Dual-monitor configuration with one in landscape mode and the other in portrait mode?

Question

I am currently using two monitors with one in landscape mode and the other in portrait mode. Video card is Nvidia Geforce 9600 GT with nvidia's propriety driver.

I was able to force the issue in 11.10 by assigning a separate X screen for each monitor and rotating the screen assigned to the portrait monitor. ( :0 for the landscape and :1 for the portrait)

I heard that 12.04 improved greatly on multi-monitor configurations. But it doesn't work for me: I had to resort to TwinView mode in order to take advantage of seamless multi-monitor experience but TwinView mode doesn't work with my situation where one of the monitor is in portrait mode!

Even worse, when I go back to my original configuration, i.e. separate X screens instead of TwinView, my portrait monitor shows only white screen with default X cursor without any of unity goodness.

Anyone familiar with situation similar to mine?

Solution 1

EDIT the post above:

I managed to solve the problem, but not for 3D because compiz crashes. here is the new xorg.conf:

    # nvidia-settings: X configuration file generated by nvidia-settings
    # nvidia-settings:  version 295.33  (buildd@zirconium)  Fri Mar 30 13:43:34 UTC 2012

    Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "Layout0"
        Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
        Screen      1  "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
        InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
        InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
        Option         "Xinerama" "1"
    EndSection

    Section "Files"
    EndSection
  Section "InputDevice"
        # generated from default
        Identifier     "Mouse0"
        Driver         "mouse"
        Option         "Protocol" "auto"
        Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
        Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
        Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
    EndSection

    Section "InputDevice"
        # generated from default
        Identifier     "Keyboard0"
        Driver         "kbd"
    EndSection

    Section "Monitor"
        # HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
        Identifier     "Monitor1"
        VendorName     "Unknown"
        ModelName      "DELL P2311H"
        HorizSync       30.0 - 83.0
        VertRefresh     56.0 - 76.0
        Option         "DPMS"
    EndSection

    Section "Monitor"
        # HorizSync source: edid, VertRefresh source: edid
        Identifier     "Monitor0"
        VendorName     "Unknown"
        ModelName      "DELL P2311H"
        HorizSync       30.0 - 83.0
        VertRefresh     56.0 - 76.0
        Option         "DPMS"
    EndSection

    Section "Device"
        Identifier     "Device1"
        Driver         "nvidia"
        VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
        BoardName      "GeForce 8500 GT"
        BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"
        Screen          1
    EndSection

    Section "Device"
        Identifier     "Device0"
        Driver         "nvidia"
        VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
        BoardName      "GeForce 8500 GT"
        BusID          "PCI:1:0:0"
        Screen          0
    EndSection

    Section "Screen"
        Identifier     "Screen1"
        Device         "Device1"
        Monitor        "Monitor1"
        DefaultDepth    24
        Option         "TwinView" "0"
        Option         "metamodes" "DFP: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
        Option     "Rotate" "left"
        SubSection     "Display"
            Depth       24
        EndSubSection
    EndSection

    Section "Screen"
        Identifier     "Screen0"
        Device         "Device0"
        Monitor        "Monitor0"
        DefaultDepth    24
        Option         "TwinView" "0"
        Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "CRT-1"
        Option         "metamodes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select +0+0"
        Option     "Rotate" "left"
        SubSection     "Display"
            Depth       24
        EndSubSection
    EndSection

    Section "Extensions"
        Option         "Composite" "Disable"
    EndSection

I generated it using nvidia settings, not with twin view but with seperated X screens, screen 1 is absolute and screen 2 is Right Of. I checked Xinerama enabled. Then I edited the xorg.conf file so that to add option for rotation of both screens (look at the file). It worked!

Solution 2

Finally solved it myself.

Problem: Nvidia proprietary driver is no good with multiple monitors.

Solution: Switch to Nouveau open-source driver. Now it works flawlessly. Can configure either monitor in whatever configuration I want in Display settings.

Comments

[Admin]

I wish to add for any new people, you must remove the NVidia drivers first, reboot, install the Nouveau driver packages then reboot again and it will work.

[Kendrick]

It is possible to rotate 1 screen with the nvidia driver but a pain. every driver update you have to fiddle with it again