Triple head, twinview + seperate x = KDE only sees one screen

boast · 03-24-11, 10:28 PM

If I only have twinview enabled with two monitors, KDE can distinguish between the monitors (fullscreen only goes to one monitor).

But if I enable the third monitor to be on a separate X, KDE only sees one monitor and fullscreens into both of them.

How can I enable my third monitor but still have nvidia report the monitor info to my DE?

xorg.conf with third screen disabled:

Code:

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings:  version 260.19.44  (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-08.nvidia.com)  Sun Feb 27 22:59:44 PST 2011

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      "Acer E211H"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 83.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 8800 GT"
    BusID          "PCI:2:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "TwinView" "1"
    Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-0"
    Option         "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +1600+0, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

and with third screen enabled:

Code:

  GNU nano 2.2.6                        File: /etc/X11/xorg.conf                                                        

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings:  version 260.19.44  (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-08.nvidia.com)  Sun Feb 27 22:59:44 PST 20$

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    Screen      1  "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
    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      "Acer E211H"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 83.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    # HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
    Identifier     "Monitor1"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "DELL 2005FPW"
    HorizSync       30.0 - 83.0
    VertRefresh     56.0 - 75.0
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 8800 GT"
    BusID          "PCI:2:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device1"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName      "GeForce 6600"
    BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "TwinView" "1"
    Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-0"
    Option         "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +1600+0, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen1"
    Device         "Device1"
    Monitor        "Monitor1"
    DefaultDepth    24
    Option         "TwinView" "0"
    Option         "metamodes" "nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Code:

$ xdpyinfo -ext XINERAMA 
...
XINERAMA version 1.1 opcode: 151
  Xinerama is inactive.

Code:

$ xdpyinfo | grep -i xin
    XINERAMA
    XInputExtension

Code:

$ cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep -i xin
...
[    33.000] (II) Loading extension XINERAMA
[    33.121] (II) Initializing built-in extension XInputExtension
[    33.121] (II) Initializing built-in extension XINERAMA

adamk75 · 03-25-11, 04:50 AM

KDE4 only supports one X screen and, unfortunately, I do believe that twinview + xinerama has the problem you described, where the X server doesn't quite understand how the monitors are positioned and can't relay that information to the window manager.

What happens if you don't use twinview at all, but set up each monitor as a separate screen and then use xinerama to combine them all?

Adam

boast · 03-25-11, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamk75

What happens if you don't use twinview at all, but set up each monitor as a separate screen and then use xinerama to combine them all?

Adam

that's how i had it set originally and it worked. But waiting 3 seconds before scrolling with the CPU spike just ruins my productivity.

JaXXoN · 03-25-11, 11:18 AM

That's an oldie, please check

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=85604

regards

Bernhard

adamk75 · 03-25-11, 01:10 PM

Ahh, very cool. I never knew such a hack existed.

Adam

boast · 03-27-11, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaXXoN

That's an oldie, please check

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=85604

regards

Bernhard

I wasn't able to get that to work. And I also have xinerama screens disabled. If I enable xinerama, I get the faked info to work, but not with it disabled.

edit: looks like this issue has been ongoing since '06 (http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=72869) so I guess I have no luck of getting this fixed either.

JaXXoN · 03-28-11, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boast

If I enable xinerama, I get the faked info to work, but not with it disabled.

Right, this hack only works when xinerama is enabled.

In deed, the problem hasn't been fixed for half a decade and
it doesn't seem to get fixed, any time soon.

And because of various other problems concerning multi-GPU
with Linux, I solved it in a different way:
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=126134

Bernhard

03-25-11, 04:50 AM	#2
adamk75 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 228	Re: Triple head, twinview + seperate x = KDE only sees one screen KDE4 only supports one X screen and, unfortunately, I do believe that twinview + xinerama has the problem you described, where the X server doesn't quite understand how the monitors are positioned and can't relay that information to the window manager. What happens if you don't use twinview at all, but set up each monitor as a separate screen and then use xinerama to combine them all? Adam

03-25-11, 11:18 AM	#4
JaXXoN Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Munich Posts: 910	Re: Triple head, twinview + seperate x = KDE only sees one screen That's an oldie, please check http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=85604 regards Bernhard

03-25-11, 01:10 PM	#5
adamk75 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 228	Re: Triple head, twinview + seperate x = KDE only sees one screen Ahh, very cool. I never knew such a hack existed. Adam