Where's my Xinerama?

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hi all. I am a fan and admirer of openSuSE. I have a multiboot Linux <-> Windows system with two monitors, supported by Xinerama.

After years of using Linux openSuSE 12, I decided to install Leap 42, selecting “network installation”. Leap 42 was established, but with errors. The boot menu Grub2 is raises and I can even select and load the second OS - Windows 10.

I committed a blunder when I installing Leap: I not indicated a network repository for Nvidia as a result I have problems now.

  1. I can see the mouse cursor in the Grub2 boot menu, but when the OS Linux Leap 42 loaded, I lose control-mouse cursor disappears. That is why I run a Linux Terminal command line <Alt+F1>. From command line of this console I tried to run the Nvidia driver version 340.76.

sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64-340.76.run

Nvidia driver installation program prevents Nouveau. Nvidia-installer messages me:

============= nvidia-installer message ==============
For some distribution, Nouveau can be disable by adding a file in the modprobe configuration directory. Woud you like nvidia-installer to attemp to create this modprobe file for you?
============= end nvidia-installer message ==============

Then Nvidia-installer terminates after that message.

  1. How do I install 3-rd level Leap 42 booting into the OS to work the Nvidia driver?

  2. How do I configure Xinerama and turn the monitors to vertical position (portrait)?

I present below the contents of the file xorg.conf, which worked many years on my openSUSE Linux.

============= xorg.conf ===============

nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings

nvidia-settings: version 340.76 (buildmeister@swio-display-x86-rhel47-01) Thu Jan 22 12:12:09 PST 2015

Section “ServerLayout”
Identifier “Layout0”
Screen 0 “Screen0” 0 0
Screen 1 “Screen1” RightOf “Screen0”
InputDevice “Keyboard0” “CoreKeyboard”
InputDevice “Mouse0” “CorePointer”
Option “Xinerama” “1”
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 “HP LP2475w”
HorizSync 30.0 - 94.0
VertRefresh 48.0 - 85.0
Option “DPMS”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
# HorizSync source: unknown, VertRefresh source: unknown
Identifier “Monitor1”
VendorName “Unknown”
ModelName “HP Z24i”
HorizSync 0.0 - 0.0
VertRefresh 0.0
Option “DPMS”
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier “Device0”
Driver “nvidia”
VendorName “NVIDIA Corporation”
BoardName “GeForce 9500 GT”
BusID “PCI:3:0:0”
EndSection

Section “Device”
Identifier “Device1”
Driver “nvidia”
VendorName “NVIDIA Corporation”
BoardName “GeForce 9500 GT”
BusID “PCI:4:0:0”
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “Screen0”
Device “Device0”
Monitor “Monitor0”
DefaultDepth 24
Option “Stereo” “0”
Option “metamodes” “nvidia-auto-select +0+0 {rotation=left}”
Option “SLI” “Off”
Option “MultiGPU” “Off”
Option “BaseMosaic” “off”
SubSection “Display”
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “Screen1”
Device “Device1”
Monitor “Monitor1”
DefaultDepth 24
Option “Stereo” “0”
Option “metamodes” “nvidia-auto-select +0+0 {rotation=left}”
Option “SLI” “Off”
Option “MultiGPU” “Off”
Option “BaseMosaic” “off”
SubSection “Display”
Depth 24
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section “Extensions”
Option “Composite” “Disable”
EndSection

============= end xorg.conf ===============

Help me please.

Best regards
Dremu4ii.

2

In one of the guides “https://doc.opensuse.org/” on the Leap I read. The system now ignores /etc/inittab from the good old System V.

Now runlevel assigned link /etc/systemd/system/default.target . It is a file that is pointed to by this reference. These files-script are located in the directory /usr/lib/systemd/system/ and are responsible for the following runlevels:

runlevel → file name → purpose

0 → halt.target → System shutdown
1, S → rescue.target → Single-user mode
2 → multi-user.target → Local multiuser without remote network
3 → multi-user.target → Full multiuser with network
4 → → Unused/User-defined
5 → graphical.target → Full multiuser with network and display manager
6 → reboot.target → System reboot

Now forget about the string “id:3:initdefault:” and the fact that it was kept in the file /etc/inittab.

Forget about the wonderful utility “init” and that it could change the current runlevel.

I have left another problem unfortunately.

For prevent from Nouveau loadin I created file /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and added two lines there:

blacklist nouveau
options nouveau modeset=0

I reboot my system after adding these configuration directives but it takes no effect. Nvidia-installer terminates with errors again.

Guys who told me how to unload the Nouveau driver from kernel of system? Thanks very much.

Regards
Dremu4ii

3

Hi
You should have edited the file 50-blacklist and append at the end of this file blacklist nouveau only. Please do that and remove the blacklist file you created. When that is done then run the command mkinitrd so it will get rid of it (as in the nouveau), then you shouldn’t need that option command. Else add it to the 50-blacklist.conf file and rebuild with mkinitrd.

I’m running an NVidia card here, Dual Screens work fine, no xorg.conf file required, just edited the /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf to tell it about my card and add Coolbits.

4

Actually you can just create a new file (the file name doesn’t matter, it just has to end in .conf), and personally I would prefer that because it makes it easier to revert the change, it makes it more explicit what has been changed, and it allows updates to modify the 50-blacklist.conf that is shipped by openSUSE (if it is modified, updates won’t replace the file).

But yes, the “options” line makes no sense, “blacklist nouveau” should be enough, and you should run “mkinitrd” (and reboot) for full effect.

Or add “nomodeset” to the kernel boot options instead (press ‘e’ at the boot menu and append it to the line starting with “linux” or “linuxefi”), this will prevent nouveau from being loaded too.

OTOH, it would still be possible to add the nvidia repo and install the driver from there, even in text mode.
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA_drivers

5

On Mon 24 Oct 2016 08:46:01 PM CDT, wolfi323 wrote:

malcolmlewis;2797296 Wrote:
>
> You should have edited the file 50-blacklist and append at the end of
> this file blacklist nouveau only. Please do that and remove the
> blacklist file you created.
Actually you can just create a new file (the file name doesn’t matter,
it just has to end in .conf), and personally I would prefer that because
it makes it easier to revert the change, it makes it more explicit what
has been changed, and it allows updates to modify the 50-blacklist.conf
that is shipped by openSUSE (if it is modified, updates won’t replace
the file).

But yes, the “options” line makes no sense, “blacklist nouveau” should
be enough, and you should run “mkinitrd” (and reboot) for full effect.

Or add “nomodeset” to the kernel boot options instead (press ‘e’ at the
boot menu and append it to the line starting with “linux” or
“linuxefi”), this will prevent nouveau from being loaded too.

OTOH, it would still be possible to add the nvidia repo and install the
driver from there, even in text mode.
SDB:NVIDIA drivers - openSUSE Wiki

Hi
It should work :wink: If you run the nvidia run file it does add it to
50-blacklist.conf

I’m running the 340.96 driver (old 8800GT card) with GNOME, any
configuration of screens is taken care of by the desktop tools, the OP
shouldn’t need an xorg.conf file, if one is created that may be the
issue?

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° LFCS, SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE Leap 42.1|GNOME 3.16.2|4.1.34-33-default
If you find this post helpful and are logged into the web interface,
please show your appreciation and click on the star below… Thanks!

6

Yes, it does work.
But creating a new file works too, that was my point. :wink:

I’m running the 340.96 driver (old 8800GT card) with GNOME, any
configuration of screens is taken care of by the desktop tools, the OP
shouldn’t need an xorg.conf file, if one is created that may be the
issue?

Yes, you don’t need an xorg.conf, the nvidia driver will be used automatically if installed.
If there is one, it should work too though, unless it is broken/wrong/incorrect.

But that shouldn’t cause error messages by the nvidia installer in any case…

7

Thanks malcolmlewis, thanks wolfi323 for the hints.

I managed to unload the nouveau driver by following your instructions and run the mkinitrd command. I’m learning Leap and setting up Xinerama now. I have some new problems during booting OS Leap, unfortunately.

  1. The problem of the entry into the “root” account.

There are no problems on 3-runlevel (“multi-user.target”):

login : root
psw : my_strong_password.

Problem occurs on 5-runlevel (“graphical.target”). Firstly, there is no any field for typing - “login : root”. There are graphical icons of ordinary users and only one box for entering a password at the logon prompt page. There is not the user “root” at this page. He is missed.

Tell me please, maybe this is a new concept of OS Leap or developers OS Leap, deliberately have excluded the “root” account for security purposes? Maybe now we will do it like in OS Ubuntu - no “root” account? But then we will work through “sudo”, and it is not convenient.

I agree with you - xorg.conf that the file from nvidia for multiple monitors is a very naughty thing. On my machine the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf is a “dummy” unfortunately, there is not any record. Could you give me a piece of advice, what kind of description of my monitors must be in this file?

Best regards
– Dremu4ii

8

sddm only shows users with an id>=1000 by default (like most other DMs AFAIK).
You can set the minimal user id in /etc/sddm.conf or “Configure Desktop” (systemsettings5)->Startup and Shutdown->Login Screen (SDDM).
Set it to 0 and root will be shown (but also other system users, there also is a HideUsers option though, see “man sddm.conf”).

Or switch to a different theme that shows a user name text input field instead of icons.

The latest breeze theme in Plasma 5.8 allows both, it has a button to allow entering a user name that is not displayed.

You should not log in as root into a GUI anyway though.

I agree with you - xorg.conf that the file from nvidia for multiple monitors is a very naughty thing. On my machine the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf is a “dummy” unfortunately, there is not any record. Could you give me a piece of advice, what kind of description of my monitors must be in this file?

You can put everything into a file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ that you would put into xorg.conf, the syntax is the same.

The point of /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ is that you can have the sections split into separate files, and that you only need to specify the sections that you need.
It doesn’t matter at all how the files are named, they just need to end in .conf. So there’s no need to put the device section into 50-device.conf, and you could even create your own custom files for better separation.

In the end you can just as well use xorg.conf though.

9

Logging into a GUI as root it is very easy to break stuff without trying. Don’t do it

10

Hi
In GNOME there is a monitors.xml file which is created and used;


cat ~/.config/monitors.xml

<monitors version="1">
  <configuration>
    <clone>no</clone>
    <output name="DVI-I-2">
      <vendor>VSC</vendor>
      <product>VX1940w</product>
      <serial>QRA082920085</serial>
      <width>1680</width>
      <height>1050</height>
      <rate>59.954250335693359</rate>
      <x>0</x>
      <y>0</y>
      <rotation>normal</rotation>
      <reflect_x>no</reflect_x>
      <reflect_y>no</reflect_y>
      <primary>yes</primary>
      <presentation>no</presentation>
    </output>
    <output name="DVI-I-3">
      <vendor>VSC</vendor>
      <product>VX1940w</product>
      <serial>QRA082920089</serial>
      <width>1680</width>
      <height>1050</height>
      <rate>59.954250335693359</rate>
      <x>1680</x>
      <y>0</y>
      <rotation>normal</rotation>
      <reflect_x>no</reflect_x>
      <reflect_y>no</reflect_y>
      <primary>no</primary>
      <presentation>no</presentation>
    </output>
  </configuration>
</monitors>

Connecting more, just ads to this or removes if they are…

For my NVidia card I have;


cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/50-device.conf 

# Having multiple "Device" sections is known to be problematic. Make
# sure you don't have in use another one laying around e.g. in another
# xorg.conf.d file or even a generic xorg.conf file. More details can
# be found in https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=32430.
#
Section "Device"
  Identifier "Default Device"

  Driver "nvidia"
  VendorName "NVIDIA Corporation"
  BoardName "GeForce 8800 GT"
  Option "Coolbits" "4"
#
#  ## Required magic for radeon/radeonhd drivers; output name
#  ## (here: "DVI-0") can be figured out via 'xrandr -q'
#  #Option "monitor-DVI-0" "Default Monitor"
#
EndSection
11

Yes, but:

He has two distinct adapters. Hence why there is an xorg.conf file that sets up the two Screens (each populated by a single monitor being driven by its respective GeForce 9500 GT adapter) and the use of Xinerama to bridge the two Screens into a contiguous desktop.

12

Right, and he also specifically asked

  1. How do I configure Xinerama and turn the monitors to vertical position (portrait)?
13

If the nvidia Driver is running, maybe

nvidia-settings

as root will do it?

And please, do not save it in nvidia-settings, that will generate a new xorg.conf.
Only apply and close.

14

On Fri 28 Oct 2016 11:26:01 PM CDT, Tyler K wrote:

malcolmlewis;2797296 Wrote:
> I’m running an NVidia card here, Dual Screens work fine, no xorg.conf
> file required

Yes, but:

Dremu4ii;2795554 Wrote:
> two monitors, supported by Xinerama
>
> Section “Device”
> Identifier “Device0”
> Driver “nvidia”
> VendorName “NVIDIA Corporation”
> BoardName “GeForce 9500 GT”
> BusID “PCI:3:0:0”
> EndSection
>
> Section “Device”
> Identifier “Device1”
> Driver “nvidia”
> VendorName “NVIDIA Corporation”
> BoardName “GeForce 9500 GT”
> BusID “PCI:4:0:0”
> EndSection

He has two distinct adapters. Hence why there is an xorg.conf file that
sets up the two Screens (each populated by a single monitor being driven
by its respective GeForce 9500 GT adapter) and the use of Xinerama to
bridge the two Screens into a contiguous desktop.

Hi
My brief experience with two gpu’s has not required a nvidia config file
with recent releases, I can do rotating, flipping, multiple screens all
from the Gnome Desktop utility that creates the monitors.xml file.

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° LFCS, SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE Leap 42.1|GNOME 3.16.2|4.1.34-33-default
If you find this post helpful and are logged into the web interface,
please show your appreciation and click on the star below… Thanks!

15

Okay, nice to know. I haven’t any recent experience with it.

16

Hi
It was only a quick test on my old ASUS motherboard and two GPU’s a 8600 and a 6600 silent versions before I gave it away… fired up a live system both cards recognized and configured. Just to check they both still worked, let the user decide on which one they wanted to use, they might still be using both…

17

Yes Tyler_K I have two distinct adapters - GeForce 9500 GT. These adapters worked fine and supported two monitors in my openSuSE 12.3 for many years. I was hoping that these adapters will serve me and OS Leap 42.

Yes Wolfi323 “Menu—> Configure desktop—> (Workspace) —> Startup and Shutdown—> Login Screen (SDDM)” and I have an account “root” again. Thank you.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5701/30608859811_fa31573d58_z.jpg](https://flic.kr/p/NCNpCg)
Figure 1. Screen Invitation password and login in text mode on Dual Screens.

I configured the xorg.conf file for multi-monitor screen (Xinerama), but it only works with the IceWM window manager.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5677/30063013633_5c315693b3_z.jpg](https://flic.kr/p/MNyNzg)
Figure 2. Running window manager IceWM on Dual Screens.

If I select Plasma 5 or Kde, the Leap’s green lamp goes off via 4 seconds and Dual Screens is broken.

https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5474/30063016253_dfda0c72a2_z.jpg](https://flic.kr/p/MNyPmr)
Figure 3. “Plasma 5” entrance failed on Dual Screens. (Bad entry in Plasma 5)

It’s certainly funny, but I don’t know what to do?

https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5479/30608857811_b07af83ed7_z.jpg](https://flic.kr/p/NCNp2M)P
Figure 4. The shattered screen Plasma 5. The mouse cursor is right.

The green lamp goes off and then both screens are black, but the mouse cursor remains on them, and I can control it. If I pressing <Ctrl+Esc> then a list of running processes can apear on black screens.

I think the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf is correct, because the IceWM window manager works correctly. The Dual Screens work if I download IceWM only. But IceWM has little applications and has very limited opportunities and it’s inconvenient to work with it.

Malcolmlewis I have a funny question. Can I now change media KDE (Plasma 5) to media GNOME on my computer and not reinstall OS Leap? I understand from your posts that you have GNOME successfully supports two monitors?

How can I “light the green lamp” again? What can I do now?

Best regards
– Dremu4ii

18

Hi
I have dual screens here, but on this system only one GPU (8800GT), I would suggest you grab a Tumbleweed live gnome to try out and see how it goes first, but you can install the gnome desktop pattern in openSUSE 42.2.

19

The “green lamp” is just the desktop wallpaper.
It seems Plasma is crashing on login.

You can try to press Alt+F2 and run it manually, maybe that works? (type in “plasmashell”)

But yeah, multi-screen handling is not really great in 42.1, mostly due to bugs in Qt5. Should be greatly improved in 42.2.
So maybe upgrading would be an option, the RC should be quite stable already.

As first thing, I would try to disable the “KScreen2” sevice in “Configure Desktop”->“Startup and Shutdown”->Background Services though.
It might fix the crash, and in any case kscreen will just ignore your xorg.conf and try to come up with its own config.

20

Hi Wolfi323,

But yeah, multi-screen handling is not really great in 42.1, mostly due to bugs in Qt5. Should be greatly improved in 42.2.
So maybe upgrading would be an option, the RC should be quite stable already.

as I understand you, I must have to wait just two weeks and install the Leap 42.2? Maybe it’s the simplest solution. Maybe I really do it.

Wolfi323, I have one question else. You pointed me a few days ago, the address of the depository libraries nvidia:

OTOH, it would still be possible to add the nvidia repo and install the driver from there, even in text mode.
SDB:NVIDIA drivers - openSUSE Wiki

I tried to write it for YAST, but my system is not adopted it, reports an error and it “swears”.

Could you give me a piece of advice, how to properly write a link to depository with nvidia drivers when I will installing OS Leap 42.2.

I made a mistake when I installing OS Leap 42.1 and I do not want to repeat it. Perhaps SDB is an abbreviation of fragment “SDB:NVIDIA”? Thank you.

I’ll be looking forward to two weeks now.

Best regards
– Dremu4ii