I have Linux issues

[Mak213]

Okay so i moved. Many people know of this already. But upon moving i had Windows crash on me and only Linux worked. But with that my 2nd monitor, CRT pluggin into a convter piece and then plugged into the DVI slot on my card, bounces.

Now when i say bounces i mean when you look at the screen it bounces up and down about a inch either way. AT first i thought it was cause of the cable. But after installing both XP and Vista and them not able to reporduce this i knew it was all about Linux.

So last night i spent the better part of a hour formatting my Ubuntu drive and installing Kubuntu 8.04 Remix wiht KDE 4 on there. Just to try it out. Never used KDE.

So install went fine, longer than expected. Installed the 58 updates since i downloaded my CD. Put on the restricted drivers and restart.

Guess what. Same thing. My 2nd monitor still bounces. Brand new install and it still bounces.

So any ideas? Could it be the drivers? Since this is not reproduced at all in Windows and it has happened in both Ubuntu and Jubuntu 8.04 it has to be something with them.

[CalcProgrammer1]

It could definitely be the drivers...I'm almost sure it is. What kind of card are you using (nVidia or ATi or Intel?). Linux drivers aren't always the greatest for video. If you're using nVidia or ATi (Radeon X1k or greater) then make sure you install the restricted drivers. What kind of monitor is your first monitor? You may have to edit the xorg.conf to add refresh rate information and timings. I've never used KDE, but in the GNOME (Ubuntu) 8.04 you can still get the old "Screens and Graphics" utility (hidden from the System->Administration menu but still on your PC) by using a root Nautilus window (sudo nautilus) and going to /usr/share/applications. You should see "Screens and Graphics" which has setup info for two monitors and lets you pick what kind each monitor is.

[Mak213]

Hey Calc. It is a nVidia 8600GT. I have the restricted drivers already installed.

My 1st monitor is a Samsung 930BT LCD monitor. Resolution is 1280x1024 max.

CRT is a Dell 17" flat panel with a max resolution of 1600x1200.

I run in TiwnView at 1280x1024 for both.

I will get back into Kubuntu and get up some screens if you need me to. Like i said. First venture into KDE side of town. I used Ubuntu 8.04 for a while and even that gave me the same issues.

[CalcProgrammer1]

Hmm...that's odd. I'm using an 8600M GS (also uses the new nVidia driver, though it is a mobile chip). I'll try hooking up an external monitor (CRT, 1280x1024) to my laptop and see if anything weird happens. Have you taken this question to the Ubuntu Forums? There are Ubuntu developers there that probably need to hear this, or maybe others have the same issue. If all else fails, go to the bug tracker at Launchpad (the Ubuntu bugtracking/development site) and post a bug report (did that for my ThinkPad screen issue).

[Mak213]

I will most certainly get this posted on teh ubuntu sites tongiht. I didnt even think of that. :S

But the strange think is I jsut installed Kubuntu and it happens on there just as it did on Ubuntu. The even stranger part is that it did not happen before i moved here.

I will have to report this to them and see what they say. Thanks for trying to help though.

[CalcProgrammer1]

Well, Kubuntu and Ubuntu use the same video drivers, same X server, same Linux kernel, same OS core...the only difference is the window management system (Ubuntu uses Gnome, Kubuntu uses KDE, Xubuntu uses xfce, etc...). The monitor output is handled by the X server (the Window Manager runs on top of the X server) and the X server uses the various drivers. Did you update Ubuntu after you moved? Does it do the same thing using Live CD's? Not sure why moving would make a difference...unless it has something to do with a specific refresh rate/resolution combination on your monitor (maybe some part of the system got knocked out during the move, unlikely but possible). If you have another monitor, I'd try using it (that'll tell you if it's the monitor or the VGA output...you could also try hooking your LCD up to the second output using a VGA cable [if it has VGA input] and seeing if the problem occurs.

[Mak213]

Yes i updated Ubuntu after i moved. That is when it started actually. I also just put in the LiveCD and noticed that it was happening then as well. I usually turn off the 2nd montior when i run the LiveCD cause all ti does is give me a dual output of what is on my main monitor.

I am off to report it now in the ubuntu Forums. I will just copy and paste my stuff from here. Dont feel like typing it out again.

[CalcProgrammer1]

Get yourself a copy of the Ubuntu 7.10 or 7.04 Live CD and pop that in. The older Live CD will be similar to your old setup. If it works fine, then the problem is obvious.

[Mak213]

Yeah i still have my Ubuntu 7.10 LiveCD. Will have to try that. Would stink if it was 8.04 though. I have the post up there finally.

[Mak213]

Yeah sorry about the doulbe post. But i think i might have figured it out. Refresh Rate. It is refreshing at about 93HZ when it should be at 60Hz. Now i have tried to setup xorg with 43-60 on the Vert Refresh rate. But i have not restarted to see if it worked. Scared....

Edit

Well restared got Emerald installed adn working. But the screen still bounces. So it wasnt refresh rate. Which sucks cause i can not put anything on that monitor as it doesnt refresh at all. Even if i hit F5 on the desktop, does nothing to that screen.

This is starting to really bug me....

Makes Linux useless to me without my dual monitor.