Second monitor useless in dual desktop mode

[Hallvar Helle]

Binary package hint: unity

Configured dual desktop mode with nvidia config tool.

Cant type i.e keyboard only works on primary display (the one with unity launcher)
This meens i cant add launchers, program starters or do much more then what the rigth click menu enables me with the mice and watching my background image.

Natty beta 2 installed from Iso, not upgraded.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: unity 3.8.8-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Er en filkatalog: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 270.41.03 Sat Apr 9 00:06:19 PDT 2011
 GCC version: gcc version 4.5.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.5.2-8ubuntu3)
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,vpswitch,regex,animation,snap,expo,move,compiztoolbox,place,grid,imgpng,gnomecompat,wall,ezoom,workarounds,staticswitcher,resize,fade,unitymtgrabhandles,scale,session,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Mon Apr 18 00:37:28 2011
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: nvidia-current, 270.41.03, 2.6.38-8-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation G96M [GeForce GT 120M] [10de:0653] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:202d]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta amd64 (20110413)
InstallationMedia_: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta amd64 (20110413)
InstallationMedia__: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta amd64 (20110413)
JockeyStatus: xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA aksellerert grafikkdriver (Merkebeskyttet, Aktiv, I bruk)
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. K70IO
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=nb_NO:en
 LANG=nb_NO.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=d00690a0-2d52-4fe3-bdc1-efaf01278e6a ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature_: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
ProcVersionSignature__: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
Renderer: Unknown
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 07/10/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 210
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: K70IO
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr210:bd07/10/2009:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnK70IO:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnK70IO:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr:
dmi.product.name: K70IO
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.4+bzr20110415-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu12
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu6
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.10.2-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10.2-0ubuntu1
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+4ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.0-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-4ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110107+b795ca6e-0ubuntu7

[Hallvar Helle (helle-hallvar)]

Also, dicovered that i same issue is present in "ubuntu-classical" mode!

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

Seems to be a bug with the nVidia driver then

[STX Next (opensource-stxnext)]

As I found at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1709011 post by "Amaranth":
"Compiz no longer supports multiscreen (Separate X) so you have to manually start it from a terminal on the second screen."

Because keyboard doesn't work on second screen I run this command on first screen:

DISPLAY=:0.1 compiz

After this second screen work as before update to 11.04.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

why do you use 2 xservers rather than xrandr or twinview?

[Hallvar Helle (helle-hallvar)]

I dont use twinview becouse the ability to have two independant desktops works much better for me.

Xrandr sadly dosent see my two monitors. Only my laptops monitor is detected, also nvidia-settings is alot more userfriendly imo. I still havent been able to wrap my head around xrandr.

[Johnathon (outdooricon)]

I have the same problem. I also cannot use twinview or xrandr becuase of my special configuration, so using 2 xservers is the only option I have as well.

[Todd Allen (toddmallen)]

I can confirm this as well. The workaround does work, but until using it I have no keyboard control in the second window. With classic this is at least somewhat workable, but with Unity even having the keyboard (with no sidebar, etc.) allows for almost nothing to be done on the second screen.

[Druid (3-launchpad-fastdruid-co-uk)]

While there is a bodge to get things working (although I still get some strange boarders and window behaviour) this is a *MAJOR* out of the box functionality breaker.

Multi-monitor should "just work" (as it does in Windows[0]), it used to be easy (for me anyway), install "Nvidia X Server Settings", click a few buttons and it worked. Other minor display issues get medium[1], major functionality removed with no replacement just gets low?

As it stands this is an update blocker for natty (and potentially above), I'm *not* updating my work PC (three screens) until it just works, not because I can't bodge things to get it working but because quite frankly I should not have to.

[0] I understand the reasons why its tricky however when someone is coming from a 2+ screen Windows 7 PC there is no way they're ever going to try Ubuntu (or any other distro) if only one screen works without messing about with the command line!
[1] eg Alt-tab being "a bit slow" https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/772177
or "restored window being partly under the menu" https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/compiz/+bug/716521

[cro (cro)]

I think the wider issue here is that this is a specific change in functionality, wherever it may be. Under the prior version of Ubuntu, configuring a second monitor/second video card as a seperate X screen would result in the second screen being set up the same as the first when it came to window decorators. Since the upgrade, this functionality has changed, and the X-Server is launched without a default window manager, let alone a clone of the first monitor's window manager setting.

Now, there is completely non-obvious behaviour happening, and for the majority of first-time users, the fact that the second monitor *does not work as expected* will cause consternation.

Contrary to the low improtance assertion, there are a number of valid use-cases for configuring a second monitor with a seperate X-Server. I use a seperate X-Server on my HDMI-out for general display work when I'm using my laptop for other purposes. I've used it in the past for presentation work, or for displaying server monitoring services and displays in a way that doesn't interfere with my primary workspaces.

Not every use case for multiple monitors has them next to each other, or even in close proximity. As I type this I have a monitor being driven by a seperate X Server at the end of a 5 meter HDMI cable - if it was running in Twinview then when I switched workspaces I'd lose what was being displayed in the external monitor. And I'm not the only audience for that second screen.

I'd heartily disagree that this is of "Low" importance, although I wonder if the actual bug is in Compiz, or in the way X (or Ubuntu for that matter) handles the user-selected configuration of multiple X-Servers, especially where a second display is launched without a default window manager (if one is not set for the primary display), and where there is no obvious way to run a display manager for those without comand line knowledge.

I struggled myself to resolve this, and I've been using Ubuntu as my only OS (work and home) for the past 5 years or so, so I shudder to think of the reaction of a newcomer to Ubuntu when they run into this kind of issue.

[Druid (3-launchpad-fastdruid-co-uk)]

While its another 'bodge' rather than a fix, you can downgrade compiz to the 10.10 version which should give you a working setup.

http://www.webupd8.org/2011/05/how-to-downgrade-to-compiz-086-in.html

[Joshua Szmajda (josh-optoro)]

I just downgraded to compiz 0.8.6 and it solved all my current problems. Lovely 'update,' removing major functionality!

FWIW, this even solved my issues with losing focus when alt-tabbing (I use hover focus).

[CooL LeO (coolleo83)]

When i use this command
DISPLAY=:0.1 compiz

I am getting the error
compiz (core) - Fatal: Couldn't open display 0.1

Not sure what is missing. But I am still not able to make my second screen work at all.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/796478

[Tomodachi (tomodachi)]

another reason we need to be able to run a separate X server. Is that the nvidia driver doesn't allow rotating of just one screen in a twinview setup.

Would love to use the nouveau driver (where this actually works, but It has other worser bugs)

[amay82 (andimayer82-deactivatedaccount)]

Can confirm this. TwinView is not an option here because the second screen is TV-OUT (LCD) with a different refresh rate, so TwinView causes ugly tearing. And XMBC is not working in TwinView.

[Christopher Townsend (townsend)]

I think this has long been resolved, so closing the bug Fix Released.