radeon + xrandr + laptop/external monitor display problem

[Alex Deucher]

On Feb 18, 2008 7:32 PM, kewlemer <kewlemer at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Feb 18, 2008 2:52 PM, Alex Deucher <alexdeucher at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Feb 18, 2008 3:12 AM, kewlemer <kewlemer at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > Can anyone please tell me why when the same script is in rc.local,
> > > > > it's not working properly? i.e.,  I can't get the display on the
> > > > > monitor unless I open the laptop initially.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > If rc.local is executed before X is started it will do nothing.  Also
> > > > depending on the context that script is executed in you will probably
> > > > have to specify the DISPLAY for randr to connect to.
> > > >
> > > Thank you very much for the note. Your tip of running "xrandr --auto"
> > > works neatly when I log in and type it. But I still have a problem -
> > > how do I automate this at boot up? When I boot the laptop with the lid
> > > closed, keeping it plugged to the monitor, it fails to display
> > > anything. I then open the laptop lid and it now throws me the laptop
> > > screen display on the monitor. Then I log in and run "xrandr --auto"
> > > and the display  resizes to the monitor size. I want to automate this.
> > > How I can do so ?
> >
> > you'll probably want to remove any old gnome randr stuff in:
> > /desktop/gnome/screen/$hostname/$screennum/
> >
> Thanks very much for the reply Alex. Excuse me for asking these basic
> questions, my knowledge about X is limited, but I'm learning. I looked
> randr stuff -
> [root at x1002us ~]# locate "/gnome/screen/"
> /home/holler/.gconf/desktop/gnome/screen/%gconf.xml
> /home/holler/.gconf/desktop/gnome/screen/x1002us
> /home/holler/.gconf/desktop/gnome/screen/x1002us/%gconf.xml
> /home/holler/.gconf/desktop/gnome/screen/x1002us/0
> /home/holler/.gconf/desktop/gnome/screen/x1002us/0/%gconf.xml
> [root at x1002us ~]#
>
> Here is %gconf.xml -
> <?xml version="1.0"?>
> <gconf>
>         <entry name="rate" mtime="1202371546" type="int" value="60">
>         </entry>
>         <entry name="resolution" mtime="1202371546" type="string">
>                 <stringvalue>1680x1050</stringvalue>
>         </entry>
> </gconf>
>
> Is it alright?
>

I'm not familiar with the gconf stuff unfortunately.  I think you want
to remove it.

> > >
> > > I could bind "xrandr --auto" to a function key, but it will still
> > > throw me the laptop size screen on the monitor display.
> >
> > you can assign different keys to do different things or have a script
> > that saves state somewhere and everytime you execute it it does a
> > different thing based on the saved state.   Either way, have 3
> > variants:
> > xrandr --auto #whatever is connected
> > xrandr --output VGA-0 --auto --output LVDS --off #VGA only
> > xrandr --output LVDS --auto --output VGA-0 --off #LVDS only
> Can you please tell me how I map F7 to "xrand --auto" ? I'll figure
> the rest. I swear that I've done my homework in looking for keyboard
> mapping, but all the info I saw had to do with mapping Thinkpad Fn +
> function keys. Again, sorry for this basic question.

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Sample_Fn-F7_script
should get you started.  thinkwiki has several other good articles
about related subjects.

Alex