Michael wrote: > On Wednesday, 10 July 2024 06:00:41 BST Dale wrote: >> New subthread. Slightly new situation. > [snip ...] >> On the old LG monitor, when I first plugged up the new monitor, it >> wouldn't power up from standby. It wouldn't even when I connected only >> the new monitor. The BIOS would beep that it can't find a display as >> well. I thought at first I had a broken monitor. Getting power but >> won't wake up. I tried another cable, it worked. So, the first cable, >> same as I used on the LG monitor, didn't work at all with the new >> monitor. Might be that the cable has a problem not the LG monitor >> itself. I didn't think of that. I've used that cable quite often >> before. I'm not sure how old that cable is but it may find a trash can. > It is best you swap cables around to make sure you are not getting bad or > inconsistent results just because of a faulty cable. It goes without saying > you should select a cable specification which is capable of the required > bandwidth for your card and monitor and do not gimp this via some lower > throughput adaptor in-between. > > >> On to the new monitor. I'm trying to decide whether to use xrandr and >> friends to set this up or xorg.conf. Using both seems to cause a bit of >> a clash and KDE isn't helping any. I'd kinda like to go the xorg.conf >> route. I think, but not sure, that xorg.conf is read very early on. It >> seems, but not sure, that the xinit files are read later on. I'm not >> sure on all that. It could be the other way around. I'm also pretty >> sure that if set up in xorg.conf, it would work if I logged into another >> GUI; Gnome, Fluxbox or some other flavor. > Yes, xorg.conf would determine your screen layout for any window manager you > launch, unless the window manager/DE has its own specific layout > configuration > overriding the default xorg.conf file settings (using libxrandr). > > >> It could be that xrandr and friends would as well. > No, the xrandr extension of the X11 protocol is meant to be used to > dynamically change your settings in real time, or query X to obtain current > settings. If you're running xrandr from a script, then it will change the X > settings when it is run. > > I suggest you use one tool at a time to avoid conflicts and duplication. > > >> Current situation config wise. The first problem I noticed, the >> monitors are nearly identical. Even the serial numbers are only a few >> digits off and that's the only difference I can see. I did some >> searching and was wanting to set a option in xorg.conf Monitor section >> that identifies the monitors by not only model but also serial number. >> That way I could set one to right or left of the other, or above/below, >> and it know specifically which monitor is which, even if plugged into a >> different port. I can't find a option for serial number yet. I did >> find where someone else wanted to do the same a couple years ago but >> sadly, no answer to that question. So, if that is not doable, may have >> to specify the port number. If I ever have to disconnect and reconnect, >> getting the order right could prove interesting. ;-) > xrandr --listmonitors > > will show monitor number, which you can use as your monitor identifier in > xorg.conf, the port of the graphics card it is connected to, which you may > prefer to use as your monitor identifier in xorg.conf, if the monitor is > detected as the primary display or not, relevant screen position, size, and > other current settings of your display(s). > > >> Right now, I have this: >> >> >> root@Gentoo-1 ~ # cat /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/20.xrandr >> xrandr --output DP-0 --off --output DP-1 --mode 1920x1080 --pos 1920x0 >> --rotate normal --output DP-2 --off --output DP-3 --primary --mode >> 1920x1080 --pos 0x0 --rotate normal --output DP-4 --off --output DP-5 >> --off --output DP-6 --off --output DP-7 --off >> root@Gentoo-1 ~ # >> >> >> From what I've read, that is the correct place for that command. If >> not, please let me know where it should be. Keep in mind, putting it in >> /usr somewhere gets overwritten when the package providing that file >> gets updated. > It is a correct place to put it, if you intend running xrandr to change your > monitor layout every time you launch X, from whatever it would otherwise be > detected as. > > >> I'm also attaching the current xorg.conf file. Keep in >> mind, gotta add the TV later on. I think if I can get the monitors set >> up, I can add the TV pretty easily. Even if it only works in KDE, that >> is fine since I need KDE up and running to use the TV anyway. I'm >> mostly needing to know if there is a way to add the serial number for >> xorg.conf. I think the rest is OK. I also need a command to get what >> the system sees as the serial number, in case it only sees a part of it, >> last few digits or something. > I don't think specifying a serial number is necessary. Use the > identification > xrandr provides for each monitor. > > >> I also had to argue with KDE about which is primary. At first, like >> with the LG, it wanted to make the second monitor the primary despite >> the first monitor being marked primary. I did the old set it backwards, >> apply and then set it back the way I want it trick. It took it a second >> but KDE reversed it. Main screen went to the primary display. This is >> what I mean by it clashing and me setting the displays up in xorg.conf >> and KDE hopefully getting its info from that and adjusting itself. >> Plus, if I use a different GUI, it should work too. > You can specify which monitor is the primary monitor with: > > Option "Primary" "true" > > >> These new monitors sure are nice. My old eyes like them. o_O Oh, I >> was going to copy over the KDE config directories. I think I'm going to >> take the opportunity to give KDE a fresh start. I think those old >> config files date back to the switch to KDE4. We on KDE6 now. >> >> If anyone knows if/how to set up xorg.conf with a monitor serial number, >> plus chime in. Other info welcome as well. >> >> Dale >> >> :-) :-) > The serial number should be provided in the EDID table. You can see this and > check if it is different for your two monitors in the Xorg.0.log output. > Some > cheap monitors have the same EDID flashed in their EEPROM and the serial > number would not be of any use. However, I doubt you need this to provide an > identifier for each monitor. It would be much easier using the card port the > monitor is connected to, e.g.: > > Section "Monitor" > Identifier "DP-3" > .... > Option "Primary" "true" > .... > EndSection > > Section "Monitor" > Identifier "DP-5" > .... > Option "RightOf" "DP-3" > .... > EndSection > > Section "Monitor" > Identifier "DP-7" > .... > Option "RightOf" "DP-5" > .... > EndSection > > > The randr extension of X11 allows for dynamic changes in real time of your > layout and it makes sense to use it on the CLI when you want to resize the > screen displayed in a monitor, its orientation, etc. Since you want to set > up > a permanent dual-monitor layout, you probably want to configure this in > xorg.conf. Today, modern graphics drivers do most of the leg work themselves > and you only need to specify what the driver won't know about, e.g. the > relative positioning of your monitors and which is the primary monitor. So, > less is more in this respect. > > A minimalist xorg.conf configuration would need to include sections for your > monitors. With the monitors connected and X running, query xrandr to find > out > what X11 has configured: > > xrandr --listmonitors > xrandr -q > > Then move your current xorg.conf out of the way and create the file '/etc/X11/ > xorg.conf.d/10-monitor.conf' to add your two or three monitor/TV sections in > there. Reboot and see if everything works as expected. If not add the > minimum directives necessary, e.g. "PreferredMode", or "DPI", but add only > one > of these at a time and restart X or reboot. Normally you wouldn't need any > other sections, but if you do, e.g. for Screen, add it with the minimum > configuration possible and work up from there. Soon you should have arrived > at a working layout which should be replicated across different window > managers and DEs.
I did add the primary option after I sent previous email. I was digging around and found out how to set it. So, it is in xorg.conf now. It sounds like you recommend me using xorg.conf and not xrandr. I was thinking that using both would also cause a clash. Basically, I need one tool to do this. That's why I picked xorg.conf for long term, xrandr is just for now or a second option. I may comment that command and reboot. See if it is the xorg.conf file doing the work or xrandr. I think we talked about this maybe off list. On my old machine, when sddm comes up, the password field on the second monitor shows the dots, TV in my case. On the new machine, both monitors show the dots for the password. I'm not sure what is different tho. It did that even before I set the primary option. I like it that way myself but makes me curious why my main rig is different. It seems the new rig sends the same screen to both monitors. Once logged into KDE, it splits into two monitors. My main rig it seems is always two separate screens. I got some things going on. I'll read the email closer later and make some changes. I'll post back then. Oh, so far, it shows several packages headed in the right direction. The monitor stand left a small hub and when it leaves there, it almost always gets delivered that day. So, I may get the monitor stand today. The new /home hard drive is on the right path too. I'm expecting quite a lot of packages. While proofing this, got text from USPS that stand and several other packages are out for delivery. UPS updates a little later. Oh, in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/ when the files are numbered, does it read them from low to high? If I set a option in one file but set the same option differently in another file, which one does it apply? Or does it not apply either? Thanks for the info. :-D Will work on it shortly. Dale :-) :-)
