[SOLVED] Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

[NoWorries]

After installing the latest update I cannot get the correct resolution when I connect my second monitor. System Settings > Display and Monitor used to show under VGA-0 1280x1024 (auto). Now it gives the first two options 1360x768 and 1024x768 with no (auto) option listed. Both of these resolutions are not valid for the second monitor.

I suspect that the packages that are at fault are: xserver-common and xserver-xorg-core.

• Has anyone else experienced this problem?
• Is there a simple way to reverse the damage done by these packages?

[NoWorries]

Re: Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

Before I did the post above, I had rebooted, turned the second monitor off/on to no effect - even after repeating this several times. Yet, after I got up this morning, I restarted everything and it was all working as normal and I now have a usable second monitor.

The lesson I have learned from this is that if hardware is not working properly,

• shut-down the whole system
• go and have a cup of tea (or beer),
• come back and restart everything.

My justification for taking this approach, with hardware related problems, is that it gives all the hardware time to reset once all the power supply voltages have totally zeroed.

[molostoff]

Re: Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

• shut-down the whole system
• go and have a cup of tea (or beer),
• come back and restart everything.

You are definitely right here, after a week of playing with dual monitors I have occasionally discovered (btw, today and also with cup of tea, there is a kind of ubuntu magic I suspect) that after configure their settings the most common thing is to reboot whole system. Now work fine.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

...
Yet, after I got up this morning, I restarted everything and it was all working as normal and I now have a usable second monitor.

The lesson I have learned from this is that if hardware is not working properly,

• shut-down the whole system
• go and have a cup of tea (or beer),
• come back and restart everything.

.....

Some electronic gremlins are good!

[NoWorries]

Re: [SOLVED] Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

Some electronic gremlins are good!

Before I retired, I was working on Over-the-Horizon Radar which involved extensive hardware and software development. Most problems were shown by the hardware developers to be software related. I was on the software side of the fence! My impression is that some of the problems I have been experiencing with Kubuntu are related to software gremlins at the hardware interface.

[molostoff]

Re: [SOLVED] Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

Some electronic gremlins are good!

software gremlins at the hardware interface.

I am not sure but suspect that the problem is in the KDE cache, since removing it manually and then re-login can make happen these things properly configured.

[NoWorries]

Re: [SOLVED] Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

I am not sure but suspect that the problem is in the KDE cache, since removing it manually and then re-login can make happen these things properly configured.

Thanks for the suggestion but unfortunately it made no difference. The type of problems that I have which I find frustrating are:

(1) Skype images sent by me do not get corrupted if I reboot the system. If I have the system up, for say an hour, the image sent by me has large blocks of colour overlaying the image. Also, if I start another application such as online TV, the problem is more likely to appear. The webcam that I have is a Logitech, Vision Pro for Mac. I overcome this problem by rebooting before a Skype session and avoid running any other applications

(2) My wireless modem uses the driver iwl3945. I can get good performance from it for long periods of time, however if I use it for online TV viewing, the image is likely to freeze but the network interface shows that it is connected. If I plug-in an Ethernet cable, the TV viewing resumes. My solution is to always have the Ethernet cable from my router plugged in.

(3) When I use Kaffeine to watch a DVD, the menu buttons are not visible. If I wait several minutes, the cursor changes to a hand where the invisible menu button is located and I can then make my selection.

(4) When I use Kaffeine to watch HD Digital TV, the sound is "crackly" and may cut out for several 10s of seconds before coming back. I only watch HD channels when no other option is available.

For the non-tech user, Kubuntu 10.10 is great for email, web browsing and digital camera image storage and display. If you extend beyond these applications into multimedia, you have to get help from the many willing forum members.

[GreyGeek]

Re: [SOLVED] Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

Another possible solution, based on iwl3945 being unstable is to
sudo rmmod iwl3945
sudo modprobe iwl3945 fw_restart3945=1

[NoWorries]

Re: [SOLVED] Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

Another possible solution, based on iwl3945 being unstable is to
sudo rmmod iwl3945
sudo modprobe iwl3945 fw_restart3945=1

Thanks GreyGeek but it still gave the same performance, ie worked 10-20 minutes and then stopped. I test it by watching Internet TV at the address http://www.abc.net.au/iview/. My understanding is that this site only works for connections in Australia. When it fails, the network connection shows that all is working but the TV program only resumes when I connect the Ethernet cable to the router.

I am assuming that the above commands need only be issued once rather than reissued every time the connection stops working.

[GreyGeek]

Re: [SOLVED] Latest Updates Screwed Second Monitor

Interesting... I cannot watch any programs on the URL.
Strange that I do not have "copyright permission" to watch a program which was created in the USA and broadcast OVER THE AIR in my area, which I watched using an HD high gain antenna (which I made) connected to my HD TV.

Just another example of the screwed up legal system.