Kubuntu starts up with two screens but I only have one

[Feathers McGraw]

Hi all,

My laptop has a strange dual graphics - basically two AMD cards in one. It's an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470.

I'm only using one screen, and haven't plugged the laptop into any monitors. When using the FOSS Radeon driver, every time I log in Kubuntu 13.04 acts as if I have two screens, and opens new programs on the other one (just beyond the right edge of my actual screen).

I have to go to display configuration (where I see LVDS and LVDS-1) and turn LVDS-1 off each time. When I reboot I'm back to two screens.

This is what it looks like once I've turned the second one off:


Am I right in thinking this is basically one screen for each graphics card?

How do I change the settings so that I don't have to go through this process every time?

Thanks,

Feathers

[Teunis]

Does the Radeon driver offer the option to save your settings to an X configuration file?

[oshunluvr]

Not a solution, but a work-around. Assuming LVDS and LVDS-1, this command:

xrandr --output LVDS --auto --output LVDS-1 --off

should turn off the secondary display and insure the primary one is on. The question then is where to best place the command for optimal results? You could put it in your .profile, but then other users wouldn't have the benefit. You could write a script containing the command and place it in /etc/X11/Xsession.d or run the script at login using lightdm.conf. I believe the proper place for lightdm.conf is under [SeatDefaults] and the line would be:

display-setup-script=/path/to/script

[Feathers McGraw]

Thank you both for your replies.

@oshunluvr, that command works when already logged in

However, if I append it to my .profile file it doesn't seem to make any changes when I log in (is it wrong to just write it in at the end of the file?)

@Teunis, I'm not sure. I don't have an Xorg.conf file like I did when I was using fglrx if that's what you mean?

Thanks,

Feathers

[Teunis]

Yes that's what I mean, since a couple of years Kubuntu generally doesn't need it but when available it will be used.
In case you have an old back-up you could grab it and see.

[Feathers McGraw]

I do have an old backup, but it's one that was generated using the fglrx driver. Will that work?

[oshunluvr]

If you have an xorg.conf file, you should be able to set your displays correctly. Something like this should work:

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "LVDS"
        Option "Enable" "true"
EndSection


Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "LVDS-1"
        Option "Ignore" "true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Option      "Monitor-LVDS" "LVDS"
        Option      "Monitor-LVDS-1" "LVDS-1"

You'll probably have to fiddle with it a bit to get it right.

[oshunluvr]

As far as the xrandr command, I would have thought profile would work. And yes, just typing in the command should have worked - always end the file with a blank line (carriage return).

If you still want to try the xrandr command, try putting it in /etc/X11/Xstartup before the line that says "exit 0"

[Feathers McGraw]

As far as the xrandr command, I would have thought profile would work. And yes, just typing in the command should have worked - always end the file with a blank line (carriage return).

If you still want to try the xrandr command, try putting it in /etc/X11/Xstartup before the line that says "exit 0"

I tried adding a carriage return - no change

Will try putting it in /etc/X11/Xstartup and report back



BTW, the old Xorg.conf file (not in use) says:

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier		"aticonfig Layout"
	Screen		0	"aticonfig-Screen[0]-0" 0 0
EndSection

Section "Module"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier	"aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
	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:1:5:0"
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

^ that looks pretty different to what you suggested, would it still be OK?

Feathers

[Feathers McGraw]

Ahh..

I don't have a /etc/X11/Xstartup file, do I just create one?

[oshunluvr]

Yes to the Xstartup file, but I'm pretty sure you should have one. I'll check that tonight when I'm home.

As far as the xorg.conf, you would add those Option lines to your config. As long as the identifiers are consistant, it doesn't matter what they are. I just used them as an example. Although, it looks as though your ATI config tool only picked up one output. Any reason why you stopped using it?

[Feathers McGraw]

As far as the xorg.conf, you would add those Option lines to your config. As long as the identifiers are consistant, it doesn't matter what they are. I just used them as an example. Although, it looks as though your ATI config tool only picked up one output. Any reason why you stopped using it?

There is only one output, or do you mean each part of the dual graphics card is one output?

I started using fglrx because my laptop was overheating, and it took 20C off the temperature.

I stopped using fglrx because it doesn't set up properly in 13.04: to get it working you have to install 12.04, change to fglrx, then upgrade twice, which takes ages. I accidentally deleted the kernel it was using during apt-get autoremove and lost the graphical desktop (black screen after login). Couldn't be bothered to go through it all again!

This laptop is near the end of its life anyway. Not planning on getting a HP laptop again, every one I've had has overheated (three!).

[oshunluvr]

How old is it? I had one that overheated a lot as well. Eventually, I took it apart and blew a dust bunny the size of a real bunny out of the CPU heat sink! Maybe a shot or three of compressed air through the air vents will help?

There are logical outputs and physical ones. In your case, I believe you have two physical graphics cards (ATI plus Intel) hooked to one monitor (your laptop display). You xorg config has only the ATI card in it.

A very real possibility is your overheating might be because both video cards are running. This would significantly decrease your battery life too. I don't know which vdeio card is in use at the moment, but it seems logical that you would benefit from actually turning off the one that isn't being used. Just for fun, enter this in a terminal and post to output:

sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo/switch

[Feathers McGraw]

It's only about 3 years old, but the HP Pavilion DV6 line are a bit notorious for overheating.

Have tried vacuuming the vents, compressed air, always use it on a ventilation pad etc... still awful.

I would take it apart but the fan is literally the last thing you get to, you have to completely disassemble the laptop to get there. Not confident that I would put it all back in the right places!

I have dual graphics but they're dual AMD/ATI, no intel (see first post). Unusual, I know... the rest of the specs are here in case you're curious.

Here's the output I got:

feathers-mcgraw@62-West-Wallaby-Street:~$ sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo/switch
[sudo] password for feathers-mcgraw: 
0:IGD:+:Pwr:0000:01:05.0
1:DIS: :Pwr:0000:02:00.0
2:DIS-Audio: :Pwr:0000:02:00.1

Feathers

[oshunluvr]

Ok, that shows both card are on. Try this and then the above command again:

echo OFF > /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo/switch


The output should change to

0:IGD:+:Pwr:0000:01:05.0
1:DIS: :Off:0000:02:00.0