Dual Monitor Setup - OS refuses to make bottom monitor the Primary [Solved]

[Moolalchemy]

Hello

Just started to use MX Linux .

I have a dual screen/monitor setup , a laptop screen and a separate monitor which is physically directly above it .On my old system I would move the mouse vertically between the two screens going through the top of the laptop screen to the monitor.

I have tried to keep the same setup but the settings on MX refuse to allow the laptop stay as primary if I put the HannSpree/HannStar HX191D above the laptop screen in the settings . If I choose the desired setting the OS just makes whatever monitor on top the primary. Hence if I keep my laptop screen as primary I have to put it on top in the settings and move my mouse through the bottom of the screen onto the HannSpree/HannStar HX191D workspace even though physically the HannSpree/HannStar HX191D is above which makes this a pain .

Keeping the laptop as primary is my preference.

I have searched to see if any other users have had similar issue but to no avail .

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-28-amd64 [6.1.119-1] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-28-amd64 root=UUID=<filter> ro rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet splash
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.36 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm v: 4.18.0 vt: 7
    dm: LightDM v: 1.26.0 Distro: MX-23.4_x64 Libretto September 15  2024 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12
    (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Portable System: Dell product: Vostro 3550 v: N/A serial: <superuser required> Chassis:
    type: 8 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: N/A v: A12 serial: <superuser required> BIOS: Dell v: A12 date: 02/18/2014
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5-2410M bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Sandy Bridge gen: core 2 level: v2
    built: 2010-12 process: Intel 32nm family: 6 model-id: 0x2A (42) stepping: 7 microcode: 0x2F
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 2 tpc: 2 threads: 4 smt: enabled cache: L1: 128 KiB
    desc: d-2x32 KiB; i-2x32 KiB L2: 512 KiB desc: 2x256 KiB L3: 3 MiB desc: 1x3 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 938 high: 1026 min/max: 800/2900 scaling: driver: intel_cpufreq
    governor: ondemand cores: 1: 868 2: 1026 3: 898 4: 960 bogomips: 18359
  Flags: avx ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT vulnerable
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Unknown: No mitigations
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines; IBPB: conditional; IBRS_FW; STIBP: conditional; RSB
    filling; PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell
    driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-6 code: Sandybridge process: Intel 32nm built: 2011 ports:
    active: LVDS-1,VGA-1 empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0116 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Sunplus Innovation Laptop_Integrated_Webcam_FHD type: USB driver: uvcvideo
    bus-ID: 1-1.5:4 chip-ID: 1bcf:2809 class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 compositor: xfwm v: 4.18.0 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: crocus gpu: i915 display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1366x1792 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 361x474mm (14.21x18.66") s-diag: 596mm (23.46")
  Monitor-1: LVDS-1 pos: primary,top model: Chi Mei Opto 0x1570 built: 2008 res: 1366x768 hz: 60
    dpi: 101 gamma: 1.2 size: 344x193mm (13.54x7.6") diag: 398mm (15.7") ratio: 16:9 modes: 1366x768
  Monitor-2: VGA-1 pos: bottom model: HannSpree/HannStar HX191D serial: <filter> built: 2007
    res: 1280x1024 hz: 60 dpi: 86 gamma: 1.2 size: 376x301mm (14.8x11.85") diag: 482mm (19")
    ratio: 5:4 modes: max: 1280x1024 min: 720x400
  API: OpenGL v: 3.3 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2)
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio vendor: Dell 6
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:1c20 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-28-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Dell driver: r8169
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: e000 bus-ID: 05:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168
    class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1030 [Rainbow Peak] driver: iwlwifi v: kernel modules: wl
    pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 09:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:008a class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-3: Realtek RTL8153 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter type: USB driver: r8152 bus-ID: 2-1.2.4:7
    chip-ID: 0bda:8153 class-ID: 0000 serial: <filter>
  IF: eth1 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-1: tun0 state: unknown speed: 10 Mbps duplex: full mac: N/A
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230 Bluetooth adapter type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8
    bus-ID: 1-1.4:3 chip-ID: 8086:0189 class-ID: e001
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 2.0 lmp-v: 3.0
    sub-v: fc00 hci-v: 3.0 rev: 1b07
  Info: acl-mtu: 310:10 sco-mtu: 64:8 link-policy: rswitch hold sniff park
    link-mode: peripheral accept service-classes: rendering, capturing, audio, telephony
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 238.47 GiB used: 21.85 GiB (9.2%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Fanxiang model: S101Q 256GB size: 238.47 GiB block-size:
    physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: D1.2 scheme: MBR
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 238.47 GiB size: 238.47 GiB (100.00%) used: 21.85 GiB (9.2%) fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
  ID-2: /home raw-size: 238.47 GiB size: 238.47 GiB (100.00%) used: 21.85 GiB (9.2%) fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 59.0 C mobo: 48.2 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 2131 libs: 1056 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala,synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 0
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
    1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64] https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://mxlinux.mirrors.uk2.net/packages/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
Info:
  Processes: 285 Uptime: 8h 38m wakeups: 2 Memory: 7.66 GiB used: 4.55 GiB (59.4%) Init: SysVinit
  v: 3.06 runlevel: 5 default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12
  Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: BIOS (legacy, CSM, MBR)

[fehlix]

I have a dual screen/monitor setup , a laptop screen and a separate monitor which is physically directly above it .On my old system I would move the mouse vertically between the two screens going through the top of the laptop screen to the monitor.

If Xfce display settings won't do it, just disable any display auto detection (within Advance tab of the Display utility)
and turnoff /disable any saved sessions.
Let xrandr tool do set screen positions. To do this get the tool "arandr" from the repos, if not already installed.
Run ArandR, and adjust untill it fits and now select Save current configurations.
This creates a long xrandr command within subfolder .screenlayout or similar.
Now edit the script and add a delay of some seconds like "sleep 5"
above the xrandr command, which may needed to get the monitors properly detected.
And create a autostart entry with "Session& Startup" and use as command the script which was created.
HTH

[Moolalchemy]

Hello and thank you for the reply and instructions .

I followed them as best I could, as each step was pretty much all new to me . I have gone through the steps numerous times to check if everything is correct . I made sure sessions weren't saved at logout or in "sessions and startup" and deleted any old saved sessions .

The command line I added to App Autostart looks like this

#!/bin/sh
sleep 5
xrandr --output LVDS-1 --primary --mode 1366x768 --pos 0x1024 --rotate normal --output VGA-1 --mode 1280x1024 --pos 43x0 --rotate normal --output HDMI-1 --off --output DP-1 --off

I also tried this

sleep 5
#!/bin/sh
xrandr --output LVDS-1 --primary --mode 1366x768 --pos 0x1024 --rotate normal --output VGA-1 --mode 1280x1024 --pos 43x0 --rotate normal --output HDMI-1 --off --output DP-1 --off

as I wasn't exactly sure where to put "sleep 5"

and I called it ARandR(Screen) .

Still hasn't resolved the issue . Even though the Laptop Screen is designated as the Primary, the panel still appears at the bottom of the VGA connected monitor, yet the files that are saved on the laptop screen workspace remain .

I've added photos just for clarification .

[fehlix]

Hello and thank you for the reply and instructions .

I followed them as best I could, as each step was pretty much all new to me . I have gone through the steps numerous times to check if everything is correct .

So you are saying, running ArandR and adjusting, will not make it such, that it works for you?
If so, any autostart entry won't help either.

The command line I added to App Autostart looks like this

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
sleep 5
xrandr --output LVDS-1 --primary --mode 1366x768 --pos 0x1024 --rotate normal --output VGA-1 --mode 1280x1024 --pos 43x0 --rotate normal --output HDMI-1 --off --output DP-1 --off

The first line "#!/bin/sh" (or sometimes "#!/bin/bash" ( called "shbang" line) need always stay at top first line within a shell script.
so the "sleep 5" would be ok, but only of course if the xrandr command would do what you want.

[Moolalchemy]

Yes running ArandR made no difference . I went and setup the autostart in the hope that following all the steps would fix it .

I guess I'll just have to make do with what I have presently .

The process of trying to make a fix, helped me become more familiar with the system and how to works, so I appreciate your input .

[Moolalchemy]

I have since found a solution .

I simply went into Panel Preferences and selected the Output as LVDS-1 which is the laptop monitor .

It had been set to Automatic.

[fehlix]

I have since found a solution .

I simply went into Panel Preferences and selected the Output as LVDS-1 which is the laptop monitor .

It had been set to Automatic.

Ahh, I missed that, probably b/c I do currently have only one monitor, so there is nothing in panel-pref's to select.

[Moolalchemy]

Ahh . Very good . Again thanks for the help .

Have a good weekend .