ne screen two screen we all scream for a screen.
Xorg Switcher Documentation:
There is a small issue in the way which Ubuntu handles the ati graphics (specifically the Radeon X600) card running 3d or opengl applications on a two screen configuration. It has a tendency to run those types of applications either very slowly or not at all. However, when configured to run on a single screen setup, opengl and 3d accelerated applications run with absolutely no limitations.
Why run dual screen if you encounter no limitations on a single screen configuration? For certain tasks such as desktop publishing, web or application development a dual screen configuration is invaluable, but if your playing the latest first person shooter game like Doom3 or Prey, a fast 3D accelerated graphics card is a must.
The solution was to create two separate xorg.conf files, one for a single screen set up and one for a dual screen set up. Creating the two separate xorg.conf files was relatively simple.
Here are the two sample files.
technical note: all files need to be located in \etc\X11\
xorg.config.single
Code:
# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg 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(5) 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.
#
# 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 "Files"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
# path to defoma fonts
Fontpath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection
Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "vbe"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "stylus"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom"# Change to
Option "Type" "stylus"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "eraser"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom"# Change to
Option "Type" "eraser"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "cursor"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom"# Change to
Option "Type" "cursor"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Technologies Inc RV380 [Radeon X600 (PCIE)]"
Driver "fglrx"
Busid "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "DELL 1707FP"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "ATI Technologies Inc RV380 [Radeon X600 (PCIE)]"
Monitor "DELL 1707FP"
Defaultdepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "720x400" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
screen "Default Screen"
Inputdevice "Generic Keyboard"
Inputdevice "Configured Mouse"
Inputdevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
Inputdevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
Inputdevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
EndSection
Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection
Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "0"
Option "Composite" "0"
EndSection
The second file you will need is:
xorg.config.dual
Code:
# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg 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(5) 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.
#
# 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 "Files"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
Fontpath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
# path to defoma fonts
Fontpath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection
Section "Module"
Load "i2c"
Load "bitmap"
Load "ddc"
Load "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx"
Load "int10"
Load "vbe"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "stylus"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom"# Change to
Option "Type" "stylus"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "eraser"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom"# Change to
Option "Type" "eraser"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Driver "wacom"
Identifier "cursor"
Option "Device" "/dev/wacom"# Change to
Option "Type" "cursor"
Option "ForceDevice" "ISDV4"# Tablet PC ONLY
# /dev/input/event
# for USB
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "0 ATI Technologies Inc RV380 [Radeon X600 (PCIE)]"
Driver "fglrx"
Busid "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 0
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Dell 1707FP"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "1 ATI Technologies Inc RV380 [Radeon X600 (PCIE)]"
Driver "fglrx"
Busid "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 1
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Dell 1707FP"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Main Screen"
Device "0 ATI Technologies Inc RV380 [Radeon X600 (PCIE)]"
Monitor "Dell 1707FP"
Defaultdepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Second Screen"
Device "1 ATI Technologies Inc RV380 [Radeon X600 (PCIE)]"
Monitor "Dell 1707FP"
Defaultdepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 4
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen 0 "Main Screen"
Screen 1 "Second Screen" RightOf "Main Screen"
Inputdevice "Generic Keyboard"
Inputdevice "Configured Mouse"
Inputdevice "stylus" "SendCoreEvents"
Inputdevice "cursor" "SendCoreEvents"
Inputdevice "eraser" "SendCoreEvents"
option "Xinerama"
EndSection
Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection
Now the not so fun part, to switch back and forth between these two set-ups is a real pain. First you have to be root to change the xorg.conf file. Then you have tp rename the setup file you want to use to xorg.conf while making sure you don't copy over any of your other .conf files. On more than one occasion I corrupted the configuration file and had to install the xorg.conf file by hand in the terminal from a backup. There had to be a better way.
Scripts to the rescue. Xorg Switcher is a Linux script that with the help of zenity makes the task of switching back and forth between different xorg configurations as easy as pressing a button.
Here is the script:
Code:
#!/bin/sh
#Xorg switcher by dthomasdigital and hackerssidekick
#This script will allow you to choose between two xorg.conf files
SCREEN=`zenity --list --text="Select an xorg.conf" --column="Index" --column="Config" --hide-column=1 1 'Single Monitor' 2 'Dual Monitor'`
if [ $SCREEN = "1" ]; then
zenity --info --text="Switching to Single Monitor X will restart"
rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf
ln -s /etc/X11/xorg.conf.single /etc/X11/xorg.conf
killall Xorg
else
if [ $SCREEN = "2" ]; then
zenity --info --text="Switching to Dual Monitor X will restart"
rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf
ln -s /etc/X11/xorg.conf.dual /etc/X11/xorg.conf
killall Xorg
else
zenity --info --text="Nevermind"
fi
fi
Don't forget that you will need to make the script executable.
Once you create the script, you will need to place it in a directory. I create a directory called scripts in the home directory. This is just for easy reference and you can place it any where you would like.
The next step is to add a launcher to the panel
First right mouse click on the panel
Click Add to panel and you will see the next window:
Click Custom application Launcher
You will see the next screen:
Enter the following information
A little explanation:
Type: well is an application.
Name: Name of the application (you can call it what ever you want.
Command: gksudo is a great command. When you run the script it will ask you for the root password, (like stated earlier you must have root access to change the xorg.conf file) <full path> is the path where your script is located.
Comment: Add what you would like
Press the No Icon button and select an icon.
Now run the script.
Click on the panel launcher you just created.
Once you do, you will be asked to enter the root password.
You should then see this window.
If you click cancel you will see this window
Click on the desired configuration you want and click the OK button.
You will then see this window. Beware if you click the X to cancel the script will still run (might fix that in a later version)
Once you click the OK button, X will restart. You log back into Gnome and your new xorg.conf will be running.
So that's it, this is all you need to make switching your xorg.conf file as easy as pressing a button. I'd like to thank hackerssidkick from the Ubuntu forums for showing me how to rename the files and turning me on to zenity. If you would like to contact me please email me at
dthomasdigital@gmail.com and visit the web site http:\\myweb.cableone.net\dthomas
Look for more script howtos coming soon......
A Carafe of Ubuntu
Originally Posted by dthomasdigital
ne screen two screen we all scream for a screen.
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