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dante4d

Member

From: Czech Republic

Registered: 2007-04-14

Posts: 176

acpi4asus: display switching

Hi,

I'm trying to set up TwinView on my laptop. The Asus F3Jc has Fn+F8 key to turn external display on/off. It sends 3 acpi events in cycle:
hotkey ATKD 0000008c
hotkey ATKD 0000008d
hotkey ATKD 00000061
None of the possible "states" of the key did allow xorg to detect the external monitor (it's possibly just a notification feature with no real hardware effects).

asus4acpi README says:

4.1.1 Display switching
...
  To switch the displays, echo values from 0 to 15 to
  /sys/devices/platform/asus-laptop/display. The significance of those values
  is as follows:
...
  In most cases, the appropriate displays must be plugged in for the above
  combinations to work. TV-Out may need to be initialized at boot time.

  Debugging:
  1) Check whether the Fn+F8 key:
     a) does not lock the laptop (try disabling CONFIG_X86_UP_APIC or boot with
        noapic / nolapic if it does)
     b) generates events (0x6n, where n is the value corresponding to the
        configuration above)
     c) actually works
     Record the disp value at every configuration.
  2) Echo values from 0 to 15 to /sys/devices/platform/asus-laptop/display.
     Record its value, note any change. If nothing changes, try a broader range,
     up to 65535.
  3) Send ANY output (both positive and negative reports are needed, unless your
     machine is already listed above) to the acpi4asus-user mailing list.

  Note: on some machines (e.g. L3C), after the module has been loaded, only 0x6n
  events are generated and no actual switching occurs. In such a case, a line
  like:

    echo $((10#$arg-60)) > /sys/devices/platform/asus-laptop/display

  will usually do the trick ($arg is the 0000006n-like event passed to acpid).

  Note: there is currently no reliable way to read display status on xxN
  (Centrino) models.

For me, any value output to "display" just blinks the laptop display and the value goes back to 1.
Did anyone have the same issue - what are you experience with asus laptop & linux & external display???

Thanks
David

Last edited by dante4d (2008-11-29 12:16:30)

Vrob

Member

Registered: 2007-12-07

Posts: 42

Re: acpi4asus: display switching

Well, since you asked me via PM to reply to this thread, here is how I use external Displays:

Plug them in before (!) you boot the device. When in X, use the nvidia-settings program to setup your Beamer/Monitor/whatever.

I know, this is kind of unconvenient, but since I don't use beamers/projectors on a regular basis, it's sufficient for me.
IIRC, nvidia blamed the beamer manufacturer for not sending appropriate IDs or something and that they won't/can't provide
a fix unless the aforementioned workaround.

Cheers,
Vrob

Last edited by Vrob (2008-12-03 06:47:47)

dante4d

Member

From: Czech Republic

Registered: 2007-04-14

Posts: 176

Re: acpi4asus: display switching

Plug them in before (!) you boot the device. When in X, use the nvidia-settings program to setup your Beamer/Monitor/whatever.

Did I write that X doesn't detect the monitor at all? Conncet BEFORE BOOTING? You mean I should restart my laptop each time I connect external device? Hmm... That doesn't sound very nice, but I'll try it just to be sure.

Thanks