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ctaborda
April 28th, 2011, 01:21 AM
Hello,

I am trying the daily build of Ubuntu 11.04. When I try to enable Xinerama, so that I can move windows between my two displays, then I log out, and back in, it simply breaks Unity.

I was getting the sidebar, almost on the right side, and the screen was all broken, then the behaviour changed to simply not displaying anithing, Unity not loading whatsoever.

I turned off Xinerama (by editing my xorg.conf) and diabled it, and Unity works perfect.

Any ideas?

Here's a copy of my xorg.conf



# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 270.29 (buildd@roseapple) Fri Feb 25 14:43:24 UTC 2011


Section "ServerLayout"

Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
Screen 1 "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
Option "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

# HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "ViewSonic VX2739wm"
HorizSync 24.0 - 83.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 76.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

# HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
Identifier "Monitor1"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "DELL E228WFP"
HorizSync 30.0 - 83.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 75.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce GTS 450"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device1"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce GTS 450"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 1
EndSection

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

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen1"
Device "Device1"
Monitor "Monitor1"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "metamodes" "DFP-2: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Krytarik
April 28th, 2011, 01:33 AM
Compiz (thus Unity) doesn't work with "Xinerama", but since you are running the proprietary Nvidia driver, try enabling "TwinView" instead, it should work. Either by modifying your xorg.conf manually, or via "NVIDIA X Server Settings".

Greetings.

ctaborda
April 28th, 2011, 01:38 AM
Well, I just found out I can simply use Twinview so forget Xinerama if it doesn't work.

edit: Krytarik Yes! Thanks!! I actually tried it before seeing the update, thanks a million.

sygard
April 29th, 2011, 09:31 PM
I actually have the same issue.

I have two graphics cards, one nVidia G80 [GeForce 8800 Ultra] and one nVidia G73 [GeForce 7300 GT]. I have two screens connected to the G80 and one to the G73.

In Ubuntu 10.10, it works very well with the proprietary nvidia driver and xinerama for spanning the desktop over all three screens. When trying the exact same setup on Ubuntu 11.04, it all breaks... Both in Unity and Gnome (regular).

I didn't have time to figure out how to fix it, so I went back to 10.10. Not going to upgrade until it is fixed, because I need all screens to work.

If anyone have a solution to this problem, I would be very happy to hear about it :D

Thanks,
Tor Martin.

Krytarik
April 29th, 2011, 10:27 PM
@sygard: Are you running Compiz (desktop effects) in your Maverick install, with Xinerama?
What is wrong about using TwinView instead?

BrianHaidet
April 29th, 2011, 11:00 PM
I recently new-egged a computer to convert to Ubuntu and ran into this same issue. From my windows laptop, I was running two external screens and so kept the 3 screen-on-two-cards setup when I built the Ubuntu desktop. I tried for about a week to make compiz work on all screens and found no solution. Yesterday, I used the auto-installer to patch on 11.4 from 10.10 and when I booted up, I got no task bar - nothing but my old wallpaper - and I can't even figure out how to open a program.

It is interesting that they would program compiz into an operating system, with so many people complaining about it not handling more than one graphics card. (that, btw, is the issue with twinview, it only works for one card and two screens I think (I am not sure how it would handle a 3 or 4 screen card))

Right now, I just want to find a way to backtrack to 10.10 but I can't even get to my xorg.config to temporarily disable xinerama. I am considering booting 10.10 from a flash drive to go in the hard way. Does anyone know if installing 10.10 to that hard disk would erase my user's files and settings with the program files? somehow the autoinstaller did it because my wallpaper still exists.


but... if anyone now has a xinerama/compiz solution, that would be awesome too...

oddquestioner
April 29th, 2011, 11:25 PM
I have also noticed that xinerama breaks unity with the official nvidia drivers 270.41.06 but with the experimental 3D drivers also offered under the additional drivers that it works. Compiz/unity works with the driver and I'm guessing the default xinerama (not the nvidia one) With the experimental drivers xinerama is not a separate setting, its just enabled. Only problem I'm having is that the experimental driver does not find my second video card, so it only works with two monitors.

Krytarik
April 29th, 2011, 11:28 PM
(that, btw, is the issue with twinview, it only works for one card and two screens I think (I am not sure how it would handle a 3 or 4 screen card))

Ok, yeah, I overlooked that, I remember having read about that before.


Right now, I just want to find a way to backtrack to 10.10 but I can't even get to my xorg.config to temporarily disable xinerama. I am considering booting 10.10 from a flash drive to go in the hard way. Does anyone know if installing 10.10 to that hard disk would erase my user's files and settings with the program files? somehow the autoinstaller did it because my wallpaper still exists.

Only if you have an external home directory, on another partition.

But, did you already try "Ubuntu Classic (No effects)", that should be exactly the mode you ran Maverick before, you can choose it at the login screen:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1741293

BrianHaidet
April 30th, 2011, 03:58 AM
I unplugged two screens then went in with a flash drive 10.10 and deleted my xorg.conf. It worked while setting "no effects" more and setting up nvidia x server + xinerama but when I plugged them back in and rebooted, I got a blank white background and a really weird phenomenon with the screens.

the farthest left screen (absolute (0,0) but x-screen 1) is normal, and the overall amount of virtual desktop space (x-screens) seems normal and properly proportioned, but I cannot see all of it.

my other two screens look like mirrors of the first but they only show chunks of the desktop. the middle screen is the largest, and the taskbar starts halfway across the screen and continues out of sight. It seems that all of the screens held their resolutions but display the desktop starting at upper-left(0,0).

My mouse is only visible on the absolute scale (works perfectly with screen 1) and when I click, it lines up with the virtual xscreen coordinates, not what is actually visible. I have to watch what is highlighted to guide my mouse part of the time.

Krytarik
April 30th, 2011, 04:16 AM
That sounds indeed really weird! But it did work before in 10.10 with Xinerama and the proprietary driver?

neon401
April 30th, 2011, 02:00 PM
I'm having the same problem as the OP. Unity fails to load if Xinerama is enabled, and Xinerama will only work with "Ubuntu Classic (No effects)".

Krytarik
April 30th, 2011, 02:15 PM
I'm having the same problem as the OP. Unity fails to load if Xinerama is enabled, and Xinerama will only work with "Ubuntu Classic (No effects)".
Can you, too, run TwinView instead, or are you running two Nvidia video cards/chips?

neon401
April 30th, 2011, 02:53 PM
Can you, too, run TwinView instead, or are you running two Nvidia video cards/chips?
I'm using a single ATI Radeon HD 5870, and as far as I understand, TwinView is only for Nvidia? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Krytarik
April 30th, 2011, 03:14 PM
I'm using a single ATI Radeon HD 5870, and as far as I understand, TwinView is only for Nvidia? Correct me if I'm wrong.
Yeah, the cards are all mixed up here. Too bad for you then.

BrianHaidet
April 30th, 2011, 04:59 PM
yes, it worked fine in 10.10 with both cards, xinerama, and no desktop effects.

I just started to set backup stuff up to wipe it clean and re-install 10.10. I'm just going to wait till 11.10 when I heard they will be replacing x server. I hope that compiz works with whatever THAT ends up being.

Moonwen
April 30th, 2011, 06:52 PM
With 3d experimental drivers everything (2 monitors) works like a charm.

nullchar
May 2nd, 2011, 08:54 PM
Try Unity 2D if you want to use the Unity UI with Xinerama, else use Gnome without Compiz with Xinerama:

http://packages.ubuntu.com/natty/unity-2d

midoh
May 3rd, 2011, 01:03 PM
I am having the same problem. However I am using an ATI card with two monitors. If I enable xinerama the system will not boot using Unity or classic. Choosing Classic (no effects) works and allows the system to show the desktop. Like previous posters, my system worked flawlessly before under 10.10. Now I am not sure what to do.

<rant>
Personally, I can't stand Unity. I am sure it is fine for a touch and swipe style screen like on a ?pad, but these are desktop machines with mice. With gnome, selecting virtually anything from the menu required only two clicks. One to open the menu and one to select the item. The menus popped out on their own via hovering. With unity one has to click the menu, click more programs, click show all, click to select the category (or scroll through all 80 or so programs), if you didn't select the right category, click to try another, then click on what you want. Completely non intuitive in my opinion.

I was so turned off by the direction ubuntu is going that I decided to try fedora and opensuse instead. I have to say I really like the debian way of things which is one the things that drew me to ubuntu in the first place. It is my opinion that Linux has taken a step back in the last few month, not forward.

But hey, that's just my opinion.
</rant>

Krytarik
May 4th, 2011, 04:01 AM
midoh, I feel somewhat the same as you. Right now both Gnome and Ubuntu are declaredly trying the one-fits-all approach. Of course that doesn't fit all. We will see to where that all leads to, I'm really curious about it, and really excited about the complete new approach the both projects are trying. And believe that will eventually lead to a better DE than Gnome 2 ever was. If you are not trying something new, nothing evolves!

In the meantime I plan sticking to Lucid 10.04, which will be supported until the end of April 2013, and I suggest the same to you.

About the actual issue, there seem to be some issues between Compiz and video drivers, especially regarding the Xinerama feature.

Are you running the proprietary driver or the open source one?

What exactly happens if you try to log in to "Ubuntu" and "Ubuntu Classic" (with effects)?

jvcastle
May 11th, 2011, 11:28 PM
Unity seems to work fine on single monitor systems or systems with two monitors with one display card. However if one has more than 1 display card, one (at least since 10.10) needs to use Xinerama. However it is clear that enabling Xinerama breaks Unity, so it seems that if one has more than two monitors, one is stuck to Ubuntu Classic - no?

System: Dell Precision T7500 Ubuntu 11.04 64bit
Dual NVIDIA Quadro NVS 295 GPU
Two Dell 1920x1200 monitors on GPU 1
Sony 1920x1080 on GPU 2

Using NVIDIA drivers from standard update from 10.10 to 11.04

Here are two configurations and results:

#1 - Using NVIDIA X Server Settings:
All displays set to "Separate X Screen", Enable Xinerama is checked.

Result: Login using Ubuntu Classic works perfectly, One panel top and bottom on primary display, can move any window to any display, forcing any one to full screen will fill only one display.
Attempting to Login using Unity, side panel attempts to display on Sony TV (X screen2), but no controls work. Monitors on GPU#1 (X screens 0 and 1) are black (but will briefly show background prior to shutdown using power button or reboot from ssh session on different system.

#2 - Using NVIDIA X Server Settings:
Both monitors on GPU#1 1 set to "Twinview, Enable Xinerama is NOT checked.
Both resolutions set to 1920x1200
SonyTV on GPU2 set to "Separate X display" (X screen 1)

Result:
Ubuntu Classic almost works but the two Dell monitors are treated as one 3840x1200 display - i.e the panels extend across the monitors and forcing a window to full screen extends it across both monitors (not very acceptable). Windows can be moved to the third (SonyTV) and they can be set to full screen there OK.
Ubuntu Unity comes up similarly, there is the task panel on the left and the top panel extends across both monitors. The only way to take advantage of the Unity integration in the top panel is to open a window full screen, which puts it across both monitors - not acceptable.
The third display (TV on GPU#2) shows only the desktop background, windows cannot be moved there and although it appears the display manager is working (right mouse click brings up "Create Folder, Create launcher etc" menu, but there isn't a way get any windows to start up there.
Attempting the DISPLAY=0.1 unity --replace command suggested at:
http://askubuntu.com/questions/39436/issue-with-3-monitors
seems to run, but nothing changes


So there are three questions:

1. Why doesn't Xinerama, which seems to be the only way to run more than one GPU/display card NOT work with Unity???
2. Is there a way to force the Twinview configuration to NOT treat the two monitors on GPU#1 as a single 3840x1200 display - so windows opened full screen stay only on the one screen, and the top panel stays on only one screen?
3. In the second configuration, how does one start up applications on the monitor attached to GPU#2

dpkg-l
May 27th, 2011, 06:31 PM
+1 Xinerama broken when moving from 10.10 to 11.04. Using nVidia binaries

4 monitors on NVS 420
2 x Dell P2210
2 x Dell 2007FP

The Xinerama setup worked flawlessly on the 4 screens in 10.10.

In 11.04 Xinerama is broken with or without Ubuntu classic.
I actually prefer working in classic view anyway.

Current "limp mode" twinview so that 2 of the monitors work (gpu 0) while only mouse operations work on the other two monitors (GPU 1). I can launch apps on GPU 1 using the mouse and use the onscreen keyboard but the physical keyboard does not work. Also, setting twinview on GPU 1 does not help, the monitors are still effectively separate desktops with a shared mouse.

I am not sure where the breakage is: unity, Xinerama, nVidia drivers? While not happy about having to troubleshoot, I am willing to run more checks as I prefer working in linux and want this fixed.

As usual, Windows has no problem recognising all of the monitors in any configuration I am wiling to work in.

haydentech
May 27th, 2011, 07:26 PM
Even using TwinView and I still have breakage. I get a working login screen, but Unity, Gnome (Classic), and KDE hang when loading. The mouse still moves, but the desktop is frozen before it gets fully loaded. Only Safe Mode and Classic (No Effects) bring up a desktop and work normally. This started upon upgrade from 10.10 to 11.04.

My setup:
GeForce 7300 driving 2 monitors
TwinView setup in xorg.conf (NOT Xinerama)
Unity support test passes fully (/usr/lib/nux/unity_support_test -p)
Switching to prior kernel does not fix anything
Worked fine in 10.04 and 10.10
No errors in /var/log/Xorg.0.log or syslog

I'm open to any suggestion, because I don't even know where to start looking. There are no error messages that I can find.

Edit: found the bug(s), but unfortunately no fix yet
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/726496
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nux/+bug/728745

ryansinn
May 31st, 2011, 10:31 PM
Here's my config.

This will get my Screens working on both my displays (one is portrait, one is landscape.)

This setup worked flawlessly in 10.10 all the way back to 08.04.

However in 11.04, it will only run DFP-0 and DFP-1 as two independent screens unless I run them both in landscape... I.E. I can't drag windows between the two displays (although the mouse moves fine between them.)

I've attached a PNG of the TwinView desktop view with and without "Effects"... I can't get a screenshot of the Xinerama desktop due to the Window Manager not loading properly... whether or not it's with or without effects.

If I turn Xinerama = 1 ... then the left display (DFP-0) is black and the right display shows the left half of the left display.

I can move my mouse around both screens and the mouse screen edges are correct... It's just not displaying the information in the right spot.

If I turn Xinerama to 1 and set the Desktop to Ubuntu Classic (No Effects) then the desktop takes a bit longer to load, but everything works fine... other than the lack of Compiz / effects.

Sounds like this is a known issue.

Any ideas?




Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 1920 0
Screen 1 "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
Option "Xinerama" "0"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe"
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
# generated from default
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
# HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "HannsG"
ModelName "HannStar Display Corp HZ251H"
HorizSync 30.0 - 85.0
VertRefresh 50.0 - 75.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor1"
VendorName "BenQ"
ModelName "BenQ 241W"
HorizSync 30.0 - 83.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 76.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 9600 GT"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device1"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 9600 GT"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "1"
Option "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-0"
Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: 1920x1080 +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen1"
Device "Device1"
Monitor "Monitor1"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "1"
Option "metamodes" "DFP-1: 1920x1200 +0+0"
Option "RandRRotation" "On"
Option "Rotate" "CCW"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "On"
EndSection

ryansinn
May 31st, 2011, 10:52 PM
Doing a bit more digging, it sounds like nvidia drivers are not compatible with Xorg 1.10.x...

So that's what's breaking our display setups.

I'm going to try the driver change to nouveau from nvidia and see if that fixes it...

I found this great blog post that explains it all...
http://blog.fejes.ca/?p=379

jvcastle
June 14th, 2011, 07:29 PM
I am not sure that "explains it all" - the fact is, with more than 1 display card there isn't any way to use Unity. I think most of us are simply ignoring it and booting to Ubuntu Classic. I still haven't seen anywhere that there is a fix.

dpkg-l
June 14th, 2011, 09:01 PM
Update,

Choosing "Ubuntu Classic (no extras)" at the logon screen does allow me to use Xinerama settings again and thus use the 4 monitors on my T7500 Dell. I am using the nvidea drivers.

All is well with the world again.

xvart
June 16th, 2011, 02:55 AM
Not a serious fix though you have lost a lot of niceness, I have this broken with nvidia as well.

wildmanne39
June 16th, 2011, 08:04 AM
Doing a bit more digging, it sounds like nvidia drivers are not compatible with Xorg 1.10.x...

So that's what's breaking our display setups.

I'm going to try the driver change to nouveau from nvidia and see if that fixes it...

I found this great blog post that explains it all...
http://blog.fejes.ca/?p=379
Hi, I have to use the old drivers 173 in additional drivers, the newer ones do not work good with natty, that includes the ones from nvidia website.