Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

nanawel · 2017-03-21 16:42:10

Hi,

I'm using Xorg/Xfce with a dual-head configuration with the following (and maybe unconventional) layout: [Monitor 2] [Monitor 1]

Everything had been working perfectly for years now but since a recent upgrade (less than a week), I've noticed that the left monitor is now used as primary: system dialogs open on it, fullscreen applications also. It's really annoying.
In the display properties of Xfce though the layout is correct, as well as in arandr, so I have no idea what could be the cause of this erratic behavior.

Is there any other place to look at? Is anyone having the same issue with the latest packages?

Thanks in advance

seth · 2017-03-21 20:30:20

"xrandr -q" lists the right one as "primary"?

hwj727 · 2017-03-22 02:52:55

I have the same problem after system upgrade, and i solve the problem by the setting panel.
Steps: setting->hardware->display and monitor
You may see that: there are two screens used. So you should choose the right one, and close the other one. Good luck~

nanawel · 2017-03-22 05:51:39

seth wrote:

"xrandr -q" lists the right one as "primary"?

Yes it does.

$ xrandr -q
Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 3840 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
DVI-I-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DVI-I-1 connected primary 1920x1080+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 521mm x 293mm
   1920x1080     60.00*+  50.00  
   1680x1050     59.95  
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1440x900      59.89  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1280x800      59.81  
   1280x720      60.00    50.00  
   1024x768      60.00  
   800x600       60.32    56.25  
   720x576       50.00  
   720x480       59.94  
   640x480       59.94  
HDMI-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-0 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DVI-D-0 connected 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 477mm x 268mm
   1920x1080     59.93*+
   1680x1050     59.95  
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1440x900      59.89  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1280x800      59.81  
   1024x768      60.00  
   800x600       60.32    56.25  
   640x480       59.94  
DP-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Edit: BTW I've noticed the exact same issue on another machine using up-to-date Archlinux with Xfce, so I'm assuming this seems more like a common problem.

Last edited by nanawel (2017-03-22 06:47:47)

seth · 2017-03-22 11:37:43

@hwj727, this is not the sae as https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1699247
It's neither plasma nor does nanawel face a ghost screen - he's "just" unhappy with the way the actual multiscreen setup is treated.

@nanawel so it's likely just ignored by the WM - which is xfwm4 for you?
This commit looks suspicious:
https://git.xfce.org/xfce/xfwm4/commit/ … 773634f9c8
Check whether you updated xfwm4 in the relevant time frame, try to downgrade and file a bug upstream in case.

nanawel · 2017-03-22 12:15:53

seth wrote:

@nanawel so it's likely just ignored by the WM - which is xfwm4 for you?
This commit looks suspicious:
https://git.xfce.org/xfce/xfwm4/commit/ … 773634f9c8
Check whether you updated xfwm4 in the relevant time frame, try to downgrade and file a bug upstream in case.

$ grep xfwm4 /var/log/pacman.log
[...]
[2017-03-16 21:28] [ALPM] upgraded xfwm4 (4.12.3-2 -> 4.12.4-1)

That seems very likely indeed. I'll try that and file a bug if it's confirmed. Thanks very much.

nanawel · 2017-03-23 09:24:58

Bug opened at https://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13454 but ATM it is qualified as "not a bug"... oO

seth · 2017-03-23 15:14:40

Dialogs should open on the output their parent are on (usually "on top of their parents") - even *if* they state otherwise (what few ever do; the startupinfo protocol is 90% of the time used wrongly ;-)
The problem with "system dialogs" is that they have no parent resp. the parent is the desktop (covering all outputs)

If a window specifies a specific location, WMs should honor that. Otherwise a better strategy than using the primary output may be to use the "active" output which could either be the one with the currently active window or the mouse pointer on it.
This could used as an additional measure is the transients main window covers "similar" fractions of several outputs (like a desktop window would do)

nanawel · 2017-03-23 15:23:58

Yes this is a difficult question because it also depends on monitor layouts and personal preferences.
Anyway, Olivier Fourdan (the creator of Xfce) told me that he understand the issue and will have a look and try to solve this. That's cool

The biggest problem is to rely on third-party applications, specially games, to fix their behavior. So a workaround provided by the WM would be very nice.

Arch Linux

#1 2017-03-21 16:42:10

Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

#2 2017-03-21 20:30:20

Re: Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

#3 2017-03-22 02:52:55

Re: Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

#4 2017-03-22 05:51:39

Re: Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

#5 2017-03-22 11:37:43

Re: Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

#6 2017-03-22 12:15:53

Re: Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

#7 2017-03-23 09:24:58

Re: Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

#8 2017-03-23 15:14:40

Re: Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

#9 2017-03-23 15:23:58

Re: Wrong screen used as primary since upgrade

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