More info Re: dual head radeon -- again

hansel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx · Wed, 17 Mar 2004 09:53:48 -0600 (CST)

Experimental support for radeon, indeed! Nevertheless I have some progress
and predictable error messages. The config file is attached in its
entirety. Some failed experiments are commented out (visible warts).

I think the most significant error, if accurate is the failure to setup 
the address space on the card.

-- X server captured output
  --snip--
  (WW) RADEON(0): Failed to set up write-combining range (0xf0000000,0x2000000)
  (WW) RADEON(1): Failed to set up write-combining range (0xf2000000,0x2000000)
  --snip--

Adding the ChipID (from scanpci -v output) for the Radeon driver (device
section) and a few other changes (such as identifying screens in the
ServerLayout section) usually eliminates the first of these errors and
gives me something close to what I want. That is, these produce one screen
at full resolution and a second screen at reduced resolution. The amount
of reduction seems related to available memory (half the card memory used
by a single screen).  Thus, I can get to 800x600 on the 2d screen, but the
next step up justs gives me a full resolution, clone.

I tried using the addresses output by scanpci to define MemBase and IOBase
for the device. Result was frozen input devices, but an externally
accessible machine (ssh login and recovery still possible).

Helpful? Should I be going to the XFree86 folks with this? (Or are 
some on this list.)

Thank you

Mark Hansel

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004, Mike A. Harris wrote:

> On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 hansel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> >I've found many archived emails in many places about this problem with no
> >general solution and nothing that helps me now.
> >
> >This is the 3d OS install in about 8 months on this machine and the 3d
> >struggle to get the dual head display working properly.  This is a fedora
> >x86_64 install with XFree86 rpm=4.3.0-55.
> 
> I presume "3d" above means "third" and not really "3D" as in 3D 
> graphics, because dualhead and 3D acceleration are incompatible 
> with each other.
> 
> 
> >This system is a DP Tyan MB with a ATI Rage on the MB and an ATI
> >radeon 7500 PCI card -- total 3 video outputs. I want to use the
> 
> You should be aware that PCI Radeon hardware is only supported 
> experimentally.  Some PCI Radeon models work on some motherboards 
> on some architectures, and some do not work.  There's no known 
> pattern of what works or doesn't work yet, which is why it is 
> experimental only status.  Also, even if one can get 2D to work 
> on PCI Radeon, 3D is even more experimental, and may not work at 
> all, although it does work also for some people.
> 
> >radeon card only with two monitors and ignore the MB VGA. The
> >old configuration files do not work and the RH configuration
> >scripts, though much improved, don't get the job done. I
> >consistently get a cloned display -- every kestroke doubled
> >(without doubling the pleasure).
> 
> If you get a cloned display, you might be able to get around that
> by reading the "radeon"  manpage and trying the MonitorLayout 
> option documented there.  That generally solves all problems 
> related to clone-mode.  Note that this is something that must be 
> done by hand right now and is not autodetectable currently, which 
> is why the config tools do not put the MonitorLayout option in 
> place when it is needed - there is no way for the config tool to 
> know wether it is needed or not.  Just something that must be 
> manually configured by hand for now.
> 
> 
> >X errors complain that the ATI Rage is undefined.  That is, X
> >finds the controller at PCI 3:6:0 with no corresponding device
> >definition in the X86Config file (exactly what I intend!). Then
> >it gives me the cloned display. When I define the device --
> >without any screen assigned to it, it just screws up the screen
> >resolution on a nicely cloned display.
> 
> Disable the onboard video in your BIOS, or via a jumper on the 
> motherboard and th Rage problem should go away.
> 
> 
> >As helpful as the man pages are, I'm at a bit of a loss what to
> >do. I think the Tyan MB is common among Opteron users. Any help
> >out there? I'm anxious to get back to writing before my
> >so-called Spring Break ends!
> 
> Hopefully my above info is helpful and can get you up and 
> running.
> 
> Good luck!
> TTYL
> 