ATI x1300 dual monitor setup using fglrx

[frankausmtank]

This is just for future reference. Since neither the gnome gui tool nor the xrandr-stuff in the forums ever really worked in hardy, fiddling around with the man pages got me a fully working dual monitor setup (external LCD connected to the VGA port) using the command

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aticonfig --dtop=horizontal --overlay-on=1 --mode2=1680x1050

(and restarting X afterwards), where 1680x1050 is the external resolution. The aticonfig tool essentially just alters the xorg.conf using custom fglrx parameters.

Does anyone have experience using a more recent linux ? afaik, X configuration using xorg.conf is deprecated.

[GomJabbar]

The ATI x1300 is not supported by the propriatary ATI driver in new Linux distributions since Feb. 2009 onward. With the new Linux distributions one has to use the open source ati (radeon) driver. Newer ATI chipsets are supported by the propriatary driver.

[tylerwylie]

And using the open source driver, you can easily use 'xrandr' to arrange your monitors; after you get the screen names from

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xrandr -q

you can extend the screen using this kind of command:

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xrandr --output DVI-0 --auto --right-of DVI-1

If that works out well for you, you can make a bash script that checks on available monitors and extends them for you and then bind that to an fn-key.

Though I've seen you have already tried xrandr, it should work fine with the 'radeon' driver. You can try this by editing the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file and removing the fglrx sections.

[frankausmtank]

Thanks to both of you. I didn't know the x1300 is not supported anymore, but that, besides very annoying occasional lock-ups using the proprietary driver is of course a pretty good reason to finally ditch fglrx with my next distro .
Also, the key binding to a bash script sounds like a very convenient solution, I wouldn't have thought of that. I did something similar when I set up a friends dual setup with intel graphics (using xrandr), but the only way that came to my mind was to put the commands into an application launcher on the desktop.. oh well. So, the radeon driver is actually usable now? I remember trying it (pretty long ago) and 3d performance was horrid.

[tylerwylie]

Thanks to both of you. I didn't know the x1300 is not supported anymore, but that, besides very annoying occasional lock-ups using the proprietary driver is of course a pretty good reason to finally ditch fglrx with my next distro .
Also, the key binding to a bash script sounds like a very convenient solution, I wouldn't have thought of that. I did something similar when I set up a friends dual setup with intel graphics (using xrandr), but the only way that came to my mind was to put the commands into an application launcher on the desktop.. oh well. So, the radeon driver is actually usable now? I remember trying it (pretty long ago) and 3d performance was horrid.

Check this page out: Clicky

From that page:

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R100/R200 (Radeon 7000 – Radeon 9250) and R300/R400/R500 (Radeon 9500 – Radeon X1950) class chips:

    * 2D: accelerated (EXA), stable
    * XVideo: accelerated and tear free, stable
    * 3D: accelerated, stable 

I have an HD4890, and the radeon driver is usable. 3d is experimental, but xrandr works fine

You can ditch fglrx right now, depending on what version of the ATI drivers you have installed you can just change the driver section in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.