ATI multi-head Issue

lnozot · November 27, 2008, 6:23am

I believe I have successfully installed openSUSE 11 64bit with the current ATI drivers from the repo. Through much trouble getting to this point I have 2 displays active on one adapter. The xorg.conf does have the other displays in the config but amdcccle nor Yast find or rather let me configure the other two displays.

It seems when X is started it activated my other two displays but I am not able to configure the desktop to use them.

Here is my current xorg.conf

Thanks for your help!

/…/

SaX generated X11 config file

Created on: 2008-11-26T21:49:43-0700.

Version: 8.1

Contact: Marcus Schaefer <sax@suse.de>, 2005

Contact: SaX-User list <https://lists.berlios.de/mailman/listinfo/sax-users

>

Automatically generated by [ISaX] (8.1)

PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE!

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
Screen 0 “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0” 0 0
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
InputDevice “Mouse[3]” “SendCoreEvents”
Option “Clone” “off”
Option “Xinerama” “off”
EndSection

Section “Files”
InputDevices “/dev/gpmdata”
InputDevices “/dev/input/mice”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/local”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/URW”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/Speedo”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/PEX”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/cyrillic”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin2/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/latin7/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/baekmuk:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/japanese:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/kwintv”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/truetype”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/uni:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/CID”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/ucs/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/misc:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/75dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/100dpi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/hellas/Type1”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/misc/sgi:unscaled”
FontPath “/usr/share/fonts/xtest”
FontPath “/opt/kde3/share/fonts”
EndSection

Section “Module”
Load “glx”
Load “type1”
Load “extmod”
Load “dbe”
Load “freetype”
EndSection

Section “ServerFlags”
Option “AllowMouseOpenFail” “on”
Option “ZapWarning” “on”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”
Identifier “Keyboard[0]”
Driver “kbd”
Option “Protocol” “Standard”
Option “XkbLayout” “us”
Option “XkbModel” “microsoftpro”
Option “XkbRules” “xfree86”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”
Identifier “Mouse[1]”
Driver “evdev”
Option “HWHEELRelativeAxisButtons” “7 6”
Option “InputFashion” “Mouse”
Option “Name” “Logitech VX Nano Laser Mouse”
Option “Pass” “3”
Option “Vendor” “Sysp”
Option “evBits” “+1-2”
Option “keyBits” “~272-287”
Option “relBits” “~0-2 ~6 ~8”
EndSection

Section “InputDevice”
Identifier “Mouse[3]”
Driver “mouse”
Option “Buttons” “5”
Option “Device” “/dev/input/mice”
Option “Name” “ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse”
Option “Protocol” “explorerps/2”
Option “Vendor” “Sysp”
Option “ZAxisMapping” “4 5”
EndSection

Section “Modes”
Identifier “Modes[0]”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0”
Option “VendorName” “ATI Proprietary Driver”
Option “ModelName” “Generic Autodetecting Monitor”
Option “DPMS” “true”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “aticonfig-Monitor[0]-1”
Option “VendorName” “ATI Proprietary Driver”
Option “ModelName” “Generic Autodetecting Monitor”
Option “DPMS” “true”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “aticonfig-Monitor[1]-0”
Option “VendorName” “ATI Proprietary Driver”
Option “ModelName” “Generic Autodetecting Monitor”
Option “DPMS” “true”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “aticonfig-Monitor[1]-1”
Option “VendorName” “ATI Proprietary Driver”
Option “ModelName” “Generic Autodetecting Monitor”
Option “DPMS” “true”
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier “aticonfig-Device[0]-0”
Driver “fglrx”
BusID “PCI:1:0:0”
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier “aticonfig-Device[0]-1”
Driver “fglrx”
BusID “PCI:1:0:0”
Screen 1
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier “aticonfig-Device[1]-0”
Driver “fglrx”
BusID “PCI:5:0:0”
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier “aticonfig-Device[1]-1”
Driver “fglrx”
BusID “PCI:5:0:0”
Screen 1
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0”
Device “aticonfig-Device[0]-0”
Monitor “aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0”
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection “Display”
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “aticonfig-Screen[0]-1”
Device “aticonfig-Device[0]-1”
Monitor “aticonfig-Monitor[0]-1”
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection “Display”
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection
Section “Screen”
Identifier “aticonfig-Screen[1]-0”
Device “aticonfig-Device[1]-0”
Monitor “aticonfig-Monitor[1]-0”
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection “Display”
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “aticonfig-Screen[1]-1”
Device “aticonfig-Device[1]-1”
Monitor “aticonfig-Monitor[1]-1”
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection “Display”
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section “DRI”
Group “video”
Mode 0660
EndSection

lnozot · December 30, 2008, 11:59pm

I have installed 11.1 and the ati fglrx 8.12 drivers.

The symptoms still are very similar. Following the HowTo the process always fails at sax2. The only way to get sax2 to work is to reference only one adapter. This however, only leaves one screen usable. So, using amdcccle I am able to configure a BigDesktop or Xinerama setup which allows me to use two screens from the same adapter together.

Unlike all my experiments with 11 and 8.11 of ati’s driver I am actually able to move the mouse over to the other screens which I have configured with amdcccle as another BigDesktop. However, I have a blank/black screen and the mouse cursor turns into the Xwindows X - i.e. no desktop.

Does anyone know how to extend KDE to the other adapter and screens? The desire is to have it all run as one desktop in a Xinerama mode.

Thanks!

martinob · January 3, 2009, 7:52am

I gave up on the Sax2 -r -m 0=fglrx 1=fglrx for now.

Here is my ServerLayout section from xorg.conf for 4 monitors.
I can’t get the Xinerama to work across my screens. This will get 2 big screens on 2+2 monitors.

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
Screen 0 “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0” 0 0
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[1]-0” 3200 0
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
EndSection

I login to the failsafe session. Start a window manager like wmaker then start a window manager on the secound big desktop.
Something like “xterm -display 192.168.0.2:0.1 -e wmaker”

I wish I could use the following, it doesn’t work with fglrx.
(Maybe someone could help):

Section “ServerLayout”
Option “Xinerama” “on”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
Screen 0 “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0” 0 0
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[0]-1” RightOf “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0”
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[1]-0” RightOf “aticonfig-Screen[0]-1”
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[1]-1” RightOf “aticonfig-Screen[1]-0”
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
EndSection

silenuz · January 3, 2009, 4:34pm

If using the proprietary ati drivers when you run aticonfig specify dual head and xinerama like so:
aticonfig --initial=dual-head --xinerama=on
For my display (two monitors side by side), this is the layout section of my xorg.conf

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
Screen 0 “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0” 0 0
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[0]-1” RightOf “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0”
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
Option “Clone” “off”
Option “Xinerama” “on”
EndSection

Before when I was using the default ati driver thats installed I set it up from sax 2 while in Gnome and I seem to recall it was pretty easy. However once the proprietary driver is installed using sax 2 to try and configure things is just a no go.

martinob · January 5, 2009, 6:39am

I finnally got my 2 ATI Radeon HD3850 running fglrx OpenGL 2.1.8304 on 4 monitors with the ability to drag clients accross all Screens.

The ATI MultiView function needs to be hacked on for your cards to use Xinerama across more than one card or screen.

I was getting a message in Xorg.0.log saying one of my cards doesn’t support MultiView and the screens are being shutdown. Checked the web and found this hack from the of the gnomes:
[ubuntu] two ati graphic cards HD 3650 with fglrx driver doesn’t work together [Archive] - Ubuntu Forums](http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-920898.html)

ATI only wants fireGL owners to be able to use this function for some reason.

The system crashes when a user exits an Xsession but here is what I did.

Assuming you know the PCI adress of your cards. Mine are 02:00 and 03:00.

lspci -n

02:00.0 0300: 1002:9505
02:00.1 0403: 1002:aa18
03:00.0 0300: 1002:9505
03:00.1 0403: 1002:aa18

HD3850 is the ID 1002:9505

ATI is using a directory /etc/ati for configuration and amdcccle settings.
-Modidy the files amdpcsdb and amdpcsdb.default.

-Add an entry like described in the link:
[AMDPCSROOT/SYSTEM/2ID-1002-9505-0/DDX]
MultiviewEnabled=V1
MultiviewHeterogeneous=V1

-Look for a the line that has the BUSID of your cards and add the multiview text.
(there is more under these lines than the Multiview stuff)
[AMDPCSROOT/SYSTEM/BUSID-2:0:0-0/DDX]
MultiviewEnabled=V1
MultiviewHeterogeneous=V1
[AMDPCSROOT/SYSTEM/BUSID-3:0:0-0/DDX]
MultiviewEnabled=V1
MultiviewHeterogeneous=V1

Copy the new amdpcsdb to amdpcsdb-hacked. The amdpcsdb changes everytime aticonfig or amdccle is used and the hack will be gone.
Edit xorg.conf and decide upon a ServerLayout:

(4) screens in a row:

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
Screen 0 “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0” 0 0
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[0]-1” 1600 0
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[1]-0” 3200 0
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[1]-1” 4800 0
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
EndSection

or what I wanted originally

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
Screen 0 “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0” 0 0
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[0]-1” RightOf “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0”
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[1]-0” RightOf “aticonfig-Screen[0]-1”
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[1]-1” RightOf “aticonfig-Screen[1]-0”
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
EndSection

(2) ati stlye big destops. Applications in full screen mode stretch across 2 displays:
Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout[all]”
Screen 0 “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0” 0 0
Screen “aticonfig-Screen[1]-0” 3200 0
InputDevice “Keyboard[0]” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse[1]” “CorePointer”
EndSection

Turn on Xinerama:

Section “ServerFlags”
Option “AllowMouseOpenFail”
Option “BlankTime” “0”
Option “Xinerama” “on”
EndSection

My system is working great under X with 4 with this but crashes on Xconsole exit. The Xorg.0.log.old only gives me warnings no EE’s.

(WW) xf86CloseConsole: KDSETMODE failed: Bad file descriptor
(WW) xf86CloseConsole: VT_GETMODE failed: Bad file descriptor

Maybe someone could tell me what to add to stop this.

Funny, I now have 280 lbs of 21" CRT’s on my desk. WIll I get too much radiation? Will my leggs get crushed?

lnozot · January 5, 2009, 7:28pm

Thanks martinob!

That was the solution that worked for me. I had discovered about a month ago that the FireGL cards seemed to be the only ones that were able to successfully and easily configure more than two displays. I had looked into getting new cards but really didn’t want to have to do that at this point.

I actually had the most success in the multi-display journey with Ubuntu using 8.12 drvers. In that system I could only operate the desktops independently and I really needed BigDesktop or Multiview to work with Xinerama or something.

In the middle of this I had aparantly gotten the screen info crossed and ended up with 2 of the 3 screens displaying the same content but the mouse only worked on one of them at a time. It was very odd.

Right now my screens are flipped from what I normally use but think I will just swap the cables.

The next solution is hopefully to get the performance up a little. aticonfig seems to report the cards are running at the slowest clock and under windows the clock runs faster. My first attempts at setting the clock didn’t seem to change any performance. Also, I think I will try EXA.

Anyone have other performance tips?

Thanks again!

lnozot · January 6, 2009, 4:08am

Interesting side effects.

I discovered an error talking with by sata CD/DVD burner at least with blank discs. It cannot read track 0. So, I booted my system into a test partition that I installed KDE 4.2 beta2. There is no problem with the CD/DVD drive.

Also, if I run a console based application like a game for my kids the mouse doesn’t work on the game and when I close the game the mouse moves on the desktop but does not click action anything on the desktop or open application.

Anyone else had this issue after the hack for the video card?