multiple screens

[adrianm]

I realise this may have been talked about before but I have read other threads on other forums talking about the problem and i tried their fixes which didnt work.

Im completely new to linux and it baffels me in many ways.

Im running kubuntu 10.10 with KDE4
not a wubi install
grub version 0.97-29ubuntu60

I have a nvidia graphics card (cant rememebr the model and can find any application that displays all the hardware attached like the windows device manager)

I installed nvidia drivers using system > additional drivers which seems to have worked.
using the x server manager that it installed im trying to configure it so i can use my second screen - i cant apply the changes because it sais i have to save the config tot he config file.

I cant do that because it is unable to open the file for writing. When i look at the file it sais the owner is root. User has read and write access but group and others only have read - i can change any of teh permitions.


someone in another forum suggested this:
How I fixed it:

1) open a terminal
2) sudo mv -i /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup
2) sudo touch /etc/X11/xorg.conf
3) sudo nvidia-settings
4) hit "save configuration"

with the empty xorg.conf, nvidia-settings should properly save the file.

When i tried this i got:

How I fixed it:

1) open a terminal
2) sudo mv -i /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup
2) sudo touch /etc/X11/xorg.conf
3) sudo nvidia-settings
4) hit "save configuration"

with the empty xorg.conf, nvidia-settings should properly save the file.


what do i do?

[skunk]

Re: multiple screens

kdesudo nvidia-settings

[adrianm]

Re: multiple screens

yes, that starts the server manager....

[dibl]

Re: multiple screens

yes, that starts the server manager....

in Super User mode, which is what you require to save a change to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

[adrianm]

Re: multiple screens

huh, that random - when he first posted that i tied it and it had the same affect - also before that i tired to set super user with some command and it still didnt work :P anyway - just tried it again and now it works cheers.

one more question - i ahve configured teh second screen to be a seperate screen, I want to be able to have different virtual desktops on each - however i cant find any option to get a desktop displayed on the screen - the system settings only has options for multiple monitors if they are set up as a single desktop over both.

[adrianm]

Re: multiple screens

the system definatly recognises my second monitor - it shows up in the settings manager, its receiving a signal but is black and i cant move and windows over to it - i cant get it to display a separate desktop, i cant get it to twin view or anything. Iv looked at alot of the other threads regarding this issue but havnt found any answer....is it an obvious solution or more difficult than that?

[dibl]

Re: multiple screens

I'm not a proficient multi-monitor user, so take this advice with that in mind.

While in nvidia-settings (as super user), on the same panel where you set the resolution, there's a "detect displays" button -- give that a push and see if detects both monitors. Modern monitors have something called "EDID" that is supposed to provide their resolution and refresh rates:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extende...ification_data

If it does see the second monitor, then you need to push the "Save to X Config" button again, and "OK" it.

But they don't all always seem to respond correctly, or at all. If it's not working, then you're probably condemned to learn about modelines -- here's some guidance on that:

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...5873#msg245873

[adrianm]

Re: multiple screens

gaaarrrgh!! damn it all to hell!!!!!!!

I rebooted and now its using the second screen as the default (its much smaller than my main so i dont want it primary it all). Iv tried resetting the big monitor back as the primary but it doesnt work

WTF

cheers for the response, however detecting the monitors isnt the problem....it does that just fine, just refuses to display on the second.

[adrianm]

Re: multiple screens

ok, now i disabled the small screen to force the system to use the proper one - however now despite the correct resolution, the damn thing must think its using the small screen or something because the taskbar doesnt reach the full length of the screen (its about the same size as the small one) and teh wallpaper isnt showing

also, when i run nvidia settings in su i now get all this crap:

ERROR: Invalid display device CRT-0 specified on line 47 of configuration
file '/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (the currently enabled display
devices are CRT-1 on adrian-System:0.0).


ERROR: Invalid display device CRT-0 specified on line 48 of configuration
file '/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (the currently enabled display
devices are CRT-1 on adrian-System:0.0).


ERROR: The attribute 'XVideoSyncToDisplay' specified on line 54 of
configuration file '/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' cannot be assigned
the value of CRT-0 (the currently enabled display devices are CRT-1
on adrian-System:0.0).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 55 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 56 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 57 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 58 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 59 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 60 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 61 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 62 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 63 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 64 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 65 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 66 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 67 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 68 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 69 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 70 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 71 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 72 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 73 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 74 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 75 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 76 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 77 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 78 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 79 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 80 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 81 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 82 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 83 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 84 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 85 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 86 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).


ERROR: Invalid X Screen 1 specified on line 87 of configuration file
'/root/.nvidia-settings-rc' (there is only 1 X Screen on this
Display).

sh: pkg-config: not found


it seems like this is just a simple setting issue but im buggered if i can see something i havnt tried

[dibl]

Re: multiple screens

Probably running as root with "su" is not helping. *buntu is designed to be run by the user, using "kdesudo" for elevated privileges with KDE packages, or "sudo" for running console commands with elevated privileges. As you can see in the error output from your root session, it's fighting the nvidia settings file in the root user's folder, when in fact you need to work with the nvidia settings in YOUR user folder. :P

[adrianm]

Re: multiple screens

the problem is that if i dont open nvidia setting with kdesudo i cant alter the config file, and if i cant to that i cant apply any changes.

Also, are there in fact 2 different accounts then? my user one and a superuser one? if so how do i tell the difference as they must both have same password.

Lastly - any idea how to fix it? :P

[dibl]

Re: multiple screens

"Root" is both a place in the filesystem, and a user, but in *buntu he has no account in the default installation. So, when you "sudo" a console command, or "kdesudo" a GUI package, you are still running it as "adrian", but with elevated privileges, as if you were root.

But, when you "sudo -i" or "sudo su" in the console, you actually change the user to root, and if you then issue a command, such as "nvidia-settings", the command is being used by root, and as you can see the local .rc settings are written into root's home folder (where they won't do you any good at all). That's why "sudo" and "kdesudo" are normally the preferred mode in which to perform "root" level operations, unlike Debian or other Linuces.

So, if I were you and had the multi-monitor display problem, I think I would be studying two subjects:

1. xrandr

2. How to configure /etc/X11/xorg.conf with dual monitors.

Google informs me there are many guides on both subjects.

Possibly oshunluvr or one of our other experienced Nvidia users will chime in with a copy of their multi-monitor xorg.conf files.

[adrianm]

Re: multiple screens

ok, well lets forget teh duel screen thing for a while, right now i just want a normal display on the one screen.

If the problem has occurred because the local .rc settings are written into root's home folder is there a way i can reset it?

Im very new to linux and it seems that blindly following online quick help answers without really knowing what the commands do has got me in to trouble, i dont really want to go sniffing around google results for another "answer" only to make things worse

[dibl]

Re: multiple screens

OK, I think this sequence will get you back to one working monitor using Nvidia driver.

1. Boot the system with only the one monitor that you want connected.

2. Assuming the Nvidia driver is installed, Ctrl-Alt-F1 to the tty console.

sudo service kdm stop

sudo nvidia-xconfig

sudo service kdm start

3. Log in to KDE, and once it's fully loaded, Alt-F2 "kdesudo nvidia-settings" with no quote marks.

Click "detect displays" and confirm that the monitor is detected. Set the resolution to what you want. Leave "refresh" set to Auto. Push the "Save to X Config" button and "OK" or "Apply" or whatever it says to save it.

4. Confirm you did what we hope you did, with Ctrl-Alt-F1 to tty console and

sudo service kdm stop

sudo service kdm start

It should come up in your default resolution, ready to go.


5. Go make a burnt offering of chicken feathers to the gods of Nvidia.

[adrianm]

Re: multiple screens

nope no effect,
should also point out that the resolution is fine, the screen is as it should be except that the taskbar at the bottom does not extend to the far side of the screen, its the same size as it would be if it were on my secondary screen (which i have disconnected)

oh and its not displaying the wallpaper...im sure it would if i were to set one but the point is i think that it thinks its teh smaller screen because there was no wallpaper set on that one, and the taskbar thing