Using an external monitor

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Using an external monitor

(9 posts) (7 voices)

Started 1 year ago by squirreldancer
Latest reply from daniel boone

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squirreldancer
Member

I'm having a bit of a problem attaching an external monitor to my AAO. I don't want anything fancy. I just want to be able to ignore (or turn off) the AAO screen and work on the external monitor.

In the old days I would have created a virtual desktop of 1440X900 (the external monitor resolution) in xorg.conf, added a new mode of 1440X900, switched the AAO to the virtual desktop, then used fnF5 to turn on the external monitor.

Now, with recent changes to the way xorg.conf works (or doesn't, in my case) this doesn't seem possible anymore.

I've tried messing around with xrandr and at best, I get stuck with both screens in an ugly 800X600. Most of the instructions I've googled are either outdated, or are for setting up dual-head configurations.

Any suggestions?

-squirreldancer

Posted 1 year ago #
vw72
Development Leader

We're still trying to resolve this issue. However, if you were able to get 800x600 working externally, if you wouldn't mind posting what you did, that may help some others. Making X.org hot pluggable was a great idea. Unfortunately, it doesn't work well with laptops (aao or otherwise). You'll notice that the external monitor works while booting, but as soon as X starts, out it goes.

We've been following the ubuntu lists closely on this, as many people, not just kuki users are having the problem. As soon as we get it figured out, we'll let everyone know. That is unless you figure it out first, then please let us know! :)

vw72

Posted 1 year ago #
squirreldancer
Member

I'm not sure I can tell you how I got 800X600 working. I do know that it is the only resolution that kuki detects as common between the internal and external monitors.

The first problem is that the external monitor is not detected as a widescreen monitor and only 3 vga (?) screen resolutions appear to be supported.

I played around with xrandr for awhile and found that I could not add any modes that weren't detected as supported on both of the monitors.

Then I set out to set up a virtual desktop on the AAO and add a resolution supported by the external monitor manually.

However, several attempts following several outdated guides on the web resulted in me editing xorg.conf in nano from the command line (X would not start) and no joy.

Then I discovered grandr, a gui for xrandr that supposedly allows managing settings for multiple screens.

Oddly, when grandr is running, the AAOs display settings are not visible from xfce-display-settings.

So, using grandr, I boot with the external monitor attached. Kuki either boots as 1024X600, or 800X600, depending on whether I had the external attached when I shut down.

I turn off the AAO monitor (there doesn't seem to be support for different resolutions on different screens).

I set the external monitor to "auto" in grandr, then untick the auto box and select one of the 3 available resolutions manually. I click apply. Sometimes, this works, but usually, the external displays 1024X600 in the upper left portion of the monitor. I repeat the auto... resolution... apply sequence and then it seems to take, although the last time I did this yesterday, I had to restart X, with the external attached and the AAO screen off.

The only negative side effect of this, other than the hassle, is that my grub boot screen is now permanently in 800X600 -- an known ubuntu 8.10+ bug.

So, I think what I want to do is 1. discover how to create a virtual desktop and then 2. manually enter the correct mode line for the external monitor in xorg.conf.

However, my xorg.conf doesn't appear to support either the Virtual option or a mode line. Obviously, this information is now being stored elsewhere by the *buntus >= 8.10 and being "refreshed" at each boot.

I'm stumped and have spent far more time on the problem than I should have.

-squirreldancer

Posted 1 year ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

I've successfully got my 24" external monitor working at optimum resolution (1920x1200) using xrandr. The laptop's screen is at 1024x600, and pans to show the rest.

Here's the command:
xrandr --fb 1920x1200 --output VGA --mode 1920x1200 --output LVDS --mode 1024x600 --panning 1920x1200+0+0

On the laptop screen, that pans only when the mouse hits the edge of the screen. To pan if possible (i.e. keep the cursor in the middle) use:
xrandr --fb 1920x1200 --output VGA --mode 1920x1200 --output LVDS --mode 1024x600 --panning 1920x1200+0+0/1920x1200+0+0/512/300/512/300

Changing the 512/300/512/300 to e.g. 100/100/100/100 would scroll when the mouse is 100 pixels from the edge.

Posted 1 year ago #
zorofroozo
Support Team

If possible, a more detailed explanation would be highly appreciated. And please register so we know who you are;)

running Jollicloud and Kuki Linux 2.8 final on a AAO ZG5 120gb HD, 1gb ram (labeled by shop as AAO 150 Ab)

Posted 1 year ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

(I thought I had registered! I didn't realise I could post anonymously.)

What more do I need to explain?

The screen resolution changing isn't automatic. If I have the external monitor plugged in when I boot up, neither screen is at a good resolution; I run the xrandr command after I log in.

Posted 1 year ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

I was definitely logged in that time. Said "Matt - Member" next to my post, too.

Posted 1 year ago #
zorofroozo
Support Team

uwkay, so for some reason I couldn't figure out the command. Simply changing 1920x1080 to the resolution you desire will do the trick. Nothing more is needed!!

xrandr --fb 1920x1200 --output VGA --mode 1920x1200 --output LVDS --mode 1024x600 --panning 1920x1200+0+0

you want 1680x1050? simple

do xrandr --fb 1680x1050 --output VGA --mode 1680x1050 --output LVDS --mode 1024x600 --panning 1680x1050+0+0

Posted 11 months ago #
daniel boone
Member

Hi guys. Im reading these posts regarding the external vga output. I bought a led projecter and the supported input is 800x600 or 1024x768 with a output resolution of 640x480. I am somewhat of a newb but do know how to get to the terminal #. How do i step by step get output to the projector? and is this something that i can toggle on the fn-f5 keys to go back and forth as preloaded in the system?

Daniel Boone

Posted 9 months ago #

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