I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

[DeathKitten]

I've been having trouble with KDE's Monitor & Display settings module for my dual screen set up, as the module won't load or won't let me have admin access to change anything. I ended up submitting a bug report after upgrading to Feisty Fawn because I'd assumed it was my own ineptitude that had lead to the problem originally, but when it persisted after a fresh install and a crash report came up asking me if I'd like to submit the bug, I figured it couldn't be my fault. There were a lot of bug reports on this particular problem, and they claim to have a fix, but either it didn't actually fix the problem or it hasn't actually been released yet (I think it's the latter, but I don't know how to find out if it's actually the former).

At any rate, despite these problems, my system was continuing to function other than the annoying settings for my displays that I could not correct using KDE's system settings. It wasn't a big enough problem for me to try to figure out how to edit xorg.conf until today. I went to log out of KDE, and the system hung up after my session ended but before I ended up back at the login screen. Being the loser I am who doesn't have enough linux skills, I just hit the power button to restart the computer (I know, bad me, no cookie). The last time I'd had that problem, the system started back up fine, but this time it wouldn't start the x server. I tried running an update using apt-get, and I also attempted startx from the command line. The former didn't help, and the latter gave me some error messages:

Parse error on line 7 of section ServerLayout in file /etc/X11/xorg.conf
"0" is not a valid keyword in this section

Problem parsing the config file
Error parsing the config file

Fatal server error:
no screens found
XIO: fatal IO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on x server ":0.0" after 0 requests (0 known processed) with 0 events remaining.

There was more output, but those seemed to be the relevant parts, so I copied them down on paper so I could share them here.

I have not manually editted my xorg.conf file at all, so any change from the default configuration is KDE's fault after I changed settings in the Monitor & Display module.

Anyone have any suggestions on what I need to do? I tried searching the forum, but my search skills always seem to lack, so it's quite possible I missed something. I am more than happy to try to get any other information needed to get help, but I may need specific directions on how to get the info. I'm currently running from the Feisty Fawn Live CD, so I'll either need help on how to get the konsole in this to let me run commands that effect my computer instead of just the live CD environment, or I'll just have to reboot to get access to the command line (I would absolutely love to know how to do the former, I'm not hot on the idea of having to reboot every time I need to get access to a command line to try to fix this).

Thanks in advance for any help you guys have to offer. I hate having to ask for help, but this problem's way above my head.

[penguin.ch]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

Parse error on line 7 of section ServerLayout in file /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Could you, please, reveal to us the contents of this section as a whole?

[DeathKitten]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

What's the best way to get at it? I know how to get at it from the command line if I reboot and not use the live CD, but that option would leave me with having to write down everything and hope I don't make a mistake in the process. It doesn't look like any of my drives are mounted currently under the live CD, so getting those mounted would probably be a good start. I'll start working on that and check back in case someone has any better suggestion on how to get at the file in such a way I can copy and paste instead of having to hand write the contents of that section of the file down.

[penguin.ch]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

What's the best way to get at it?

Analogously: http://www.penguin.ch/dokuwiki/doku.php/buntu_live

--

Postscript: reference updated

[DeathKitten]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

Dude, you are the most awesome person on the planet. Thank you.

Now for the ServerLayout stuffs:

 Section "ServerLayout"
   Identifier  "Default Layout"
screen 0 "Default 
screen 1 "screen1" leftof "Default Screen " 0 0
screen 1 "
   InputDevice  "Generic Keyboard"
   InputDevice  "Configured Mouse"
   InputDevice  "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
   InputDevice  "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
   InputDevice  "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
 EndSection

according to Kate, line seven is the one talking about "screen1"

[penguin.ch]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

screen 0 "Default
screen 1 "screen1" leftof "Default Screen " 0 0
screen 1 "

Ooops ... this should rather look like that:

Screen 0  "Screen0" LeftOf "Screen1"
Screen 1  "Screen1" 0 0

But be warned: I'm only guessing ...

[DeathKitten]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

The worst that should happen from you being wrong is I just won't be able to get into the x server again, and it'll throw another error similar to the one before, or totally different, yes?

Though, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be "screen1" leftof "screen0" as I've got my primary monitor to the right. It's how my desk works out best, which monitor works better with the primary video card and such.

I'll give it a try.

[DeathKitten]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

Hmm, while I'm at this, I should probably see what can be done to get xorg working with my dual monitors correctly at good resolutions while I'm at it. *goes to search the forums and google for xorg help*

[DeathKitten]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

Hmm, looking at the xorg.conf reference I've been able to find via google and the forum, my xorg.conf file seems to be completely and utterly frelled over, and some of the things I need/want to do to fix things I just can't figure out how to make work.

I think I need someone who's knowledgable on the subject to possibly walk me through this. The file doesn't make any mention of my second monitor at all, and the mention of the first monitor is limited at best. Ug.

[SheeEttin]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

If you've done a bit of configuring (you must have), reconfiguring X would be the last thing you want to do. It'd set you back a long way.

I suggest you try what U.R. suggested there. See how that works.

[DeathKitten]

Re: I think KDE frelled my xorg.conf (dual monitor set up)

While digging around to attempt to repair the xorg.conf file, I found old backup copies I didn't realize I had (must have been automatically backed up when various programs changed things) and I found a version that had that section set up right, actually mentions both monitors and video cards, and I gave that a try. Also, I tried installing better nvidia drivers, since the second video card was nvidia.

With some removing of resolutions I didn't want to use on the secondary monitor, I even got rid of the scrolling problem I was having.

I still think there's probably a better way to set up the file, but for now it's working. The only problem I'm still having is that whenever I play back video on my primary monitor, I get static noise interfering with whatever sound play back I have. I have no clue if this is a problem with the sound server, x server, some combination of both, or something entirely different.