[SOLVED]cannot detect external monitor (Arch on aluminum body macbook)

tdstephens3 · 2011-05-13 20:44:04

I can't seem to find my mini display port.

It seems others have been successful, alas I am not. I am attempting to attach an external monitor on my aluminum body macbook running Arch, but the mini display port seems to be evading detection.

Output of lspci:

 [09:44:10] tds3 ~ $ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Host Bridge (rev b1)
00:00.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)
00:03.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 LPC Bridge (rev b2)
00:03.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)
00:03.2 SMBus: nVidia Corporation MCP79 SMBus (rev b1)
00:03.3 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)
00:03.4 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation Device 0a98 (rev b1)
00:03.5 Co-processor: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Co-processor (rev b1)
00:04.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 OHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev b1)
00:04.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 EHCI USB 2.0 Controller (rev b1)
00:06.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 OHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev b1)
00:06.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 EHCI USB 2.0 Controller (rev b1)
00:08.0 Audio device: nVidia Corporation MCP79 High Definition Audio (rev b1)
00:09.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Bridge (rev b1)
00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Ethernet (rev b1)
00:0b.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP79 SATA Controller (rev b1)
00:10.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)
00:15.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation C79 [GeForce 9400M] (rev b1)
03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4322 802.11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller (rev 01)

Output of xrandr -q: (with external monitor attached and powered on)

[09:49:18] tds3 ~ $ xrandr -q
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 175, current 1280 x 800, maximum 1280 x 800
default connected 1280x800+0+0 0mm x 0mm
   1280x800       50.0* 
   1024x768       51.0     52.0  
   832x624        53.0  
   800x600        54.0     55.0     56.0     57.0     58.0  
   720x400        59.0  
   700x525        60.0  
   640x512        61.0     62.0  
   640x480        63.0     64.0     65.0     66.0     67.0  
   640x400        68.0  
   640x350        69.0  
   576x432        70.0  
   512x384        71.0     72.0     73.0     74.0     75.0  
   416x312        76.0  
   400x300        77.0     78.0     79.0     80.0     81.0  
   360x200        82.0  
   320x240        83.0     84.0     85.0     86.0  
   320x200        87.0  
   320x175        88.0

Does this make sense?

Last edited by tdstephens3 (2011-05-17 17:09:23)

tom5760 · 2011-05-13 22:00:02

If you are using the nVidia proprietary drivers, you should configure multi-monitor stuff with their tool. You should be able to start it with "nvidia-settings". I think you can only use xrandr for that if you are using the open source drivers.

ConnorBehan · 2011-05-14 00:33:09

Is the mini display port even supposed to be a separate "VGA compatible controller"? I thought multi-monitor displays on Macbooks were dualhead setups with one video card.

tdstephens3 · 2011-05-17 17:05:01

Thank you for the suggestion tom5760, when I started nvidia-settings I found the monitor actually was being detected - and I was able to select it, and adjust a handful of settings that are going to suit me fine for now.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-05-13 20:44:04

[SOLVED]cannot detect external monitor (Arch on aluminum body macbook)

#2 2011-05-13 22:00:02

Re: [SOLVED]cannot detect external monitor (Arch on aluminum body macbook)

#3 2011-05-14 00:33:09

Re: [SOLVED]cannot detect external monitor (Arch on aluminum body macbook)

#4 2011-05-17 17:05:01

Re: [SOLVED]cannot detect external monitor (Arch on aluminum body macbook)

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