nVIDIA 5900, DualHead, TwinView, Rotate, sniff.

From: Duke Robillard (duke_at_NOSPAMio.com)
Date: 12/30/04 

Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 09:42:27 -0500

I've been struggling with a config, and I think I've concluded
it can't be done, but I'm posting here, hoping someone can
prove me wrong.

I have two LCD monitors with 1280x1024 resolution, and an
nVIDIA 5900 dual head card. I want to turn the monitors on
their sides to make something that's nearly a 2048x1280
monitor.

If I use the evil proprietary "nvidia" driver and its TwinView
Option, I can get the dual head working fine, but it seems I
can't rotate the displays. There's a Rotate option for XF86Config,
but the TwinView stuff seems to just ignore it.

If I use the open source "nv" driver and Xinerama, the Rotate
option works okay, but that driver can't find the second head
on my video card. I can't find any BusID for the second head.
I suspect the nVIDIA card doesn't present two devices to the
outside world, which is why the "nvidia" driver has the TwinView
stuff.

In desparation, I added a second video card to my machine (an
old PCI Matrox I had in a box), and plugged the second monitor
into that. Now the "nv" and "mga" drivers can both Rotate, and
Xinerama works, so I'm soooo close.

Unfortunately, I also play video games, so I need to be able
to start X with a different, single monitor layout, using the
proprietary "nvidia" driver, to get the good 3D stuff. The
"nvidia" driver seems completely hosed with this Matrox card
in the box, and won't display anything. The Matrox card had
a lower BusID (1:8:0 vs the nVIDIA's 2:0:0); I don't know if
that's part of it.

Anyone have any advice? I'm considering buying a cheap PCI
nVIDIA card, in hopes the "nvidia" driver won't be as bummed
out by it as by the Matrox card.

Thanks in advance...

Duke

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