is halting...
reboot_msg         The system is rebooting...
default_user        fukawi2
focus_password      yes
current_theme       archlinux-darch-grey,capernoited,fingerprint,flat,
lockfile            /var/lock/slim.lock
logfile             /var/log/slim.log

~/.xinitrc

#!/bin/sh
#
# ~/.xinitrc
#
# Executed by startx (run your window manager from here)

if [ -d /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d ]; then
  for f in /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/*; do
    [ -x "$f" ] && . "$f"
  done
  unset f
fi

# exec gnome-session
# exec startkde
exec dbus-launch --exit-with-session startxfce4
# ...or the Window Manager of your choice

The /etc/X11/xinit dirs match on both systems (default files that pacman installs; no mods)

Any ideas what's doing this folks? :s

henk · 2013-07-01 10:21:30

Never tried this in Arch, in Xubuntu ik works fine. So I hooked up the HDMI cable to the Arch machine and tried it.
Couldn't save the configuration file (no root) but looked at the preview.
There is one line that was different:

"metamodes" "DFP-0: 1920x1080_60 +0+0, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +1920+0"

as to yours

"metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, DFP-2: nvidia-auto-select +1920+0"

Maybe usefull

fukawi2 · 2013-07-02 08:35:58

Thanks; it took ever so slightly longer to login, but same result

fukawi2 · 2013-07-02 09:13:08

Solved!

I created a new user and logged in... And everything was RIGHT. Long story short, after comparing my home directory to the new user's home directly, there was some settings in .config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/displays.xml related to Display that must have been written when I originally tried to get nouveau working.

Remove that file and everything works

Thanks everyone for your input in working towards this (I am running without /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-dual-screens.conf too)

Loschmidt · 2014-08-07 02:12:29

fukawi2 wrote:

Solved!
Long story short, after comparing my home directory to the new user's home directly, there was some settings in .config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/displays.xml related to Display that must have been written when I originally tried to get nouveau working.
Remove that file and everything works
too)

Thank you! This worked for me too.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-06-26 08:44:55

[SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#2 2013-06-26 18:24:29

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#3 2013-06-26 18:58:35

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#4 2013-06-26 23:07:04

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#5 2013-07-01 01:31:12

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#6 2013-07-01 08:29:58

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#7 2013-07-01 08:47:01

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#8 2013-07-01 10:21:30

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#9 2013-07-02 08:35:58

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#10 2013-07-02 09:13:08

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

#11 2014-08-07 02:12:29

Re: [SOLVED] xfce + nvidia + dual screen won't save config

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