Dell Latitude D620 dual monitor setup keeps me from logging in

[nareau]

Dell Latitude D620 laptop, Ubuntu 9.04

I recently tried to configure multiple monitors for my laptop, and it was a mistake. Now, when the computer boots up, it gets to the point just before the login then crashes. The screen displays garbage: typically a bunch of vertical lines, which then changes to some irregular white horizontal bands, with the Ubuntu bootup graphic distorted and discolored.

I've tried editing my xorg.conf (back to the most basic config), and tried using the xfix option from the text-based recovery mode. Has anyone seen something like this before? Any ideas on how to fix it?

Edit: I should also mention: I was actually trying to set up 2 external monitors, using a D620 docking station.

[nareau]

If someone else has the same laptop, would you mind posting your xorg.conf file so I can see what it should look like? I still can't use mine.

[NeoGreen]

I have Ubuntu 8.04 running on a Dell Latitude D620, here are my config file:
# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 1.0 (buildd@palmer) Mon Nov 3 08:46:46 UTC 2008

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "DELL 1907FP"
HorizSync 30.0 - 81.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 76.0
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "NoLogo" "True"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "Quadro NVS 110M"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "Configured Video Device"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "1"
Option "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-1"
Option "metamodes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select +0+0, DFP-0: nvidia-auto-select +1280+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

[nareau]

Thanks for the reply. I eventually gave up, and just reinstalled the OS. Thing is, upon reinstalling, the xorg.conf went back to the basic defaults (and it worked). I'm not sure what happened, but I'm convinced that setting up the multiple monitors changed something beyond the xorg.conf (ie, changed a driver or someting). I might re-create the problem someday, just to see if I can't figure it out.

After reinstalling the OS, I was able to get 2 monitors running. But doing so disabled the visual effects, and the screen refresh was terrible (dragging a window across the screen was like a slideshow).

I have also discovered that Intel graphic support is not good in 9.04. I happen to have the Intel version of the D620.