2nd monitor - wrong resolutions

English Hardware
#1

I’ve added a 2nd monitor (vga) to my netbook. Monitor Preferences recognizes the size of the monitor correctly, but nothing else. The monitor defaults at 1024x768 though it is a widescreen capable of 1440x900. If I select any larger resolution or different aspect ratio, the netbook screen and the monitor are dimmed (except the desktop background image) until I restore the previous configuration.

My hardware and setup are:
OpenSUSE 11.4 x32 Gnome 2
HP Mini 1101 netbook w/ Intel Mobile GMA 950 video chipset
HannsG HB175A LCD monitor using VGA connection

The OS is fully up to date for 11.4. Does anyone know why I cannot get full resolution on the 2nd monitor? Or where I would look to solve this issue? Thanks.

#2

I found my way to OldCPU’s http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/how-faq-forums/advanced-how-faq-read-only/438705-opensuse-graphic-card-practical-theory-guide-users.html#post2165620

It looks like the driver I want to use is the IEGD driver, I belive. Looking through YaST I see the only Intel driver available is xorg-x11-driver-video-intel-legacy 2.9.1-8-1. Going to Intel’s site I am only able to find a download for Fedora * 10 (kernel 2.6.27, X.org 1.5, X.server 1.5.3). I am assuming that this is a generalized or standardized format for Fedora (rpm) like systems?

I have kernel 2.6.37.6-0.11-default. Will this slight difference in minor release numbers cause issues or should I be OK installing this?

Ok, sorry for the dumb questions, but this is my first time trying to figure this out.

#3

With KDE installed, and one’s external (2nd) monitor connected, one would likely need to only type in a terminal


xrandr

and KDE would pop up a GUI that would allow one to configure their graphics on the 2nd monitor.

I created a KDE guide about it here: http://forums.opensuse.org/forums/english/get-technical-help-here/how-faq-forums/unreviewed-how-faq/428847-laptop-external-cloned-projector-support-kde.html

But gnome is an unknown quantity for me. You could also look at the support thread (for the KDE guide) here http://forums.opensuse.org/hardware/laptop/423610-laptop-external-monitor-support.html

You need a gnome user to chime in, and this may NOT (or may) be a driver issue.

#4

Thank you OldCPU,

I’ll read over these links, and this evening look at explorig KDE.

#5

OK, I’ve downloaded KDE 4 and was able to get the 2nd (external) monitor to work properly with 1440x900 resolution.

Heh, though the Plasma desktop is very different than anything I had used, I struggled with getting around. Tho that’s not a knock against KDE.

I booted back into Gnome and took a screenshot of what happens when I set the resolution to 1400x900 on the 2nd monitor. The resolution displays properly, but any window placed over the desktop is greyed as Nautilus is in the image. Strangely though, my Gnome Terminal session appears normal on both monitors. (there was nothing displayed on the 2nd montitor in the image, so I cropped it off.)

http://www.baked-potato.us/img/share/greyedout.png

The output of xrandr in Gnome is


 02:19 PM potato@Mercury ~$  xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 2048 x 768, maximum 4096 x 4096
LVDS1 connected 1024x576+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 222mm x 125mm
   1024x576       60.0*+
   640x480        59.9  
VGA1 connected 1024x768+1024+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 408mm x 255mm
   1440x900       59.9 +   75.0  
   1400x1050      60.0  
   1280x1024      75.0     60.0  
   1280x960       60.0  
   1152x864       75.0  
   1280x720       60.0  
   1024x768       75.1     70.1     66.0     60.0* 
   832x624        74.6  
   800x600        72.2     75.0     60.3     56.2  
   640x480        72.8     75.0     66.7     60.0  
   720x400        70.1

And if I try


 02:31 PM potato@Mercury ~$  xrandr --output VGA1 -s 1440x900


02:31 PM potato@Mercury ~
$  xrandr --output VGA1 --auto

The 2nd monitor changes to the correct resolution, but both are then greyed out as in the image above.

Seeing as how the display works properly with KDE 4, I am guessing that this may be a bug with Gnome 2? I am unfamiliar with how to track down and submit the info, but am going to read up on it and see if I can figure anything else out.

#6

It could be. But it may not be. We need a Gnome user who uses multiple displays with xrandr to chime in here. Knowing this works with KDE thou, is important, as it suggests that the driver is ok.

1024x576 on your Netbook is quite small. Out of curiosity, what happens if you try other resolutions (such as 1024x768) on the 2nd monitor ? [although I concede it makes sense the same resolution that worked in KDE should work in Gnome]

Lets hope a Gnome user chimes in here.

#7

My primary monitor is at 1024x576. While the 2nd runs at 1024x768, but should run at 1440x900 widescreen. I used the image off of my primary montitor as it has the file browser open.

If I choose any other resolution* for the 2nd monitor, both monitors grey-out as in the image above.

  • aspect ratios of 4:3 @ 1024x768, 800x600, and 640x480 display fine

I have also tried different combinations of resolutions and refresh rates, without luck.

OK, I’ll wait to see what a Gnome user says. Thanks for the response, OldCPU.