Are DVI ports supported by Linux?

[AmigaMan]

do or do not, there is no try
So I'm having problems getting my Dell Inspiron 9200 laptop to use the external DVI port to do dual-head. I can get it work using the external VGA port to my other LCD, but not when I use the DVI port. When I connect the DVI and restart gdm, I get some small res (800x600 I think) screen that has the right 1/4 of the screen wrap over to the left...it's weird.

I'm using Ubuntu "Hoary" btw. Any suggestions? I can post my /etc/X11/xorg.conf file if it helps...

 

[bersl2]

What's the video chipset?

Easier question: who makes the video chipset? ATI or nVidia? (or S3/VIA?)

 

[AmigaMan]

Sorry, I should have put that in there. It's an ATI Radeon Mobility 9700 with 128MB of RAM. I'm using the fglrx driver and the external LCD I'm trying to connect to is a Dell 2001FP.

 

[Nothinman]

ATI's Linux support is crap, if you had an nVidia chipset I would have said that it should probably work but with ATI everything is a crap shoot

 

[AmigaMan]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
ATI's Linux support is crap, if you had an nVidia chipset I would have said that it should probably work but with ATI everything is a crap shoot

Well that just sucks then. I'm not buying another laptop though...I guess the Linux community doesn't want my brilliance...I suppose I'll go back to the Windows world, a world I tried to escape, a world where the brilliance of one man is no match against the powers of darkness aligned against him...damn I'm feeling creative this morning! Maybe I'll figure it out, just maybe....

 

[Nothinman]

I guess the Linux community doesn't want my brilliance

That's not the problem, it's ATI who doesn't want you using Linux.

 

[AmigaMan]

well I couldn't figure it out, but I am using dual monitors on linux, just not with the DVI port on my laptop. Windows XP worked right out of the box with the DVI port though.

1440x900 (Laptop) and 1600x1200 (Dell 2001FP) is just frickin sweet BTW...

 

[n0cmonkey]

Are you using the proprietary ATi drivers or the F/OSS ones?

 

[Nothinman]

Windows XP worked right out of the box with the DVI port though

Irrelevant, but it is why you need to do research before buying hardware for a non-Windows OS. Some vendors actually support Linux and some just say they support Linux, ATI falls into the latter category IMO.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Windows XP worked right out of the box with the DVI port though

Irrelevant, but it is why you need to do research before buying hardware for a non-Windows OS. Some vendors actually support Linux and some just say they support Linux, ATI falls into the latter category IMO.

Actually, it isn't irrelevant. Had Dell pre-installed < insert favorite distro > Linux, DVI would have worked "out of the box" with Linux. Had AmigaMan installed Windows himself, Windows might have had similar problems with DVI (though not likely as bad since ATI is MS's bitch right now).

 

[AmigaMan]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Are you using the proprietary ATi drivers or the F/OSS ones?

I'm using the fglrx drivers which I'm assuming are the OSS drivers. Ubuntu had them installed already.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Are you using the proprietary ATi drivers or the F/OSS ones?

I'm using the fglrx drivers which I'm assuming are the OSS drivers. Ubuntu had them installed already.

I think the radeon driver is the apprpriate F/OSS driver. I'm just glancing at the documentation, but it appears the DVI is supported.

Option "MonitorLayout" "string"

...blah blah blah...

This option can be used in following format:
Option "MonitorLayout" "[type on primary], [type on secondary]"
For example, Option "MonitorLayout" "CRT, TMDS"
Primary/Secondary head for dual-head cards:
(when only one port is used, it will be treated as the primary regardless)
Primary head:
DVI port on DVI+VGA cards
LCD output on laptops
Internal TMDS port on DVI+DVI cards
Secondary head:
VGA port on DVI+VGA cards
VGA port on laptops

 

[Nothinman]

Actually, it isn't irrelevant. Had Dell pre-installed < insert favorite distro > Linux, DVI would have worked "out of the box" with Linux

Not necessarily, system vendors still sell laptops with Linux that have no working winmodem drivers. Just because they preinstalled Linux doesn't mean they support all of the hardware under Linux.

I'm using the fglrx drivers which I'm assuming are the OSS drivers. Ubuntu had them installed already.

The fglrx drivers are the closed source ATI drivers.

 

[AmigaMan]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Actually, it isn't irrelevant. Had Dell pre-installed < insert favorite distro > Linux, DVI would have worked "out of the box" with Linux

Not necessarily, system vendors still sell laptops with Linux that have no working winmodem drivers. Just because they preinstalled Linux doesn't mean they support all of the hardware under Linux.

I'm using the fglrx drivers which I'm assuming are the OSS drivers. Ubuntu had them installed already.

The fglrx drivers are the closed source ATI drivers.

Not that I have anything against you Nothinman because I know you're a pretty respected member here and all, but your attitude has been most unhelpful. I mean, I appreciate you answering my post, but the only thing of worth you've done has been to bump my thread.
I thought, "perhaps my not-so-subtle attempts at humour would ingratiate me with the Linux gurus and they'd be kind enough to provide some help." At least n0cmonkey helped...

 

[n0cmonkey]

I'd recommend trying the radeon driver. But backup the current configuration first. Nothing like changing the config, breaking something, and not being able to change it back.

 

[Nothinman]

Not that I have anything against you Nothinman because I know you're a pretty respected member here and all, but your attitude has been most unhelpful.

I know, I just really dislike ATI. nVidia's drivers may be closed source, but at least they're simple to install and for the most part they work well.