[ltp] Fglrx big desktop mode

[Alex Deucher]

On 10/22/06, paquita <paquita@xs4all.nl> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am trying to configure my T42p to use the fglrx driver's big desktop
> mode. I've been playing with big desktop and clone modes over the last
> two days, and also a little with MergedFB when I failed to do what I
> wanted, but I'm stuck with some questions. I'd be grateful if somebody
> could help me with these questions, or point me to a reliable source of
> information, since what I've found up to now has rather confused me, I'm
> afraid!
>
> My system: I'm running Ubuntu Edgy (2.6.17-10 kernel), the laptop's LCD
> has 1600x1200 resolution, and the external screen is an LG 1280x1024 LCD.
>
> What I'm trying to do: ideally, I'd like a big non-rectangular desktop,
> with a 1600x1200 area next to a 1280x1024 one. If that cannot be done, a
> 3200x1200 desktop would be ok too, provided the 1280x1024 monitor can
> display at its native resolution.
>

I'm not familiar with fglrx, but with the opensouce radeon driver you
can use mergedfb and set the "MergedNonRectangular" option to true.
that optin will lock the viewports and provide you with a mixed mode
non-rectangular dualhead desktop.  As for metamodes some thing like
"1600x1200-1280x1024" should do what you want.  See the radeon man
page for more info.

Alex

> What I have now:
>
> 1. In big desktop mode, I get a 3200x1200 desktop, but the external
> monitor displays 1600x1200 pixels on a 1280x1024 area, and as a result
> of the resampling the picture is too fuzzy to be usable.
>
> Does the virtual desktop have to be rectangular? If no, how do I tell
> xorg.conf? If yes, can I tell the external screen to display only a
> 1280x1024 area, and scroll around to follow the mouse when it moves out
> of the displayed area?
>
> 2. Scrolling around does not seem to go that well either: if I select
> the 1600x1200 resolution, I get the same picture cloned on both screens
> (as expected), and the 1280x1024 monitor scrolls around to follow the
> mouse (good), but what puzzles me is that the picture on the external
> monitor is still fuzzy (I would have expected that if the 1280x1024
> monitor displays only 1280x1024 pixels out of 1600x1200, I would get the
> normal, undegraded picture). Am I missing something?
>
> 3. By contrast, if I select the 1280x1024 resolution, I have the same
> picture on both screens as expected, and the picture on the external
> monitor is of the usual, good quality.
>
> As I'm quite new to this, maybe I'm making false assumptions here. Any
> suggestions welcome! Thanks in advance,
> Paquita
>
> ######################################
> Here are the modes xrandr gives me, and the relevant sections of my
> xorg.conf:
>
> paquita@marlon:~ $ xrandr
>  SZ:    Pixels          Physical       Refresh
>  0   3200 x 1200   ( 805mm x 302mm )   60
>  1   1600 x 1200   ( 805mm x 302mm )   60
> *2   1280 x 1024   ( 805mm x 302mm )   75   70  *60
>  3    800 x 600    ( 805mm x 302mm )   75   72   70   60   56   47
>  4   1152 x 864    ( 805mm x 302mm )   60   75   70
>  5   1024 x 768    ( 805mm x 302mm )   60   75   72   70
>  6   1024 x 480    ( 805mm x 302mm )   60
>  7    848 x 480    ( 805mm x 302mm )   60
>  8    720 x 576    ( 805mm x 302mm )   60
>  9    720 x 480    ( 805mm x 302mm )   60
>  10   640 x 480    ( 805mm x 302mm )   75   72   60
>  11   640 x 400    ( 805mm x 302mm )   75   60
>  12   640 x 350    ( 805mm x 302mm )   60
>  13   512 x 384    ( 805mm x 302mm )   60
>  14   400 x 300    ( 805mm x 302mm )   75   60
>  15   320 x 240    ( 805mm x 302mm )   75   60
>  16   320 x 200    ( 805mm x 302mm )   75   60
> Current rotation - normal
> Current reflection - none
> Rotations possible - normal
> Reflections possible - none
>
> #################################
> Section "Monitor"
>     Identifier   "aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
>     Option        "DPMS" "true"
> EndSection
>
> Section "Device"
>     Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]"
>     Driver      "fglrx"
>     Option        "DesktopSetup" "horizontal,reverse"
>     Option        "Mode2" "1280x1024,800x600"
>     BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
> EndSection
>
> Section "Screen"
>     Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]"
>     Device     "aticonfig-Device[0]"
>     Monitor    "aticonfig-Monitor[0]"
>     DefaultDepth     24
>     SubSection "Display"
>         Viewport   0 0
>         Depth     24
>         Modes    "1600x1200" "1280x1024" "800x600"
>     EndSubSection
> EndSection
>
> Section "ServerLayout"
>     Identifier     "Default Layout"
>     Screen      0  "aticonfig-Screen[0]" 0 0
>     InputDevice    "Generic Keyboard"
>     InputDevice    "Configured Mouse"
>     InputDevice    "Synaptics Touchpad"
> EndSection
>
> Section "DRI"
>     Mode         0666
> EndSection
>
> Section "Extensions"
>     Option        "Composite" "0"
> EndSection
> ####################################
>
>
>
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