Ahh, sad but true.
- Published May 28th, 2007 in Tech Comment, GNU/Linux
A while ago I wrote an article focusing on why “Linux is not ready of the laptop”. I’ve wrote it based on daily experience with Linux on the laptop and years of usage and tinkering with configuration files and kernel recompilations and…
A fellow from P* made my point with a recent post on how to get dual head monitors with an ATi card on Linux. Same applies to trying to get an external display or projector to work. It makes you scream.
Contrast this to the Macbook: plug the connector, and the monitor is automatically detected and its color profile loaded. Best resolution to work and in 1~2 secs it’s ready to roll.
Of course on this particular case it’s ATi’s fault. That’s for sure. But does the end user really care? I’m not seeing my father giving a rat’s ass about who’s guilty. He would be pissed if he weren’t able to connect his external monitor and get it to work in a few seconds.
So, the Linux kernel still needs a lot of contribution from external parties to change this status quo. If you’ve have came across a bug make sure your report it to the LKML. If you can submit a patch, even better. Use the same mailing list. It will help improving open source ATi drivers.
Let’s change this!
I came across your post while reading P* and i thought i would share my experience.
My laptop is running Ubuntu 7.04 uses an Geforce 7400 Go and the latest Nvidia Proprietary Driver.
I use an external 19″ wide monitor and i just plug it in, set xinerama, twinview, or single external monitor on the nvidia-settings app and it just works.
I experience some issues when using accelerated desktops but all in all the experience is not that bad.
If i tweak xorg.conf it only gets better.
But i still find the experience under windows more pleasant.
Same applies to trying to get an external display or projector to work. It makes you scream.
No, you’re wrong. In FC6, external display or any projector (I’ve tryied a lot of them on my presentations) works out of the box, just plug and “play”.
My problem is having “xinerama” or individual desktops on each monitor (laptop+desktop).
Pedro,
Your situation is clearly and exception (a good one). I’ve used multitudes of laptops and I’ve found none to work correctly in a plug and Just Works fashion.
vd,
You’re lucky then. I’ve tried with several laptops (Asus S5N, HP nx1050, IBM T60) and I had always to do something, at least restart X. But one thing is true, none of those laptops had a Nvidia card. So, perhaps it works flawlessly with an Nvidia card.
So, perhaps it works flawlessly with an Nvidia card.
Anything is better than ATI :)
BTW, anyone there with Dell’s XPS 1210 ? :)
No problems here either either.
Ubuntu 7.04 on a Toshiba A110-160 laptop w/ an intel graphics card.
Everything on my system worked out of the box on installation, including restricted drivers.
To use an external monitor/projector I just need to plug it, and hit fn+F5 keys.. I would like to configure a different resolution for the 19″ monitor tho, but since I don’t use it I havent really searched for it anyway.
I do have at least 4 colleagues however who would love to have linux (fedora or ubuntu) run flawlessly on their systems but they all have one common problem which keeps holding them back: ATI. You can bet that there is a very strong possibility that they will never buy anything from ATI again.
Marco,
Two of the laptops I owned had indeed an ATi card (the HP nx1050 and IBM T60) but the Asus S5N had an Intel graphics card and it would seldom work without a reboot, restart X or disabling Beryl. But Ubuntu 7.04 had not been released by then so something might have changed…