After yet another eff upp from Windows, I finally decided to migrate my main machine to Linux/Kubuntu (all my other machines, except my gaming rig and a couple of servers that I don't touch as long as they are working properly, already run Linux).
The problem is that it's a bit complicated as far as machines go. It's a HP workstation with 32-bit dual processor with two dual core CPU's and slots for up to 12 GB memory but only 4 GB at the moment, three graphics cards and six monitors. Kubuntu actually handles the hardware surprisingly well, but there are some problems.
Now, as you might expect, it's the graphics cards and monitors that cause problems. Here goes:
* Only two adapters are identified, an Nvidia Quadro FX2000 and a Nvidia 6900. The third card, a slightly different Nvidia 6900 (different amount of memory, otherwise identical, they just needed to be different for Windows to see that they were both there) is not detected.
* Only three monitors are detected, the two on the Quadro and one on the Nvidia 6900.
* Only one monitor, the secondary on the Quadro, is correctly identified, with the correct resolutions (i use 1600x1200, but as Kubuntu tends to have a bit larger fonts than Windows, I will probably increase that a notch, as the monitors can take it). The other two are detected as unknown and has a max of 640x480.
* I seem to be unable to treat it as one big screen, only monitors on the same card seems to be able to do that. If I have to start separate X sessions for the other cards (which I haven't managed to work out how yet, see next item), how will that affect useability, can I still move windows freely between them?
* I get an error whenever I try to save any settings in the Nvidia driver configuration. I can apply the changes, but they are not saved, which pretty much makes everything that requires a restart untestable and unusable.
All this after installing the Nvidia proprietary drivers, before that, only the main monitor on the Quadro was found.
Also, will it work with 12 GB memory without major problems? It would make it easier to run a virtual machine to run a few Windows programs (which I've written myself, so it's unlikely that someone else will port them...) that I really need.
I'm not a Linux newbie, I've used it since Dapper, but this has me stumped, and I really need to get that machine running again, and I really do not want to go back to Windows or fewer monitors. Having to do most of the work trying to fix it at 640x480 isn't a big help either, quite a few programs are not designed for that...
On top of all this, the machine eats BIOS batteries, they usually only last a few months, so any hints on that would also be appreciated, even if it's somewhat out of scope.
Help me and be my hero!
The problem is that it's a bit complicated as far as machines go. It's a HP workstation with 32-bit dual processor with two dual core CPU's and slots for up to 12 GB memory but only 4 GB at the moment, three graphics cards and six monitors. Kubuntu actually handles the hardware surprisingly well, but there are some problems.
Now, as you might expect, it's the graphics cards and monitors that cause problems. Here goes:
* Only two adapters are identified, an Nvidia Quadro FX2000 and a Nvidia 6900. The third card, a slightly different Nvidia 6900 (different amount of memory, otherwise identical, they just needed to be different for Windows to see that they were both there) is not detected.
* Only three monitors are detected, the two on the Quadro and one on the Nvidia 6900.
* Only one monitor, the secondary on the Quadro, is correctly identified, with the correct resolutions (i use 1600x1200, but as Kubuntu tends to have a bit larger fonts than Windows, I will probably increase that a notch, as the monitors can take it). The other two are detected as unknown and has a max of 640x480.
* I seem to be unable to treat it as one big screen, only monitors on the same card seems to be able to do that. If I have to start separate X sessions for the other cards (which I haven't managed to work out how yet, see next item), how will that affect useability, can I still move windows freely between them?
* I get an error whenever I try to save any settings in the Nvidia driver configuration. I can apply the changes, but they are not saved, which pretty much makes everything that requires a restart untestable and unusable.
All this after installing the Nvidia proprietary drivers, before that, only the main monitor on the Quadro was found.
Also, will it work with 12 GB memory without major problems? It would make it easier to run a virtual machine to run a few Windows programs (which I've written myself, so it's unlikely that someone else will port them...) that I really need.
I'm not a Linux newbie, I've used it since Dapper, but this has me stumped, and I really need to get that machine running again, and I really do not want to go back to Windows or fewer monitors. Having to do most of the work trying to fix it at 640x480 isn't a big help either, quite a few programs are not designed for that...
On top of all this, the machine eats BIOS batteries, they usually only last a few months, so any hints on that would also be appreciated, even if it's somewhat out of scope.
Help me and be my hero!