[SFS] Trouble with CentOS7 box with 3 monitors ...
Matt Dew
marcoz@osource.org
Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:54:55 -0600
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Thanks all.
Yep, switching distros did the job. He tried Mint and it just worked.
2 days of massive headaches and frustration with CentOS. Tried Mint, 10
mins later he was up and running.
thanks for the replies,
Matt
On Wed, Aug 31, 2016 at 9:48 AM, Matt James <matuse@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'll echo some of Davide's comments with my suggestions:
>
> 1) Try a different distro - I've hit many hardware issues that were
> easily identified as software / driver limitations by using this
> troubleshooting option. That is to say if it works on one distro and
> not another, you know you're battling a kernel / driver issue - not an
> issue with the hardware itself. You could even try (I'm ashamed that
> I'm suggesting this on a Linux list..) loading up Winblows to see if
> everything "just works."
>
> 2) I've also had issues with multiples of identical graphics cards.
> You might start by checking to see if they play nice running ONE
> display off of each card. If you can't make the two play nice
> together, first try putting them in different slots (could be an IRQ
> sharing type of issue). From there, I would try swapping one of the
> cards for a different brand and / or try the on-board video card if it
> has one. This will tell you if you're fighting hardware limitations.
>
> HTH
>
> Matt James
> 303-949-7659
>
> On Wed, Aug 31, 2016 at 9:20 AM, Davide Del Vento
> <davide.del.vento@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Not sure with NVIDIA, however I always struggled with having more than
> > 2 monitors on my laptops. Until I realized that my graphic card on the
> > laptop (intel chip) did not support more than 2 screens being "on" at
> > the same time (I could hook 3 monitors just fine and use the GUI to
> > select which ones to use, but if I switched "on" more than two, it did
> > not work -- any other combination worked). Then, with latest laptop my
> > employer gave me (still with intel graphic card), everything worked
> > out of the box on first attempt MATE install. Upon closer examination
> > of some very hidden specs of the chipset, this one supports 3 monitors
> > and the previous ones did not.
> >
> > So I suggest you FIRST google the EXACT chipset of your cards and make
> sure that
> > a) it supports 3 monitors at the resolution you want (both individual
> > screen resolutions and total number of horizontal and vertical pixels)
> > b) anyone has been able to hook them up with 3 monitors with hw
> > configuration as close to yours as possible (maybe even on MS
> > windows).
> >
> > After that, I suggest that you try some more-hw-friendly distro (e.g.
> > ubuntu), maybe off a live DVD, to see if it works. Often, if it
> > doesn't work out of the box with the latest Ubuntu, 95% you can't make
> > it work in any other way, so give up and stop struggling.
> >
> > After that's done, you can start investigating how to make it work in
> > your favorite distro. Often, you need a newer kernel and the
> > corresponding newer drivers.
> >
> > Good luck.
> > Davide
> >
> > On Tue, Aug 30, 2016 at 9:09 PM, marcoz <marcoz@osource.org> wrote:
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >> I'm usually just a lurker on this list but I've got a problem. One of
> my
> >> coworkers has spent 2 days trying to get a new HP machine up and running
> >> with his 3 monitor setup, with no luck. Google has been no help. He's
> about
> >> to lose his mind.
> >>
> >> Has anyone worked with a 3-monitor setup? If so, might you be able to
> help?
> >>
> >> It's 2 identical Nvidia GeFoce 7xxx PCIe cards, if that matters/helps.
> >>
> >> thanks for any help or suggestions,
> >> Matt
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> SFS mailing list
> >> SFS@thegeek.nu
> >> http://mailman.thegeek.nu/mailman/listinfo/sfs
> > _______________________________________________
> > SFS mailing list
> > SFS@thegeek.nu
> > http://mailman.thegeek.nu/mailman/listinfo/sfs
>
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<div dir=3D"ltr">Thanks all.<div>=C2=A0 Yep, switching distros did the job.=
=C2=A0 He tried Mint and it just worked. =C2=A0 =C2=A02 days of massive hea=
daches and frustration with CentOS. =C2=A0 Tried Mint, 10 mins later he was=
up and running.</div><div><br></div><div>thanks for the replies,<br>Matt</=
div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><div class=
=3D"gmail_quote">On Wed, Aug 31, 2016 at 9:48 AM, Matt James <span dir=3D"l=
tr"><<a href=3D"mailto:matuse@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">matuse@gmail.=
com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"mar=
gin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">I'll echo s=
ome of Davide's comments with my suggestions:<br>
<br>
1) Try a different distro - I've hit many hardware issues that were<br>
easily identified as software / driver limitations by using this<br>
troubleshooting option.=C2=A0 That is to say if it works on one distro and<=
br>
not another, you know you're battling a kernel / driver issue - not an<=
br>
issue with the hardware itself.=C2=A0 You could even try (I'm ashamed t=
hat<br>
I'm suggesting this on a Linux list..) loading up Winblows to see if<br=
>
everything "just works."<br>
<br>
2) I've also had issues with multiples of identical graphics cards.<br>
You might start by checking to see if they play nice running ONE<br>
display off of each card.=C2=A0 If you can't make the two play nice<br>
together, first try putting them in different slots (could be an IRQ<br>
sharing type of issue). From there, I would try swapping one of the<br>
cards for a different brand and / or try the on-board video card if it<br>
has one.=C2=A0 This will tell you if you're fighting hardware limitatio=
ns.<br>
<br>
HTH<br>
<span class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><br>
Matt James<br>
<a href=3D"tel:303-949-7659" value=3D"+13039497659">303-949-7659</a><br>
</font></span><div class=3D"HOEnZb"><div class=3D"h5"><br>
On Wed, Aug 31, 2016 at 9:20 AM, Davide Del Vento<br>
<<a href=3D"mailto:davide.del.vento@gmail.com">davide.del.vento@gmail.co=
m</a>> wrote:<br>
> Not sure with NVIDIA, however I always struggled with having more than=
<br>
> 2 monitors on my laptops. Until I realized that my graphic card on the=
<br>
> laptop (intel chip) did not support more than 2 screens being "on=
" at<br>
> the same time (I could hook 3 monitors just fine and use the GUI to<br=
>
> select which ones to use, but if I switched "on" more than t=
wo, it did<br>
> not work -- any other combination worked). Then, with latest laptop my=
<br>
> employer gave me (still with intel graphic card), everything worked<br=
>
> out of the box on first attempt MATE install. Upon closer examination<=
br>
> of some very hidden specs of the chipset, this one supports 3 monitors=
<br>
> and the previous ones did not.<br>
><br>
> So I suggest you FIRST google the EXACT chipset of your cards and make=
sure that<br>
> a) it supports 3 monitors at the resolution you want (both individual<=
br>
> screen resolutions and total number of horizontal and vertical pixels)=
<br>
> b) anyone has been able to hook them up with 3 monitors with hw<br>
> configuration as close to yours as possible (maybe even on MS<br>
> windows).<br>
><br>
> After that, I suggest that you try some more-hw-friendly distro (e.g.<=
br>
> ubuntu), maybe off a live DVD, to see if it works. Often, if it<br>
> doesn't work out of the box with the latest Ubuntu, 95% you can=
9;t make<br>
> it work in any other way, so give up and stop struggling.<br>
><br>
> After that's done, you can start investigating how to make it work=
in<br>
> your favorite distro. Often, you need a newer kernel and the<br>
> corresponding newer drivers.<br>
><br>
> Good luck.<br>
> Davide<br>
><br>
> On Tue, Aug 30, 2016 at 9:09 PM, marcoz <<a href=3D"mailto:marcoz@o=
source.org">marcoz@osource.org</a>> wrote:<br>
>> Hi all,<br>
>><br>
>>=C2=A0 I'm usually just a lurker on this list but I've got =
a problem. One of my<br>
>> coworkers has spent 2 days trying to get a new HP machine up and r=
unning<br>
>> with his 3 monitor setup, with no luck. Google has been no help. H=
e's about<br>
>> to lose his mind.<br>
>><br>
>> Has anyone worked with a 3-monitor setup? If so, might you be able=
to help?<br>
>><br>
>> It's 2 identical Nvidia GeFoce 7xxx PCIe cards, if that matter=
s/helps.<br>
>><br>
>> thanks for any help or suggestions,<br>
>> Matt<br>
>> ______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
>> SFS mailing list<br>
>> <a href=3D"mailto:SFS@thegeek.nu">SFS@thegeek.nu</a><br>
>> <a href=3D"http://mailman.thegeek.nu/mailman/listinfo/sfs" rel=3D"=
noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">http://mailman.thegeek.nu/<wbr>mailman/listin=
fo/sfs</a><br>
> ______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
> SFS mailing list<br>
> <a href=3D"mailto:SFS@thegeek.nu">SFS@thegeek.nu</a><br>
> <a href=3D"http://mailman.thegeek.nu/mailman/listinfo/sfs" rel=3D"nore=
ferrer" target=3D"_blank">http://mailman.thegeek.nu/<wbr>mailman/listinfo/s=
fs</a><br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div>
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