[SOLVED] screen will not roatate

[GranPaSmurf]

when I had 10.4 Kubuntu, I could rotate my screen/monitor. Now using 11.1, there is no option to rotate display. Do I need to download something else?

[oshunluvr]

Re: screen will not roatate

Grab it and twist hard to the right!

Kidding! - sorry couldn't resist!

Tell us about your video card and what driver you're using and how you were able to rotate before and not now. i.e. did you use system settings or nvidia-settings or what?

[SteveRiley]

Re: screen will not roatate

Grab it and twist hard to the right!

You're such a rightist, oshun. What if GranPa's screen is left-handed? Your advice would permanently damage it!

[dibl]

Re: screen will not roatate

Grab it and twist hard to the right!

Actually, doesn't he need to twist it hard clockwise?

[oshunluvr]

Re: screen will not roatate

That would make me a "clockwise-ist" or something... :P

[GranPaSmurf]

Re: screen will not roatate

It is great to see that you guys are enjoying this so much!
Since I am webmaster for San Antonio Tea Party, only turns to the right are allowed!
BTW, on a different monitor I used to use, there was a built-in accelerometer; when I twisted the screen the display changed automatically. So, when I read your exchanges/replies, I thought 'slap-head moment!' and I twisted the screen...nope, didn't work. I will have to do it with software.
Back to business. I am a stumble and fumble newbie to Linux & kubuntu, so I don't know where to navigate to in order to determine the driver. The card is nVidia dual monitor, I don't remember what model, probably GeForce6200. Again, I bet Kubuntu will tell me that when I learn where to look.
I updated from 10.4, which I only used a few days, to 11.1. When I used 10.1, the display menu for System Settings/Hardware/Display and Monitor/Orientation gave me the choice to rotate the display. Now on 11.1 only 'no rotation' is offered.
From your questions earlier, I bet I could install an nVidia driver and have the options available, but I am not sure how to go about it.
Thanks for your willingness to 'help the new guy.'

[dibl]

Re: screen will not roatate

I don't do screen rotation, so this is worth what you paid for it ....

If you are using the proprietary nvidia driver, then nvidia-settings would be the first place to look for an orientation control.

If you are using the nouveau driver, then it is probably in systemsettings > monitor/display.

If those don't work, take a look at xrandr.

[HalationEffect]

Re: screen will not roatate

To install proprietary graphics drivers (or to check which one is already installed), click on your K-menu, select Applications at the bottom, then go into the System sub-menu. In there you should see an entry called Additional Drivers.

In the same sub-menu you might also see an entry called Screen Resize & Rotate (KRandRTray), if you have that installed. Personally I've only ever used that for resizing, never for rotation, so I can't promise that it will do the trick for you. Worth a look though.

By the way (apologies for this minor pedantic moment) - the version numbers for the various releases of (K)Ubuntu are in the form of Year.Month... e.g. 11.10 (as in 2011.October). There is no 10.1 or 11.1 version.

[oshunluvr]

Re: screen will not roatate

Well, Granpa you can basically go two ways at this point. You can keep you current driver and use xrandr to rotate the screen, or you can install the nvidia driver and do it with nvidia-settings or xorg.conf. The first option will be easiest. The second will provide other benefits like faster screen response and desktop effects.

The first option is easy to test; open a terminal and type xrandr -o right and see what happens. I am assuming you're only using one screen. if you're using two screens you have to specify which one.

In the latter case - installing the nvidia driver is pretty easy these days. As HEffect pointed out there is a tool in the menu called "Jockey" that does the install, but it doesn't always activate until you have some required packages installed. Those are:

dkms
nvidia-current
linux-headers-<INSERT YOUR KERNEL VERSION HERE>

Installing these should activate the nvidia driver.

BTW: In a terminal, lspci |grep VGA will reveal your video card model and uname -r will tell you which kernel version you're using.

[GranPaSmurf]

Re: screen will not roatate

according to 'Additional Drivers' I am using 'NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (version 173)' several others are available so I first chose the same '(v173) (post-release updates)(version 173-updates)'. After restart, no joy.

Same Proceedure...downloaded and installed 'NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (version current)(Recommended)'. After restart, no joy.

Same Proceedure...downloaded and installed '(v96) (post-release updates)(version 196-updates)'. After restart, no joy.

Located and started Screen Resize & Rotate - no rotate option.
ran command 'Lspci |grep VGA', it yielded 'NV44A [GeForce 6200]'
ran command uname -r, it yielded '3.0.0-14-generic'

Ran command in Terminal: xrandr -o right (and -right, & lots of other different ways) - usually ended up with:
Error of failed request: BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes)
Major opcode of failed request: 154 (RANDR)
Minor opcode of failed request: 2 (RRSetScreenConfig)
Serial number of failed request: 14
Current serial number in output stream: 14

How might I go about loading a nouveau driver?

BTW, thanks HalationEffect,

By the way (apologies for this minor pedantic moment) - the version numbers for the various releases of (K)Ubuntu are in the form of Year.Month... e.g. 11.10 (as in 2011.October). There is no 10.1 or 11.1 version.

I appreciate numbering systems that are intentional.

[oshunluvr]

Re: screen will not roatate

Maybe with the older driver (current in the repos is is 270...) and video card you need to enable xrandr.

The nouveau driver is a large downgrade from the nvidia drivers, but of course it is your computer so you can try anything you want.

Does xrandr -q produce an error?

Also, grep RandR /var/log/Xorg.0.log should produce output like

[  39.172] (==) RandR enabled

If you get no results from either of the above, look and see if you have a file named /etc/X11/xorg.conf and attach it to your next post if you do.

[GranPaSmurf]

Re: screen will not roatate

grep RandR /var/log/Xorg.0.log should produce output like

yielded:

granpasmurf@granpasmurf-OptiPlex-GX150:~$ grep RandR /var/log/Xorg.0.log
[ 35.173] (==) RandR enabled

Also, grep RandR /var/log/Xorg.0.log should produce output like

yielded:
granpasmurf@granpasmurf-OptiPlex-GX150:~$ xrandr -q
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 240, current 1280 x 1024, maximum 1280 x 1024
default connected 1280x1024+0+0 0mm x 0mm
1280x1024 50.0* 51.0
1280x960 52.0
1152x864 53.0 54.0 55.0 56.0
1024x768 57.0 58.0 59.0
(...and a number of other resolutions)

see if you have a file named /etc/X11/xorg.conf and attach it to your next post if you do.

xorg.conf could not be attached, however this is the contents of the file:

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Default Device"
Option "NoLogo" "True"
EndSection

[dibl]

Re: screen will not roatate

In a terminal

sudo nvidia-xconfig

Reboot the computer, and then re-run the commands that oshunluvr gave you.

[GranPaSmurf]

Re: screen will not roatate

granpasmurf@granpasmurf-OptiPlex-GX150:~$ sudo nvidia-xconfig
[sudo] password for granpasmurf:

Using X configuration file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf".

VALIDATION ERROR: Data incomplete in file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.
Device section "Default Device" must have a Driver line.

sh: pkg-config: not found
Backed up file '/etc/X11/xorg.conf' as '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup'
New X configuration file written to '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'

[dibl]

Re: screen will not roatate

Now that I engage my brain for 5 seconds, I do believe I should have advised you to Ctrl-Alt-F1 out X, then shutdown the X server with

sudo service kdm stop

THEN run

sudo nvidia-xconfig

and restart the computer.

Sorry. You can't really fix X while X is trying to show you a display -- I know better than that! :P