switch xorg.conf files (dual, single)

[bodhi.zazen]

First, of course make a back up of your xorg.conf

Not only is this good practice, but I might break your xorg.conf

Second, not to ask the obvious, but on some laptops when you have an external screen connected you select a screen with a keyboard combination, Alt-F5

Can you change screens this way ?

Last, try changing:

Section "ServerLayout" Identifier "SINGLEMONITOR" Screen "Default Screen" InputDevice "Generic Keyboard" InputDevice "Configured Mouse" EndSection

To

Section "ServerLayout" Identifier "SINGLEMONITOR" Screen 0 "Main Screen" InputDevice "Generic Keyboard" InputDevice "Configured Mouse" EndSection

HTH

[tocleora]

Well his single monitor is working correctly, right? It's when he uses the dual monitors that they are switched. Does that help/matter?

[bodhi.zazen]

Originally Posted by tocleora Well his single monitor is working correctly, right? It's when he uses the dual monitors that they are switched. Does that help/matter?

Oh, sorry I missed that

For your second monitor add in the HorizSync and VertRefresh rates for the monitor to the monitor section (right now they are blank).

Section "Monitor" Identifier "Second Monitor" HorizSync ??? VertRefresh ??? Option "DPMS" EndSection

And change:

Screen 1 "Second Screen" LeftOf "Main Screen"

To

Screen 1 "Second Screen" RightOf "Main Screen"

[elektronaut]

Originally Posted by bodhi.zazen For your second monitor add in the HorizSync and VertRefresh rates for the monitor to the monitor section (right now they are blank).

Unfortunately I don't know them, there is nothing neither in the documentation nor on the net.

And change: Screen 1 "Second Screen" LeftOf "Main Screen" To Screen 1 "Second Screen" RightOf "Main Screen"

I guess I wasn't explaining clearly. If I don't plug in the external monitor during boot, but just afterwards, everything works fine. So there is no need to change the way the two monitors are arranged. The problem only comes up if I have the external monitor plugged in during the boot process. The more I think about it, the less I think it has anything to do with the XServer, because already the boot menu and the console are displayed on the "wrong" screen, and these two are displayed before the XServer is started. I should have started a new thread probably, as this hasn't got much to do with the original topic. I'm just wondering why it works for tocleora, but not for me. Apparently laptops are built differently, even if they have an Intel graphics device in common?

[tocleora]

Well, that's why I suggested what I did, I'm wondering if when you have a monitor plugged in, your laptop identifies it as 0 and your laptop screen as 1 where when it's not plugged in it only sees one and therefore identifies your laptop screen as 0. In that case the fix I suggested should work for you.

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier	"DUALMONITORS"
	Screen		1 "Second Screen" 0 0
	Screen		0 "Main Screen" LeftOf "Second Screen"
	InputDevice	"Generic Keyboard"
	InputDevice	"Configured Mouse"
	Option "Xinerama" "true"
EndSection

Making what it sees as your Second Screen (which is actually your laptop screen) the primary screen and then making what it sees as your Main Screen (which is actually your external monitor) secondary and what's "LeftOf" your laptop screen. Make sense? No guarantees it will work, but again, worth a try.

Why it works for me is more than likely just brand, my laptop is a Fujitsu.

[tocleora]

Also, if it's happening before you ever boot into X Windows, you should try what someone else suggested before you ever go into X Windows, the button on your keyboard that allows you to switch monitors. then when you go into X Windows it might be right. Sorry I don't know the official terms for these things hopefully you understand what I'm talking about.

[tocleora]

Oh one more thing - I wasn't saying fujitsu is better than yours by any means, just saying that configuration may just be what works on my brand. wanted to clarify.

[elektronaut]

Changing the screen numbering in the ServerLayout section resulted in a Xserver crash. I really don't think xorg.conf takes part in this story at all, I fear it might be hardware related. Though I will try to put the i810switch call in a low runlevel and see if that helps. Thanks for your input again, tocleora and bodhi.zazen!

[elektronaut]

Originally Posted by tocleora Also, if it's happening before you ever boot into X Windows, you should try what someone else suggested before you ever go into X Windows, the button on your keyboard that allows you to switch monitors. then when you go into X Windows it might be right. Sorry I don't know the official terms for these things hopefully you understand what I'm talking about.

Unfortunately that button is not working

[WangWeiLin]

Hi guys I saw your posts and just wanted to let you know what I did.

First of all I might be able tp help one of you the guy who was talking about how he had to unplugg is monitor all the time. I sorry if somebody postet an answer to this point but I got sick of reading the whole thread.

You should put

Option "UseDisplayDevice" "CRT"        or          Option "UseDisplayDevice" "DFP"

in your Device section. This sets what Display the Device will be using.

The 2nd part: You guys where talking about using a small script to change between single and dual monitor use and as far as I could see you did that when you where already logged in (I might be wrong with that) so you restart your x everytime you change between 1 monitor and 2 monitor use. I have to do the same thing and if you know a way to not having to do that, tell me. But my way of doing it is a litte different. I added a little startup script

#!/bin/sh
case $XORG in
    single)
        # if PARAM== single
        cp /etc/X11/backup.single.xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf
        echo "Single Screen Setup for KDE : Enabled"
    ;;
    dual)
        # if PARAM== dual
        cp /etc/X11/backup.dual.xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf
        echo "Dual Screen Setup for KDE : Enabled"
    ;;
    *)
        #default conf here
    ;;
esac
exit 1

and added the variable "XORG=single" or "XORG=dual" to the grub menu.lst just to the end of kernel line.

Last thing to do was to make symlink in /etc/rc#.d to the script we created above (/etc/init.d/xorg). The # you have to exchange to the number you think is the best runlevel for your script to fireup.
When you create the symlink just look that you create one that does not exist already and it looks something like this

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  19 2007-01-08 15:17 S01xorg -> ../init.d/xorg

S=start <- you have to use S

Some of you might ask ok whats the point of all this. Simply that:
You can now create different monitor layouts just by creating different boot options in the /boot/grub/menu.lst this way you don't have to restart your x, you just select it when you start your computer.

For example my menu.lst looks like this:

title		Single Monitor - Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-386
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-386  ro quiet splash XORG=single
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-386
savedefault
boot

title		Dual Monitor - Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-386
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-386  ro single XORG=dual
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-386
boot

title		Home - Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-386
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-386  ro single XORG=dual NET=home
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-386
boot

title		Uni - Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-386
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-386  ro single XORG=single NET=uni
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-386
boot

title		Work - Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-386
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-386  ro single XORG=dual NET=work
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-386
boot


title		Ubuntu, memtest86+
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/memtest86+.bin
boot

I did the same thing for my network this way my connection already exists when kde starts and I don't get any errors about not having an internet connection.

Unix 4 Ever
wangweilin

p.s. I forgot to tell you guys, as you might see in the script I too use different xorg files and with the script I just copy them to the /etc/X11/xorg.conf