[SOLVED] 11.10 nvidia Gnome Classic with secondary monitor showing white background. [Archive]

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earthmeLon

October 19th, 2011, 10:23 PM

UPDATE
A bug has been filed, as this is affecting multiple users:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+bug/885989
There is a working patch (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+bug/885989/comments/3) and the dev team is aware of the problem and solution (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+bug/885989/comments/8).
You will have to compile Nautilus from source (http://live.gnome.org/Nautilus/Development/), or wait until the fix gets added to your repo.

This gent, marcelo_gomes, explains how to patch Nautilus so that it will resolve this issue ( http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=11679740&postcount=16 )

I recently upgraded my desktop from 10.10->11.04->11.10 x64. I installed the recommended nvidia drivers for my GeForce 8800 GTX through Restricted Drivers and gnome-shell so that I could get the classic look with Cairo Dock (http://glx-dock.org/), Compiz and Emerald (http://askubuntu.com/questions/43799/how-do-i-get-compiz-emerald-and-gnome-to-work/45168#45168).

sudo apt-get install --reinstall gnome-shell
sudo apt-get remove overlay-scrollbar liboverlay-scrollbar3-0.2-0 liboverlay-scrollbar-0.2-0
sudo apt-get remove appmenu-gtk3 appmenu-gtk appmenu-qt

My secondary monitor was not responding, so I ran nvidia-xconfig and then nvidia-settings, setting up "Separate x screen" and resolution.

On reboot, the secondary monitor worked. However, at login it was filled completely with white. Clicking on the white gets rid of it, showing the desktop. The cursor on the secondary monitor is a big X. Right and left clicking shows no menu or anything. I am able to use 'DISPLAY=":0.1" mplayer blah.mkv' to get programs to use the secondary monitor, but I am unable to interact with them. (In this example, I am unable to focus the movie in order to pause/play or use other keybindings.)

After every reboot when I open nvidia-settings, it forgets that I set the secondary monitor to above and it shows "Separate x screen (reboot required)", which makes me think it's not set to separate x screens somewhere. I believe if the current settings were separate x screens, it would show "reboot required" under the OTHER settings.

I have since:
*sudo apt-get remove --purge nvidia*
*sudo rm -rf /etc/X11/xorg.conf*
*Rebooted into recovery, downloaded latest drivers script (http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86_64/285.05.09/NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-285.05.09.run) and ran said script.
*Set up nvidia-settings
*Still get the white screen / weird X cursor

It seems a similar issue has been CLOSED here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=11290226, but unfortunately cariboo907's solution hasn't worked for me.

sudo lshw -c video

*-display
description: VGA compatible controller
product: G80 [GeForce 8800 GTX]
vendor: nVidia Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
version: a2
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
resources: irq:18 memory:fd000000-fdffffff memory:d0000000-dfffffff memory:fa000000-fbffffff ioport:bc00(size=128) memory:fe8e0000-fe8fffff

cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf

# nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
# nvidia-settings: version 285.05.09 (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-02.nvidia.com) Fri Sep 23 17:55:42 PDT 2011

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Layout0"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 768
Screen 1 "Screen1" Above "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 "DELL E228WFP"
HorizSync 30.0 - 83.0
VertRefresh 56.0 - 75.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
# HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
Identifier "Monitor1"
VendorName "Unknown"
ModelName "LG Electronics LG TV"
HorizSync 31.0 - 100.0
VertRefresh 48.0 - 88.0
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 8800 GTX"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 0
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Device1"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName "GeForce 8800 GTX"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Option "TwinView" "0"
Option "metamodes" "DFP-1: 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-0: 1280x768 +0+0"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Any help getting my secondary monitor working properly would be greatly appreciated :D

wildflower1975

October 19th, 2011, 10:38 PM

I had the same white screen with my NVIDIA card.

I enabled Xinerama in the nvidia config GUI and after a reboot it started working.

Hope this helps

earthmeLon

October 19th, 2011, 11:25 PM

I had the same white screen with my NVIDIA card.

I enabled Xinerama in the nvidia config GUI and after a reboot it started working.

Hope this helps

Thank you, but it is my intent to keep separate x screens and not use any of the alternatives.

earthmeLon

October 20th, 2011, 12:08 AM

It seems the white window is nautilus. When I get it to close, my desktop disappears. Running nautilus brings my desktop as well as the big white window back.

dmesg | tail
[ 383.277073] nautilus[2824] general protection ip:7f0556640f40 sp:7fffaacee4c8 error:0 in libgobject-2.0.so.0.3000.0[7f055660e000+4e000]

earthmeLon

October 20th, 2011, 05:58 PM

I have since formatted my / (root) partition and installed 11.10 fresh (keeping my /home partition in tact)

Still experiencing the white screen that crashes nautilus (removing my desktop) when closed.

RobertSwipe

October 24th, 2011, 02:49 PM

Same problem here, using a Dell M1210 laptop with NVidia graphics card.

On logging in, the second display briefly shows my desktop background, then clears to white blank display. Right clicking on this causes the desktop background to show again, but I can't get any applications to run in it at all.

If I select "Home folder", the second display once again blanks out.

Changing to Gnome Shell gives a bit more of a clue. Although the same effect occurs (white blank display), the primary screen shows the Nautilus menu bar when I click on the blank second display.

I've upgraded from 10.10 to 11.10 via 11.04 (I didn't actually use 11.04 on this laptop to wait for Unity and Gnome Shell to settle down!). After upgrading, I also upgraded the NVidia driver to 280.13 (nvidia-current).

mbutash

November 28th, 2011, 11:33 PM

So what was the actual resolution, if any? I see [solved], but not catching what it was aside from not closing Nautilus.

I have an ati card with split framebuffers (same as dual twinview under nvidia), and get very strange behavior *like* this, but not exactly...

When I launch 11.10 with unity after setting up monitors (6 monitors, 3 per DISPLAY, DISPLAY=:0.0 and 0.1), the second display set will get the white screen effect with a generic x mouse overlay. If I click on it, I get a background then, but no right click or windowing. If I then do "DISPLAY=:0.1 compiz --replace" and launch a dockbar like Cairo, I can then interact with the display normally. If I launch nautilus, it brings back the white window as you said that I can't see anything but Cairo, but clicking on the white kills the white desktop AND nautilus. I get the same protection errors as you.

I've tried this with simply two monitors in separate framebuffers, and it does it irregardless of vendor or driver - it's a compiz/gtk problem not setting up the second (or more) displays properly. Unity and presumably gnome3 need to account for multiple framebuffers to run, composite, and manage each individually. Unity can't run on the second monitor to give me a file menu, so had to uninstall that appmenu nonsense to make it usable.

This was the same in Natty that Unity did not setup properly the secondary framebuffers, requiring me to script launch compiz and dockbars on each myself. Wayyyy too much manual hacking and setup finish to make this a production release - please test and q/a with multiple displays and framebuffers!

earthmeLon

November 28th, 2011, 11:43 PM

marcelo_gomes

January 26th, 2012, 05:53 AM

There is a working patch (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+bug/885989/comments/3) and the dev team is aware of the problem and solution (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+bug/885989/comments/8).

You will have to compile Nautilus from source (http://live.gnome.org/Nautilus/Development/), or wait until the fix gets added to your repo.

Sorry to reopen this old thread, but how can I apply the patch and compile Nautilus manually? I really need to get those two monitors running, but I have no idea how to apply the patch.

PS:nvidia-settings just give the option to use separate X, it doesn't allow me to set twinview, for instance.

Thanks,
Marcelo.

earthmeLon

January 26th, 2012, 05:59 AM

Sorry to reopen this old thread, but how can I apply the patch and compile Nautilus manually? I really need to get those two monitors running, but I have no idea how to apply the patch.

PS:nvidia-settings just give the option to use separate X, it doesn't allow me to set twinview, for instance.

Thanks,
Marcelo.

Check the links on the status of the update. Not sure if you'll have to make a patch or if they've put the code into the source yet.

Otherwise, the solution if found was to use Debian :P

marcelo_gomes

January 26th, 2012, 04:14 PM

Check the links on the status of the update. Not sure if you'll have to make a patch or if they've put the code into the source yet.

Otherwise, the solution if found was to use Debian :P

Thanks for your reply!

Looking at the bug reports, it is still up to the patching way. I got the patch file (diff output style) from there. The thing is, I have absolutely no ideia how to apply that patch to my system. How do I make it work? What commands should I run? I have no problems using terminal, but I really don`t have the slightest idea how to patch anything.

Thanks for your help,
Marcelo.

marcelo_gomes

January 26th, 2012, 04:56 PM

earthmeLon

January 26th, 2012, 06:53 PM

Well, I managed to apply the patch and rebuild nautilus, but it just solved the blank screen on the second monitor, but not the problem of not being able to move anything there. The cursor is still just an X and I can send any application window to that screen...

You should probably learn about what having two different X displays means. There is no way of moving windows to other displays. You must load them INTO the display in which you wish to view them. Most of the time you can do something such as:

$ DISPLAY=:0.1 chromium-browser

The above would open Chromium on the second display. (:0.0) is first display.

marcelo_gomes

January 26th, 2012, 08:54 PM

You should probably learn about what having two different X displays means. There is no way of moving windows to other displays. You must load them INTO the display in which you wish to view them. Most of the time you can do something such as:

$ DISPLAY=:0.1 chromium-browser

The above would open Chromium on the second display. (:0.0) is first display.

That`s why I wanted twinview instead of different X displays.
But I solved the problem. The thing is, I have to connect both monitors to the same connector, and not one in each (it`s nvidia quad). I initialy had them connected to entry 1 and 2. When I changed the second monitor from 2 to 3, having both on the same GPU but different DFP, it worked.

chriswu000

February 11th, 2012, 03:27 AM

marcelo_gomes

February 11th, 2012, 05:32 AM

Hey Marcelo, so how did you apply the patch? I have no idea what to change or how to rebuild nautilus from source. Any help would be excellent! Thanks!

Steps that I took:
saved the patch file found here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+bug/885989/comments/3

Then I created a directory to store the nautilus source and got the dependencies and source code to build it:
mkdir ~/nautilus-source
cd ~/nautilus-source
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get build-dep nautilus
apt-get source nautilus

That being done, changed to the source directory and copied the patch file to that directory:
cd nautilus-*
cp ~/Downloads/nautilus.patch . (PS: change this address to correspond to where you put the patch file and the name you given it)

Now, for the patch itself. There are a few options that you can use to patch it without needing to specify the address of the file to be patched, but I didn`t used it (for the newbie I am) so I needed to provide the address when prompted:

patch < nautilus.patch (PS: chance nautilus.patch to match the name you gave to the patch file)

When prompted for the address of the file to be patched (nautilus-desktop-background.c), I needed to put

./libnautilus-private/nautilus-desktop-background.c

That solves the patching part, now for the build:

sudo ./confiugre
sudo make
sudo make install

Then just kill all nautilus process and restart it:

sudo killall nautilus
nautilus &

Done.

chriswu000

February 11th, 2012, 09:57 AM

Hey Marcelo,

Thanks! I would never have figured that out. Did you just google around for how to do all this?

I've updated nautilus, and the white screen has gone away. But, like you, the x still hangs around. The 2nd monitor has the correct background image, but nothing else. No launcher, nothing. Attempts to open things in 0:1 as suggested only results in everything opening in 0:0.

I tried changing the DLP manually in xorg, but that didn't help. Right now both screens are on GPU0 and on DLP0 and DLP1 (I don't think it actually used DLP2 despite what I changed in the file).

How were you able to get the second xscreen to work? At this point, I may just stick to twin view. It cuts off the top and bottom of my 2nd monitor, but even if I get xscreen to work, I'm not sure my girlfriend will be able to open a terminal and open chrome in the 2nd monitor to stream netflix at this point. Twinview would be easier I think.

Still, I'd like to know why xscreens refuses to work... I have another computer that's running 11.10 with an ATI eyefinity card. It's able to use dual monitors the way I was used to in Windows. It treats it as 2 different monitors with 2 different resolutions, unlike this baffling twin view business that cuts off pixels.

My laptop is 1440x900 and my TV is 1900x1080, yet my TV is missing a chunk of the top and bottom. Frustrating...

Anyway, thanks for your help, Marcelo. If you have any thoughts on how to get my xscreen to work, I'd be very grateful.

badinoff

April 11th, 2012, 11:20 AM

Hi Marcelo!

I have been able to follow your steps all the way through the part where you had to indicate the address of the file that had to be patched. I can't find anything like libnautilus-private/nautilus-desktop-background.c
Understanding that my path can be different from yours, I've run multiple searches (within Nautilus) for libnautilus, libnautilus-private, nautilus-desktop-background, nautilus-desktop-background.c etc. Found nothing... Would you please explain how you arrived to that path?

Also for the sake of information, I was able to run dual monitors in 11.10 32-bit just fine. I then decided to go to 11.10 64-bit and am now having the same problem with the second monitor. Go figure...

P.S.
If you're saying you're a newbie, and figured this out, then I think I'm retarded ](*,)

Thanks in advance!
BM

rockrman

May 10th, 2012, 05:18 PM

I patched and recompiled nautilus then white screen problem is gone.
But now all my nautilus extensions do not work anymore. I reinstalled them (python nautilus too) but no way. There are also some new desktop icons (Computer, Shredder, etc.) that I was not able to remove.

osarusan

August 1st, 2012, 05:30 AM

Same issue here. The patch worked at removing the white screen from my 2nd monitor, but I still have the mouse cursor displaying as an X and I can't really do anything on the 2nd display... How can I fix this?

Hey Marcelo,

Thanks! I would never have figured that out. Did you just google around for how to do all this?

I've updated nautilus, and the white screen has gone away. But, like you, the x still hangs around. The 2nd monitor has the correct background image, but nothing else. No launcher, nothing. Attempts to open things in 0:1 as suggested only results in everything opening in 0:0.

I tried changing the DLP manually in xorg, but that didn't help. Right now both screens are on GPU0 and on DLP0 and DLP1 (I don't think it actually used DLP2 despite what I changed in the file).

How were you able to get the second xscreen to work? At this point, I may just stick to twin view. It cuts off the top and bottom of my 2nd monitor, but even if I get xscreen to work, I'm not sure my girlfriend will be able to open a terminal and open chrome in the 2nd monitor to stream netflix at this point. Twinview would be easier I think.

Still, I'd like to know why xscreens refuses to work... I have another computer that's running 11.10 with an ATI eyefinity card. It's able to use dual monitors the way I was used to in Windows. It treats it as 2 different monitors with 2 different resolutions, unlike this baffling twin view business that cuts off pixels.

My laptop is 1440x900 and my TV is 1900x1080, yet my TV is missing a chunk of the top and bottom. Frustrating...

Anyway, thanks for your help, Marcelo. If you have any thoughts on how to get my xscreen to work, I'd be very grateful.

rockrman

August 1st, 2012, 08:47 AM

I have the same problem using NVidia 8400gs with a 15" LCD as first screen and a 37" TV as second (for XBMC).
I temporary solved the issue killing Nautilus by my XBMC launch script.
I think this thread must not be marked as [Solved] since the patch is a workaround (with some problems) and not an official Nautilus upgrade/bugfix.

earthmeLon

August 1st, 2012, 02:40 PM

Same issue here. The patch worked at removing the white screen from my 2nd monitor, but I still have the mouse cursor displaying as an X and I can't really do anything on the 2nd display... How can I fix this?

The problems you are experiencing may be due to compiz and not actually nautilus.

Try running
metacity --replace or rebooting your machine after changing your Windows Decoration program within compiz.

I've had more success with metacity on dual-display/dual-head systems, with the tradeoff of composite/3d acceleration problems.