2009-05-07

Linux on a Fujitsu U810 - External Monitor III

Good news !!

As of today, I have found the way to have the external monitor work out-of-the-box.

After posting a bug report to the ubuntu team complaining for not updating the xorg-xserver-driver-intel package with fixes submitted for more than 1 month, developers said that an updated driver can be found in another repository!!

After configuring the new repository, my ubuntu installed the new driver which makes external-monitor work out-of-the-box!!

Here are the steps I followed to install packages from the ppa X Updates repository:

1. setup the sources
how to: https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/add-applications/C/extra-repositories-adding.html
source added: deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu jaunty main

detailed instructions:
System -> Administration -> Software Sources
[tab] Third-Party Software -> Add
enter deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates/ubuntu jaunty main

[tab] Authentication -> Import Key File
download the file here, save it, and select it when pressing the Import Key File button

Then close the application window; ubuntu it will then automatically reload all package updates; if it doesn't, don't worry, follow to next step.



2. install updated driver

detailed instructions:
System -> Administration -> Update manager
(if necessary, press the 'Check' button to refresh what packages need to be upgraded.

I was asked to 'Run a partial upgrade', which of course I accepted.


3. reboot

And external monitor worked without any tweaks!

Now I can have the external monitor without having to recompiled and so so on every kernel upgrade, great!


Some info: my xorg.conf file, just in case anyone needs it:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# Note that some configuration settings that could be done previously
# in this file, now are automatically configured by the server and settings
# here are ignored.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Video Device"

SubSection "Display"
Virtual 2048 2048
EndSubSection
EndSection

10 comments:

  1. Great work, any idea if this will work for the U820 as well?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Anonymous,

    I don't think the explanation given in this post will work on a u820, since u810 uses a different graphics cards. To have an external monitor working on a u820, I really don't know what you have to do.

    Anyway, if the external monitor works, you can use the trick explained at http://spareinfo.blogspot.com/2009/04/linux-on-fujitsu-u810-external-monitor.html to have easy internal/external monitor switch.

    HTH

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi zmiq2, I just installed the latest Poulsbo/GMA500 drivers which provide for an external display "out-of-the-box". Overall, it works surprisingly well ! Thanks for your comments

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks zmiq2. I've found that the latest Poulsbo / GMA500 Ubuntu drivers work "out of the box" enabling me to easily configure my LCD/VGA setup (although only max resolutions on each display seem supported). Thanks for your comments

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Anonymous,

    I'm glad my comments helped you to have your linux setup work!!

    Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, thank you SO much! This is the first time I have EVER succeeded in making dual monitors work correctly in Linux.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The only thing that was confusing in your directions, was the instructions regarding the public key. You only want to save this text, not the whole html page (file name can be whatever is easy to remember):

    -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
    Version: SKS 1.0.10

    mI0ESXVCiwEEANKBDbiSLOJOouub/S97iDifYCVW1b0KONg7XkFYiFos+bMBzzZyGGo90k1h
    hCxcseLvqCKPL7dG0RzPRKMo7mvM68yyqi2ljw0ZYC9cVf0YzgKRTohVhihelpwZ+sBRGNYk
    OCu+u0Dr+EdVI3u5RNOxAELrbd4vYaS+2cCOfzmLABEBAAG0GkxhdW5jaHBhZCBQUEEgZm9y
    IFVidW50dS1YiLYEEwECACAFAkl1QosCGwMGCwkIBwMCBBUCCAMEFgIDAQIeAQIXgAAKCRA7
    IquXrxzfqY4HBACIQEFhl59ZkuIhTD3pmCQgfkhpcg0RVdB6Xwhu3QDJvmlWmrs+cofNMzyA
    7SwdjD9ARvhGbqHwub+T7oGiHlmFyodGypUZ4i/fdHsZYpsf34MwgYxhyNyOPY/jNImUE/yw
    kSI+kV5esWURH4j0jYfkaergFqCpDnsSkxuIvdjH2Q==
    =bkAa
    -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

    ReplyDelete
  8. On my desktop since 7.04 (Fiesty) I've had twin monitors, to do it I had the 'NVIDIA X server settings' GUI generate a 'xorg.conf' file (the GUI would refuse to save the file) then as 'root' manually insert it over the default 'xorg.conf' file......... bingo 'twinview' twin monitors.

    ReplyDelete
  9. much thx about your great work, it works without any problem, I also did others such as touchscreen, keyboard light.... although u chose the blog name "spareinfo", it's spare when someone don't know or care about the topics. however for those who are stuck by issues related to them, it is a perfect solution!! your spareinfo is precious!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi cckchan,

    many thanks for your kind words.

    ReplyDelete