I recently had the opportunity to plug the HP w2207h screen (see review #1 and review #2 ) as an external display to my Samsung Q35 laptop . The external display has a native resolution of 1680x1050 and the laptop’s is 1280x800.

The laptop is powered by an Intel 945 graphic chip  : 

1$ lspci
200:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS, 943/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
300:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
400:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
5(...)

After some googling ( https://slforums.typo3-factory.net/lofiversion/index.php/t63508.html ) and tests, I’ve designed the perfect xorg.conf for this configuration: 

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the xorg.conf man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "Extensions"
  Option "Composite"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
  AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work
EndSection

Section "Module"
  Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
  Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
  Load "extmod"
  Load "type1"
  Load "freetype"
  Load "glx" # 3D layer
  Load "dri" # direct rendering
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Identifier "Keyboard1"
  Driver "kbd"
  Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
  Option "XkbLayout" "fr"
  Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rwin"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Identifier "Mouse1"
  Driver "mouse"
  Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
  Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Identifier "SynapticsMouse1"
  Driver "synaptics"
  Option "SHMConfig" "on"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
  Identifier "laptop"
  Option "PreferredMode" "1280x800"
  Option "Below" "external"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
  Identifier "external"
  Option "PreferredMode" "1680x1050@60"
  HorizSync 24.0 - 82.0
  VertRefresh 48.0 - 76.0
  Modeline "1680x1050@60" 147.14 1680 1784 1968 2256 1050 1051 1054 1087 -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
  Identifier "device1"
  VendorName "Intel Corporation"
  BoardName "Intel 810 and later"
  Driver "intel"
  Option "DPMS"
  # Option "XaaNoOffscreenPixmaps" "1"
  Option "monitor-LVDS" "laptop"
  Option "monitor-VGA" "external"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
  Identifier "screen1"
  Device "device1"
  Monitor "external"
  Subsection "Display"
    Virtual 1680 1850
  EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
  Identifier "layout1"
  InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
  InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
  InputDevice "SynapticsMouse1" "AlwaysCore"
  Screen "screen1"
EndSection

What I’ve learned so far during these experiments:

  • With DRI, virtual screen can’t be greater than 2048x2048 for Intel 945 (or less) chips. This explain why my screens are one above the other instead of side-by-side.

  • XRandR and its friend KRandRTray make screen positioning user-friendly…

  • …until you play with the xrandr ’s “ --off ” option! After I manually called it, this parameter disabled all my screens, forever, and at each boot. I’ve randomly deleted xorg-related files, but I still didn’t know how I solved this mess. If you have a better understanding of how xrandr store its configuration, please let me know!

  • Dual screening is awesome! :D

6 archived comments

Comments are closed. These were posted on Disqus, and are archived here.

  1. Rab

    Hi, I read your post and I would like to know if you were able to use the auto pivot function that comes with the w2207h display. Please if you were able to use it, can you tell me how you did it? I have a HP Pavilion notebook with a 945GM and I can't use auto pivot...it won't function...if I rotate the display the image remains still, it doesn't follow the display's rotation. Please help me. Thanks a lot!

    1. Kevin Deldycke Author

      I would like to know if you were able to use the auto pivot function that comes with the w2207h display.

      I didn't know there was such a feature for the w2207h...

      I doubt the orientation information is carried by the VGA cable... Maybe it can be retrieve via USB ports integrated in the monitor... I really have no clue about this feature, and I don't think it can be easely supported in X.org and/or linux kernel... Anyone with informations regarding this topic is welcomed !

      BTW Rab, according your IP address, you come from HP... Maybe you can find someone over there that can help us ? :)

  2. Kevin Deldycke Author

    After using it for 2 months, this monitor is not stable under my Mandriva 2008.0: the screen randomly "jump" every 1 or 2 minutes and then, after a random period, it display a random single color. At this point I have to reboot my machine to reinitialize the screen.

    I don't know, maybe my configuration is bad or my system is not good... FYI, I use:

    • X11R7.2,
    • X.Org server v1.3.0,
    • x11-driver-video-intel v2.2.0 and
    • linux v2.6.22.18.
    1. Kevin Deldycke Author

      the screen randomly “jump” every 1 or 2 minutes and then, after a random period, it display a random single color.

      This is no longer the case: I've updated my Mandriva to the 2008.1 spring edition and everything is working fine !

      FYI, this Mandriva release is powered by:

      • X11R7.2,
      • X.Org server v1.4.0.90,
      • x11-driver-video-intel v2.2.1 and
      • linux v2.6.24.4 .

      And here is the new xorg.conf file:

      Section "Extensions"
  Option "Composite"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
  AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work
EndSection

Section "Module"
  Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
  Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
  Load "extmod"
  Load "type1"
  Load "freetype"
  Load "glx" # 3D layer
  Load "dri" # direct rendering
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Identifier "Keyboard1"
  Driver "kbd"
  Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
  Option "XkbLayout" "fr"
  Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rwin"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Identifier "Mouse1"
  Driver "mouse"
  Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
  Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
  Identifier "SynapticsMouse1"
  Driver "synaptics"
  Option "SHMConfig" "on"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
  Identifier "laptop"
  Option "PreferredMode" "1280×00"
  Option "Below" "external"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
  Identifier "external"
  Option "PreferredMode" "1680×050@60"
  HorizSync 24.0 - 82.0
  VertRefresh 48.0 - 76.0
  Modeline "1680×050@60" 147.14 1680 1784 1968 2256 1050 1051 1054 1087 -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
  Identifier "device1"
  VendorName "Intel Corporation"
  BoardName "Intel 810 and later"
  Driver "intel"
  Option "DPMS"
  Option "monitor-LVDS" "laptop"
  Option "monitor-VGA" "external"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
  Identifier "screen1"
  Device "device1"
  Monitor "external"
  Subsection "Display"
    Virtual 1680 1850
  EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
  Identifier "layout1"
  InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
  InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
  InputDevice "SynapticsMouse1" "SendCoreEvents"
  Screen "screen1"
EndSection
  3. mezszczyzna

    Has someone know how to rotate external screen on intel GMA 945

    1. Decelexivi

      by using gnome -> system -> preferences -> screen resolution, you can set the rotation of the screen