Fedora 8 doesn't use my external monitor

[Gordon Hay]

Laptop attached to docking station, and through that to an external
display.

Booting F8, external display behaves normally at first, but when
graphical stuff starts, it does some flickering (like a TV in need of
horizontal hold adjustment) then goes blank and stays blank.  Laptop
display continues to work normally.

I'm only trying to display the same desktop simultaneously on both
displays.  No split desktops or double desktops, or anything fancy.

It all worked properly with FC5, and subsequent upgrades to FC6 and then
F7.  Problem appeared only on upgrade to F8.  All F8 updates applied.
Everything still works normally if I boot Windows XP instead of F8.

Config is: Compaq Evo N1020v laptop with Radeon IGP 340M graphics.
External display is just an old Gateway EV500 15" CRT.  Both displays
are 1024*768.

/etc/X11/xorg.conf reads:
        Section "ServerLayout"
        	Identifier     "single head configuration"
        	Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
        	InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
        EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        	Identifier  "Keyboard0"
        	Driver      "kbd"
        	Option	    "XkbModel" "pc105"
        	Option	    "XkbLayout" "gb"
        EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        	Identifier   "Monitor0"
        	ModelName    "LCD Panel 1024x768"
        	HorizSync    31.5 - 37.9
        	VertRefresh  50.0 - 70.0
        EndSection

Section "Device"
        	Identifier  "Videocard0"
        	Driver      "radeon"
        EndSection

Section "Screen"
        	Identifier "Screen0"
        	Device     "Videocard0"
        	Monitor    "Monitor0"
        	DefaultDepth     24
        	SubSection "Display"
        		Viewport   0 0
        		Depth     24
        	EndSubSection
        	SubSection "Display"
        		Viewport   0 0
        		Depth     16
        		Modes    "800x600"
        	EndSubSection
        EndSection

If anyone can see what's wrong here, I'll be very grateful!

Gordon Hay

[Mogens Kjaer]

Gordon Hay wrote:
...
>     Section "Device"
>     	Identifier  "Videocard0"
>     	Driver      "radeon"
>     EndSection

I have the following device section:

Section "Device"
         Identifier  "Videocard0"
         Driver      "radeon"
         Option "MonitorLayout" "LVDS, CRT"
         Option "CRT2HSync" "30.0-85.0"
         Option "CRT2VRefresh" "50.0-150.0"
         Option "CRT2Position" "Clone"
         Option "MetaModes" "1400x1050-1400x1050"
EndSection

You'll need to replace 1400x1050 and find the
proper values for the monitor for HSync and
VRefresh.

Mogens

[Gordon Hay]

Mogens Kjaer <mk <at> crc.dk> writes:
> I have the following device section:
>
> Section "Device"
>          Identifier  "Videocard0"
>          Driver      "radeon"
>          Option "MonitorLayout" "LVDS, CRT"
>          Option "CRT2HSync" "30.0-85.0"
>          Option "CRT2VRefresh" "50.0-150.0"
>          Option "CRT2Position" "Clone"
>          Option "MetaModes" "1400x1050-1400x1050"
> EndSection

Thanks.  I've taken this example, changed the resolution to 1024x768 and 
the refresh rates to those recommended by Gateway (Hsync 30.0-69.0, 
Vrefresh 50.0-110.0)

Sadly, it seems to make no difference.

Any further suggestions...?

[Mogens Kjaer]

Gordon Hay wrote:
...
> Any further suggestions...?

Works For Me on a HP/Compaq EVO N800c with radeon graphics, FC7.

Anything interesting in /var/log/Xorg.0.log?

Mogens

[Mogens Kjaer]

Mogens Kjaer wrote:
> Gordon Hay wrote:
> ...
> > Any further suggestions...?
>
> Works For Me on a HP/Compaq EVO N800c with radeon graphics, FC7.

You write that you didn't have this problem in F7; neither did
I at first, not until a later update. Then it was necessary to
add these lines into xorg.conf

Mogens

[max]

Mogens Kjaer wrote:
> Mogens Kjaer wrote:
> > Gordon Hay wrote:
> > ...
> > > Any further suggestions...?
> >
> > Works For Me on a HP/Compaq EVO N800c with radeon graphics, FC7.
>
> You write that you didn't have this problem in F7; neither did
> I at first, not until a later update. Then it was necessary to
> add these lines into xorg.conf
>
> Mogens

The ATI driver is seriously screwy.

-Max

[Jim Cornette]

max wrote:
> The ATI driver is seriously screwy.
>
> -Max

That it is!
Efforts to fix problems with the driver are in process though.
Jim

[Msquared]

On Wed, Jan 16, 2008 at 02:07:30PM +0000, Gordon Hay wrote:
> Laptop attached to docking station, and through that to an external
> display.

You might like to experiment with the xrandr command.  It can dynamically
change resolutions, add and remove extra monitors, etc.  A few starting
points:

man xrandr
  http://www.google.com.au/search?q=xrandr

Regards, Msquared...

[Lamar Owen]

On Wednesday 16 January 2008, Msquared wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 16, 2008 at 02:07:30PM +0000, Gordon Hay wrote:
> > Laptop attached to docking station, and through that to an external
> > display.
>
> You might like to experiment with the xrandr command.  It can dynamically
> change resolutions, add and remove extra monitors, etc.  A few starting
> points:

Yeah, I got a little surprise yesterday from xrandr during a presentation on 
my F8 laptop.  I had just disconnected the projector from the external 
monitor connector on my Dell 640m, and was taking notes in a kmail composer 
window, when all of a sudden the screen went black and I was returned to the 
login screen.  Good thing kmail keeps what you were doing.

What had essentially happened, I think, is that the screen resolution changed 
from the 1024x768 it was using while the projector was connected to the 
native widescreen resolution; this apparently triggered a logout or similar.

Fedora 8 doesn't see my external monitor

[Gordon Hay]

xrandr reports "VGA-0 disconnected".  But it certainly is connected, and
both Ubuntu and XP can find it OK on the identical hardware
configuration.

I suspect a very recent ATI driver update has made this worse: xrandr
used to find the screen, though it was blank.  I could make it mirror
the laptop display by saying
"xrandr --output LVDS --mode 800x600" followed by
"xrandr --output LVDS --mode 1024x768"
But now nothing seems to work...

Laptop attached to docking station, and through that to an external
display.

Booting F8, external display behaves normally at first, but when
graphical stuff starts, it goes blank and stays blank.  Laptop
display continues to work normally.

I'm only trying to display the same desktop simultaneously on both
displays.  No split desktops or double desktops, or anything fancy.

It all worked properly with FC5, and subsequent upgrades to FC6 and then
F7.  Problem appeared only on upgrade to F8.  All F8 updates applied.
Everything still works normally if I boot Windows XP instead of F8.

Config is: Compaq Evo N1020v laptop with Radeon IGP 340M graphics.
External display is just an old Gateway EV500 15" CRT.  Both displays
are 1024*768.

/etc/X11/xorg.conf reads:
        Section "ServerLayout"
        	Identifier     "single head configuration"
        	Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
        	InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
        EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        	Identifier  "Keyboard0"
        	Driver      "kbd"
        	Option	    "XkbModel" "pc105"
        	Option	    "XkbLayout" "gb"
        EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        	Identifier   "Monitor0"
        	ModelName    "LCD Panel 1024x768"
        	HorizSync    31.5 - 37.9
        	VertRefresh  50.0 - 70.0
        EndSection

Section "Device"
        	Identifier  "Videocard0"
        	Driver      "radeon"
        EndSection

Section "Screen"
        	Identifier "Screen0"
        	Device     "Videocard0"
        	Monitor    "Monitor0"
        	DefaultDepth     24
        	SubSection "Display"
        		Viewport   0 0
        		Depth     24
        	EndSubSection
        	SubSection "Display"
        		Viewport   0 0
        		Depth     16
        		Modes    "800x600"
        	EndSubSection
        EndSection

If anyone can see what's wrong here, I'll be very grateful!

Gordon Hay

Fedora 8 doesn't see my external monitor

[Gordon Hay]

xrandr reports "VGA-0 disconnected", but it certainly is connected, and
both Ubuntu and XP can find it OK on the same hardware.

I suspect a very recent ATI driver update has made this worse: xrandr
used to find the screen, though it was blank.  I could make it mirror
the laptop display by saying
"xrandr --output LVDS --mode 800x600" followed by
"xrandr --output LVDS --mode 1024x768"
But now nothing seems to work...

Laptop attached to docking station, and through that to an external
display.

Booting F8, external display behaves normally at first, but when
graphical stuff starts, it goes blank and stays blank.  Laptop
display continues to work normally.

I'm only trying to display the same desktop simultaneously on both
displays.  No split desktops or double desktops, or anything fancy.

It all worked properly with FC5, and subsequent upgrades to FC6 and then
F7.  Problem appeared only on upgrade to F8.  All F8 updates applied.
Everything still works normally if I boot Windows XP instead of F8.

Config is: Compaq Evo N1020v laptop with Radeon IGP 340M graphics.
External display is just an old Gateway EV500 15" CRT.  Both displays
are 1024*768.

/etc/X11/xorg.conf reads:
        Section "ServerLayout"
        	Identifier     "single head configuration"
        	Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
        	InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
        EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        	Identifier  "Keyboard0"
        	Driver      "kbd"
        	Option	    "XkbModel" "pc105"
        	Option	    "XkbLayout" "gb"
        EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        	Identifier   "Monitor0"
        	ModelName    "LCD Panel 1024x768"
        	HorizSync    31.5 - 37.9
        	VertRefresh  50.0 - 70.0
        EndSection

Section "Device"
        	Identifier  "Videocard0"
        	Driver      "radeon"
        EndSection

Section "Screen"
        	Identifier "Screen0"
        	Device     "Videocard0"
        	Monitor    "Monitor0"
        	DefaultDepth     24
        	SubSection "Display"
        		Viewport   0 0
        		Depth     24
        	EndSubSection
        	SubSection "Display"
        		Viewport   0 0
        		Depth     16
        		Modes    "800x600"
        	EndSubSection
        EndSection

If anyone can see what's wrong here, I'll be very grateful!

Gordon Hay