Re: [PLUG] Compiz Question/speaking of ATI drivers..

On Jan 18, 2008 10:34 PM, jeff <jeffv@op.net> wrote:

as part of my forced migration from Win, I have some bizarro dual head
ATI Radeon Ridiculous Radiation card with a cute little fan and pretty
stickers on it.

Ubuntu had no problem installing at all. I believe it went right to
VESA (and never collected $200). The *real* fun started when I
attempted to actually MAKE it run dual head. After install I had
dual-mono monitors, meaning that I got the same image on both.

Someone online suggested using the flgrx(?) drivers. I trod lightly,
first just getting the card to recognize the monitors, which it didn't
(and wouldn't). I manually set the monitors, hit TEST, and *poof* Black
Screen of Death (nothing at all - nada - non). It never came back after
test.

After putzing around with xorg.conf and rebooting a lot, I got back to
dual-mono. I located the ati driver (a real feat if you've never messed
with this before), said a prayer to Hendrix, and let her rip.

POOF - two separate monitors!

Only something wasn't right. My main monitor was off in the resolution
department. In spite of the fact that I set the proper name, it was
bleedin' *huge*. Went into the graphics section and set it right, with
predictable results (no video).

Back to xorg.conf.

But wait - there's also an aticonfig program, which yielded similar results.

I believe I've located a bug. It could be in ati, Ubuntu, their
interaction, or my cranium - I don't know yet. It seems that Ubuntu has
the monitors backwards. I told it to put #2 to the left and that it was
an M990. In xorg.conf, my main monitor claimed it was an M990. It
looked like I'd provide a value, then the software would roll the
internal dice, trying to decide which monitor to throw that number at.

I lacked the patience to scream at it further, plus I did have a
smattering of actual *work* to do. I'll have another go at it tomorrow.

I spent less time configuring xorg by hand at home, but I wasn't using
proprietary drivers.

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