Re: Multiple Graphics cards and HDMI: How to?

[KS <lists04@fastmail.fm>]

Victor Padro wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 29, 2010 at 6:53 PM, KS <lists04@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I have setup a system with Gigabyte MA-790GPT-UD3H motherboard and use a
>> Nvidia GeForce 8600GTS PCI-E video card. It also has an onboard ATI
>> Radeon HD 3300 graphics chipset. The PCI-E card is being used at the
>> moment for the monitor (nvidia driver). I was thinking of using the HDMI
>> port(onboard) to play movies directly on the TV rather than using a
>> DVD-RW (current method).
>>
>> I did configure the onboard chipset to be detected after the PCI-E card
>> as D-SUB+HDMI output in the BIOS. This is on a Debian Unstable box.
>>
>> The question is: would it be possible to use two graphics cards from
>> different manufacturers?
>>
>> I also noticed that the onboard chipset does not come up with lspci.
> 
> AFAIK, when you use a PCI-e VGA onboard video is disable, and your
> lspci states that...
> 

Yes, that seems to what was happening. I have remove the PCI-E card and
the machine was able to detect the onboard VGA chipset (using module
radeonhd).

At the moment, when I boot, I get 1024x768 resolution on both of them
(monitor and TV) with both showing the same image. I have tried to
create an xorg.conf using
http://wiki.debian.org/XStrikeForce/HowToRandR12 but it is not being
applied (both outputs have 1024x768 resolution even though I have
specified the preferred resolution in xorg.con). Does anyone see obvious
mistakes in the file or if I have missed something?

Thanks,
KS.
PS: I just realized that I could have used a DVD-HDMI adapter for my
Nvidia 8600GTS card too. However, its fan is really noisy :(

--------------
Section "Module"
        #Load    "bitmap"
        #Load    "dbe"
        #Load    "ddc"
        #Load   "dri"
        #Load    "extmod"
        #Load    "freetype"
        #Load    "int10"
        #Load    "record"
        #Load   "type1"
        #Load    "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver          "kbd"
        Option          "XkbRules"      "xorg"
        Option          "XkbModel"      "pc104"
        Option          "XkbLayout"     "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier      "Configured Mouse"
        Driver          "mouse"
        Option          "CorePointer"
        Option          "Device"                "/dev/input/mice"
        Option          "Protocol"              "ImPS/2"
        Option          "Buttons"               "7"
        Option          "ZAxisMapping"          "4 5"
        Option          "ButtonMapping"         "1 2 3 6 7 4 5"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier      "ATI Technologies Inc Radeon HD 3300 Graphics"
        Driver          "radeonhd"
#       BusID           "01:05.0"
        Option          "AccelMethod"   "EXA"
        Option          "Monitor-VGA-0" "Lenovo Monitor"
        Option          "Monitor-HDMI-0" "External TV"
        Option          "Audio" "on"
        Option          "HDMI" "all"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier      "Lenovo Monitor"
        Modeline        "1920x1200_60.00"  193.16  1920 2048 2256 2592
1200 1201 1204 1242  -HSync +Vsync
        Option          "PreferredMode" "1920x1200_60.00"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier      "External TV"
        DisplaySize     1600 900
        Modeline        "1360x768_60.00"  84.72  1360 1424 1568 1776
768 769 772 795  -HSync +Vsync
        Option          "PreferredMode" "1360x768_60.00"
        Option          "RightOf" "Lenovo Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier      "Big Screen"
        Device          "ATI Technologies Inc Radeon HD 3300 Graphics"
        DefaultDepth    24
        SubSection      "Display"
                Depth           24
                #Virtual Screen size add widths + max(height of monitor)
for right+left config
                Virtual         3280 1200
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier      "Default Layout"
        Screen          "Big Screen"
        InputDevice     "Generic Keyboard"
        InputDevice     "Configured Mouse"
EndSection