Arch Linux

Xerict

Member

Registered: 2012-01-29

Posts: 21

[Solved] Second monitor in CLI, but not X

I have an external monitor i use through an HDMI port on my laptop.  I currently boot to command line and it works as a duplicated screen, but when I start x it looks like it is powered on, but has a black screen, and my mouse doesn't travel to it. 

Running xrandr, I only see the default screen when in X.  I have an Nvidia gtx 460M (which has intel integrated graphics 4000 as well), but with no xorg.conf file, X seems to be using the vesa driver.  I doubt this is really the issue, but I though that maybe the HDMI port is on the Nvidia card, and the vesa driver just isnt seeing it.

Trying to use a 20-nvidia.conf file results in a "no devices detected/no screens detected" error when starting x, so I need to troubleshoot that to get nvidia drivers running.
Either way, I really just want my external monitor to run as an extended display right now, I don't really care if it is done with the vesa driver or the nvidia one.

Last edited by Xerict (2013-11-22 18:23:02)

WonderWoofy

Member

From: Los Gatos, CA

Registered: 2012-05-19

Posts: 8,414

Re: [Solved] Second monitor in CLI, but not X

... X seems to be using the vesa driver.  I doubt this is really the issue...

Yes it is.  Please use a search engine to see why.

You have a machine with fancy graphics hw, yet you are using vesa?  I don't quite understand this.  If you have done nothing to handle the dual graphics situation, then you shoudl likely be trying to use xf86-video-intel.  In fact, I'm not even sure why you would have the vesa driver installed, unless you simply installed the whole xorg group (which is neither necessary, nor recommended).

Please see the wiki.

Xerict

Member

Registered: 2012-01-29

Posts: 21

Re: [Solved] Second monitor in CLI, but not X

I will try to get X working with the intel driver, but so far the only way X runs correctly is without xorg.conf.  Trying to make X us nvidia in the past has never worked, it complains about the number of displays.

Edit: Wow, I feel really dumb right now.  I uninstalled vesa, installed xf86-video-intel, rebooted and started x.  Now I have duplicate screens...just like that.  Thanks a bunch, I'm clearly new to this and I appreciate the help

Last edited by Xerict (2013-11-22 18:21:55)

WonderWoofy

Member

From: Los Gatos, CA

Registered: 2012-05-19

Posts: 8,414

Re: [Solved] Second monitor in CLI, but not X

The nvidia is supposed to be a true secondary gpu, meaning that the integrated is intended to be the primary and offload work to the more powerful nvidia.  So it is not supposed to be used that way.  But if you don't properly handle the secondary gpu, it will sit there doing nothing but be on and suck power.  So you should probably look into either shutting it down, or setting it up to actually work properly.