Ubuntu
xorg package

Dual screen, different resolution, on GeForce 9800M. Ubuntu 9.04

Asked by Max Boivin

I have a gateway fx laptop, with intel core2 Duo 2,3g/hz, 4G ram, Nvidia Geforce 9800M gts (1gb). It run under Ubuntu 9.04 64 bits with de Nvidia driver version 180. I want it to use two screen, with different resolution. I want want my first one to be my Sony Bravia LCD 32" screen, pluged HDMI, with 1280 * 720 resolution (widescreen) and my second screen to be my laptop screen, wich is 17" set in 1440 * 900. I like to work on graphical program with my image on the big screen and the tool on the small one.
Now I got my two screen kind of working. The big one only display a part of the desktop. I can't see any panel, or toolbar or top of any window.
 I can't slide my mouse to my big screen. But, if I open a window, sometime it will open on the big screen, in this case, I can go to the panel of my small screen, right click on the name of the window, click move and then my mouse cursor is on the big screen. Then I can take it back to the small one just by scrolling. I can slide window to my big screen, but not my mouse cursor.
If I press full screen on a window in my big screen, all the top and bottom of the window are out of screen.
If I bring my cursor all the way up, out of screen of the big one, I can just go a little down to see it again. This seem to mean the screen give a limit to the cursor (it's just a few pixel off).
I have spend tree day, looking up on the Internet for similar problem or, wich would be better, solution. Can't find any. All what I've seen and try, didn't work.

I know this is a lot of problem, If any one can help me solve some, I will most please.

I copy here my XORG.CONF

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 1.0 (buildd@crested) Sun Feb 1 20:25:37 UTC 2009

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "Default Layout"
    Screen 0 "Screen0" RightOf "Screen1"
    Screen 1 "Screen1" 0 0
    InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"

# Removed Option "Xinerama" "0"
# Removed Option "Xinerama" "1"
# Removed Option "Xinerama" "0"
# Removed Option "Xinerama" "1"
# Removed Option "Xinerama" "0"
    Option "Xinerama" "1"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier "Keyboard0"
    Driver "kbd"
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 "Monitor"
    Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "Monitor0"
    VendorName "Unknown"
    ModelName "AUO"
    HorizSync 30.0 - 75.0
    VertRefresh 60.0
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "Monitor1"
    VendorName "Unknown"
    ModelName "SONY TV"
    HorizSync 15.0 - 68.0
    VertRefresh 58.0 - 62.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Configured Video Device"
    Driver "nvidia"
    Option "NoLogo" "True"
    Option "CustomEDID" "DFP-0:/etc/X11/edid.edid"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Device0"
    Driver "nvidia"
    VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName "GeForce 9800M GTS"
    BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
    Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Device1"
    Driver "nvidia"
    VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName "GeForce 9800M GTS"
    BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
    Screen 1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "Default Screen"
    Device "Configured Video Device"
    Monitor "Configured Monitor"
    DefaultDepth 24
EndSection

Section "Screen"

# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
# Removed Option "TwinView" "0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-1: 1280x720_60 +0+0"
# Removed Option "TwinView" "1"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, DFP-1: 1280x720_60 +0+0; DFP-0: NULL, DFP-1: 1920x1080 +0+0"
# Removed Option "TwinView" "0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +1440+0"
# Removed Option "TwinView" "1"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +0+180"
# Removed Option "TwinView" "0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
# Removed Option "TwinView" "1"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +1280+0, DFP-1: 1280x720_60 +0+0; DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    Identifier "Screen0"
    Device "Device0"
    Monitor "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Option "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-1"
    Option "TwinView" "0"
    Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    SubSection "Display"
        Depth 24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"

# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-1: 1280x720_60 +0+0"
# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    Identifier "Screen1"
    Device "Device1"
    Monitor "Monitor1"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Option "TwinView" "0"
    Option "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-1"
    Option "metamodes" "DFP-1: 1280x720_60 +0+0; DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    SubSection "Display"
        Depth 24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

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Revision history for this message
Derek White (d-man97) said : 		#1

That really seems a mess. You have 3 device sections! Screen 1 is right of screen 0, but it start at pixel 0 0? Does your Xorg.0.log freak out when it parses your xorg.conf? :)

I would backup the xorg.conf to xorg.conf-backup. Then blank it out (delete all the text and then save it), or better yet run the reconfigure command listed in the comments) and then reconfigure it with nvidia-xconfig (be sure to add in your busid before rebooting/restarting X - can be found by running the lspci command at a terminal).

A decent guide using the 180 drivers can be found here: http://vladgh.com/2009/04/how-to-get-dual-monitors-in-ubuntu-with-nvidia/#high_1

It really should just work with xinerama after using nvidia-xconfig and nvidia-settings. I suspect your excess edits to the xorg.conf file are the culprit. The more changes you make, the more problems can arise. Only save once (when you are done) in nvidia-settings. And reboot immediately.

If problems occur, use recovery console to restore the backed up xorg.conf file.

Revision history for this message
Max Boivin (maxboivin) said : 		#2

I have try to clean up my xorg.conf and solve some problem. Here the situation now.
I have set my two screen with separate X screen, no Xinerama, I don't really like Xinerama, it doesn't seem to do any good. The resolution on the big screen look fantastic, and I got no problem with the laptop screen. The problem is, on the big screen, the desktop is too big. Every time I maximise a window, the top, bottom and side disappear out of the screen. Yet, the resolution of this screen is set to is native one, it just seem to not fit. I can of course patch the problem by adding some panel to "crop" the screen but when I go to real fullscreen (like, when I'm watching a movie) I lose all the edge of the image.

I also have a minor problem with the touchpad. I can't put my cursor on my big screen. If my cursor is on the big screen, I can drag it back to the laptop screen, no prob' but the opposite doesn't work. This problem does not apply to my usb mouse. It can go from one screen to another quite smoothly, so I guess this is no big deal.

So here is the real problem : The image cast on my secondary screen (big flat panel widescreen tv) is... too big and does not fit all on the screen.

Copy of my xorg:

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 1.0 (buildd@crested) Sun Feb 1 20:25:37 UTC 2009

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "Layout0"
    Screen 0 "Screen0" 1280 0
    Screen 1 "Screen1" 0 0
    InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load "dbe"
    Load "extmod"
    Load "type1"
    Load "freetype"
    Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"

# Removed Option "Xinerama" "0"
# Removed Option "Xinerama" "1"
    Option "Xinerama" "0"
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 "AUO"
    HorizSync 30.0 - 75.0
    VertRefresh 60.0
    Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

    # HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
    Identifier "Monitor1"
    VendorName "Unknown"
    ModelName "SONY TV"
    HorizSync 15.0 - 68.0
    VertRefresh 58.0 - 62.0
    Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Device0"
    Driver "nvidia"
    VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName "GeForce 9800M GTS"
    BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
    Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "Device1"
    Driver "nvidia"
    VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
    BoardName "GeForce 9800M GTS"
    BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
    Screen 1
EndSection

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

Section "Screen"

# Removed Option "metamodes" "DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    Identifier "Screen1"
    Device "Device1"
    Monitor "Monitor1"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Option "TwinView" "0"
    Option "metamodes" "DFP-1: 1280x720 +0+0; DFP-1: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
    SubSection "Display"
        Depth 24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

thank you for your time and support.

Revision history for this message
Jeruvy (jeruvy) said : 		#3

My onlyadd to this is that both your nVidia cards are id'd by the same PCI information.

Try running lspci again and note each ones proper BUS designation and edit the "Device0" or "Device1" to the other card. It appears both are calling the same card and I presume you want both detected and usable.

 BusID "PCI:1:0:0"

These should be unique for each card detected.

Good luck,

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