Problems with dual monitor and same config with new amd graphic card

[wonder]

First of all, I hope to express myself well, I think the best thing will be to make a short video and it will be easier to understand (especially because of my bad English .. )

Since 2019 I use the same hardware and graphics card AMD R5 230 1GB Ram ...
Everything good, everything perfect.
1 year ago I added a second monitor, I configure both with the same panel, not a mirror screen, and each panel, in its properties, I configure it to only show the tasks of that screen.
Perfect, in Monitor 1 I have, for example, browser 1, 2 and 3, and in Monitor 2 I have browser 4, 5 and 6.
Perfect, I turn off monitor 2 (which is the one connected by hdmi), and when I turn it on again, everything remains as it was (turn off monitor I mean turn off monitor, not pc), even monitor 2 switch to vga (vga is connected to work laptop ) and when I go back to hdmi it keeps showing me everything as it was (pc on). Brilliant! It's how I wish it works.

Well, a few days ago, I bought a second hand AMD RX 550 4GB Ram graphics card. It is second hand but visually it looks almost new ...

Here the behavior changes radically.
I configure again, both screens do not screen mirror, each screen with its own panel, configured the same as before, that only shows the tasks of the current screen (or what is the same, of its screen).

Well, if I suspend the pc (sleep mode) but I do NOT turn off monitors, when resuming everything remains the same but ... if I turn off monitor B (it is the monitor connected by hdmi) I leave monitor A on, it shows monitor A content, but in the moment to turn on Monitor B .... the image of monitor A begins to make a strange image and suddenly, everything is in both monitors, like a screen mirror but without being a mirror, because the mouse moves independently.
I open a new window in Monitor B (dolphin for example) I minimize ... it has disappeared !!! I open dolphin again and it detects there is another one open because now it shows me dolphin (2) .....

The same happens if I am with both monitors, I switch monitor B from hdmi to vga (work laptop) and when I return to hdmi, the same thing happens to me as if I turn the monitor off and on.

Thinking it might be some residual configuration, I have tried kubuntu 20.04.03 in live mode, and it does the exact same thing to me ...

For example, in this post the user claydoh indicate:

The only way to have identical panels on each monitor (without having mirrored screens) is to create one on the new monitor by adding a new default panel -- right click on the desktop and then Add Panel >> Default Panel .
Then you can edit the task manager on it to only show applications from only that screen,

And this is my config and works fine with my "old" graphic card, but not work the same with my "new" graphic card (also AMD) and always use stock drivers.


At this point, I don't know what to think ... possible defect in the hdmi port of the graphics? Any config in bios? Any config that escapes me on the system?

For me it is very strange, two amd graphics cards, the same system and the same hardware, different behaviors in front of two monitors with two panels configured so that each one shows only the current tasks of that monitor.

Forgive this long post, if you see it, a good idea, I'll make a little video and put it on and it will look better.

Thank you all!

Edit: I forgot; My two monitors, same monitors, same models, same resolutions...

[GreyGeek]

Your description is nice but it lacks important information.
Did you install both GPU's or did you replace the R5 230 with the RX 550?
What driver are you using?
The RX 550 is lists as working with the AMGGPU-Pro but not the R5 230.
If you are using ROCr then you should add your user name to the render and video groups.

sudo usermod -a -G render youracctname

sudo usermod -a -G video youracctname

Both cards are old and AMD doesn't support Linux users very well. So, did your R5 230 die? If not, my suggestion is to return to it.

[wonder]

Thanks for the answer, this topic honestly did not expect to happen to me and .... no matter how much I have read .... I can not know if it is something "normal" of kde or of the graphics card ...

I proceed to indicate the information that you indicate to me:

Your description is nice but it lacks important information.
Did you install both GPU's or did you replace the R5 230 with the RX 550?

I just replaced.
When I installed kubuntu 20.04 I already had R5 230 installed, and I never installed drivers or anything other than what kubuntu installs by default (open source amd radeon ubuntu driver). Years ago I used nvidia, and installed the propietary driver, but I switched to amd on the advice of a friend, and with the free drivers I've always been like this.

So I turned off the computer, removed the R5 230 and put the RX 550 in, I did nothing else.

What driver are you using?

Like indicate above, the open source driver from kubuntu, also I try with the ppa oibaf graphic drivers, any more.

The RX 550 is lists as working with the AMGGPU-Pro but not the R5 230.

Ok, but if I go to amd download, select the RX 550 and for ubuntu, appears only x86 version....

If you are using ROCr then you should add your user name to the render and video groups.

I don't know any about ROCr...
This is in AMGGPU-Pro ?
youracctname

Both cards are old and AMD doesn't support Linux users very well. So, did your R5 230 die? If not, my suggestion is to return to it.

Yes, this 2 cards are old cards, but the first, my R5 230 only have 1 gb ram, and I open a lot web browsers and use kdenlive.
I know that the RX 550 also is old but is more newer and have 4gb ram.
And today, the price of all new graphics cards ir very very expensive...
I think that, this RX 550 is good option for me (if work well of course, xD).

My R5 230 are live, not dead, in this moment I work with R5 230.

But I still don't understand that problem, because it happens with one, and not with the other.

You tell me that I explained myself well, but if necessary, I make a video because what happens is so rare and makes it impossible to work.

Advice to install AMGGPU Pro and test?

I am "afraid" that it will not solve the problem, I hope I can easily revert (I have seen that it does) or that when the kernel is updated, AMGGPU Pro will also be maintained.

In a way I need to know if it is a KDE bug or is it from the graph.

I have read a thread that some user has something similar or similar and they say it is because of KDE, but I have been using KDE for many years (yes, only 2 years with 2 monitors) and I would not want to change KDE for another desktop ...

Those tests of AMGGPU Pro I understand I can not do it in a live ...

I could take another hard drive, install kubuntu, and try ...

Any suggestion is very very appreciated, this for me is a big problem and I have searched and read a lot on the internet before asking here

Thanks a thousand and thanks in advance!

I view this video but is for debian, at the final of video appears edit ppa's but are ppa's for debian...

Thanks a lot!

[claydoh]

Both cards are old and AMD doesn't support Linux users very well.

Lol
That is quite the opposite. AMD supports, and aids in the development of the open source linux driver, even bases their proprietary workstation driver, on it.
That driver is not useful for general desktop uses, the open driver is the preferred one for this, as well as for gaming.




This is a situation where adding a new user, and seeing if it is the same there, or works properly.
If it does work properly, one quick thing to try is to delete any saved screen info from Kscreen, by removing ~/.local/share/kscreen.
This *might* need to be done while logged out from Plasma for the normal user.

Also, the older cards is using the older 'radeon' driver, and the newer one the 'amdgpu. Both of these drivers are built in, and should not have conflicting drivers, unless you have created an xorg.conf file for any reason, or other similar custom configs.

We can check easily here: either run this command:

lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'
or, simply look in KInfoCenter, under Graphics, and look for Kernel module.
Using either, look for 'amdgpu' or 'radeon', one or the other should be shown, if both do, then we have to do some extra steps to change this.

[wonder]

Thanks for your reply.

Lol
That is quite the opposite. AMD supports, and aids in the development of the open source linux driver, even bases their proprietary workstation driver, on it.

That is what I understood or thought, thanks to a friend who knows that, on the subject of graphics for Linux, he knows and has more knowledge than me. For that reason I went from nvidia to amd.

That driver is not useful for general desktop uses, the open driver is the preferred one for this, as well as for gaming.

I suppose you mean the AMGGPU-Pro, and your advice is the open source driver that comes by default in kubuntu (forget to mention, I have ppa's backports, but they do not influence it).

This is a situation where adding a new user, and seeing if it is the same there, or works properly.

I didn't add a new user but .... I ran kubuntu 20.04 live mode and the exact same thing happens to me.
I understand that it is like adding a new user, in live mode, there is nothing configured, no user or anything.
If you still advise me to create a new user, I do it, because this problem has me ... I don't know if the word is concerned about something similar.

Also, the older cards is using the older 'radeon' driver, and the newer one the 'amdgpu. Both of these drivers are built in, and should not have conflicting drivers, unless you have created an xorg.conf file for any reason, or other similar custom configs.

We can check easily here: either run this command:

lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'
or, simply look in KInfoCenter, under Graphics, and look for Kernel module.
Using either, look for 'amdgpu' or 'radeon', one or the other should be shown, if both do, then we have to do some extra steps to change this.

This is the result:

~$ lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'
11:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450 / R5 230 OEM]
       Subsystem: PC Partner Limited / Sapphire Technology Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450 / R5 230 OEM]
       Kernel driver in use: radeon
       Kernel modules: radeon

I have run it right now with my old graphics card, with which I have no problems.

However, I have checked in synaptic and have both xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu version 19.1.0-1 and xserver-xorg-video-radeon same version installed.

Again, thanks for the answer and help and I am open to any suggestion, test or similar.
It is a problem that I have a bit ... come on, that with the "new" graphics card I can't work ...

Thanks.

[claydoh]

This is the result:

~$ lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'
11:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450 / R5 230 OEM]
Subsystem: PC Partner Limited / Sapphire Technology Caicos [Radeon HD 6450/7450/8450 / R5 230 OEM]
Kernel driver in use: radeon
Kernel modules: radeon

I have run it right now with my old graphics card, with which I have no problems.

Still odd, but if you put the new card back in, we could use that command output again, to see if it is loading the radeon or the amdgpu driver for the 550. Or both. Which is something we should be able to remedy.

Don't discount the card's age and origin, and definitely swap cables around, try different ones even, to see if there is any difference there. You might be surprised. Since we know it happens no matter the OS, hardware is much more likely a culprit here.

I am not positive, but I think that a live session may be using a 'safe' basic or generic driver, as opposed to a device-specific one. If that is the case, then something hardware-wise becomes a much more likely bad guy here.

[wonder]

Again, thanks for your reply!

Still odd, but if you put the new card back in, we could use that command output again, to see if it is loading the radeon or the amdgpu driver for the 550. Or both. Which is something we should be able to remedy.

Tomorrow I put the new one, I have done now (they have lasted me almost two hours) other tests and it is too late here to go to bed, tomorrow I put the "new one" and I execute this command and specify what it indicates.

Don't discount the card's age and origin, and definitely swap cables around, try different ones even, to see if there is any difference there. You might be surprised. Since we know it happens no matter the OS, hardware is much more likely a culprit here.

I have thought about the cable yes, especially the hdmi, although this yes, I bought it new in its day. All my equipment is new and works well, everything is about two years old, except this "new" graphics card (which is second-hand) and indeed, although it looks good visually, you never know the origin or what they have done with it. ..

I am not positive, but I think that a live session may be using a 'safe' basic or generic driver, as opposed to a device-specific one. If that is the case, then something hardware-wise becomes a much more likely bad guy here.

I thought that the live mode uses the generic driver, the open source that I use right now in the system ... I mean, it would be the same as creating a new user ...

I have done tests, all in clear live mode, with linux mint mate, kde neon in its latest version and kubuntu 21.10.

Linux mint mate ... it seems that it keeps everything in place, but when I turn off the screen with the hdmi cable and turn it on again ... it does the same thing, things change but after a second or two everything returns to be where it was, on that side fine but .... I did not get to test it with something that later I saw in kde neon and kubuntu 21.10.

Kubuntu 21.10, at first it seemed fine, I turn off the monitor (I always speak the one connected by hdmi cable), I turn it on again and then, it does the "strange" on the other monitor, but the things that were before on each monitor are again , although in dvi monitor, they have changed position (dolphin centered now is on the right, but it is not a problem).

Kde neon does the same.

But my surprise comes when ... I see that all this is with windows not maximized or minimized or at medium size, they do not occupy the entire screen, when I maximize windows ... crash!
When turning the monitor off and on again ... in kubuntu 21.10 and kde neon everything goes to a screen, everything that is maximized goes to a screen.

I open system preferences, I open the screens section, I leave it open on the monitor connected by dvi, I turn off the monitor with HDMI and when I turn it on ... a message appears in the system preferences-screens: an output has been disconnected ( at that moment only one screen appears) and one or two seconds later: An output has been connected, the two screens are configured.
And it is at that moment when everything changes position (maximized).

In short, when the monitor is turned off it continues to detect the two operational outputs and the two monitors, when I turn on the monitor ... it is like doing a reset, first it indicates that it detects an output has been disconnected for one or two seconds then it indicates that an output has been connected and configures ...

My panel settings are intact but what happens happens.

With my old graphics card, this does not happen, I have tested it, I turn the monitor off and on and the system-display preferences do not indicate anything connected / disconnected, even when removing the hdmi cable hot from the graphics card.

Could it be the hdmi cable? Hopefully that's it, although I would be surprised ...
Could it be the hdmi port of the "new" graphics card? I would also be surprised ...

But what if it is the same is my hdmi monitor, that does not change with any graphics card, and when I turn it off, the system continues to detect both monitors, that's when I turn it on, in this "new" graphics card it detects, first disconnection of one output for a second or two later, connecting a new output ...

I don't know what to think anymore ... but .... if I only had a monitor for hdmi, I would have the same problem, when turning off the monitor and turning it on again, I would do some strange for sure ... and that is not a normal process.

Ahh, if I sleep PC but I don't turn off the monitor, no problem.

And it not only happens if I turn off the monitor and then turn on, if I switch from hdmi to vga (there I have my work laptop connected) when returning to hdmi it does the same ...

Thanks for your attention and sorry for this long post ... but I think it was good information ...

[wonder]

I add information:

I am indicating that this happens to me when I turn off the monitor and turn it on (when I turn it off it does not detect that an output has been disconnected) it is at the moment of turning it on, that is when it tells me: An output has been disconnected ... a few seconds later ... an output has been connected, applying configuration.

Not only does it happen to me with it, but also when, on that monitor, I switch between vga and hdmi.
I have my work laptop connected to that monitor via vga, therefore, throughout the day I switch between vga and hdmi, when I switch from hdmi to vga, my kubuntu system does not have this problem, it is just when I switch from vga to hdmi, at that time, the same, an output has been disconnected ... for moments later, an output has been connected, applying configuration.

The same thing happens to me if I remove and put the hdmi cable from the monitor, and it is not when I remove it, it is when I put it ...

I have tried another hdmi cable, same result.

All this with R5 230 does not happen, it happens with the RX 550 (new for me, but second hand ...).

I have put it this morning, and this is the result:

~$ lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|3D|Display'
11:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Lexa PRO [Radeon 540/540X/550/550X / RX 540X/550/550X] (rev c7)
Subsystem: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Lexa PRO [Radeon 540/540X/550/550X / RX 540X/550/550X]
Kernel driver in use: amdgpu
Kernel modules: amdgpu

Appears only the module amdgpu...I think is well.

I no longer know which way to go, or whether to think that the graphics is faulty ... I have read to some on the internet that when they turn off one monitor, everything moves to the other ...
I switch this monitor with my work laptop, and of course, the work laptop brings windows, and when I switch or turn off / on the monitor, not everything goes to the laptop screen, everything remains as it was.
Exactly the same as now to my kubuntu with my old R5 230.
I am afraid that the new graphics do this, I would prefer that the one I bought is defective ...

Thanks and regards.

[wonder]

Hello,
Due to the aforementioned problem, every time I turned off and on the monitor connected by hdmi, or simply switched between vga and hdmi said monitor, kubuntu detected an output was disconnected, and later a new output was detected, and all the configuration of said monitor was "reset" and this, with my old (but new) vga AMD R5 230 does not happen, I returned the RX 550 (this was not bought new, but second hand) and they returned the amount.

That behavior, for me, was not normal ... I do not know if a possible defect in the graph or ... I do not know ...

When I can, to see if a friend will lend me one and I can do tests of this type.

Thanks and regards.