[mythtv-users] Dual-monitor display for MythTV/PVR-350/Nvidia

[Dudley Atkinson]

> >Does anyone else have a PVR-350 AND an Nvidia nforce2?  I've got it and
> >would like to run a dual-monitor display, but have run into difficulty
> >getting one to be RightOf the other.
> >
> >Basically, I can get X into one or the other, but not both
> displays working
> >together.  The reason I think is because the nvidia card registers its
> >framebuffer as /dev/fb0, which is the same as the pvr-350 ivtv_fb driver
> >(/dev/fb0).  Is this important to the problem, or not?
> >
> >
> Not really
> They both take the next free /dev/fb<x> device
> One problem is that some systems have different major minor numbers for
> framebuffers but if things are working as in the next section then I
> doubt that's it.
>
> >When I set the two displays up as separate in the Xservers file
> on different
> >consoles, then all is good, but it is inconvenient to do the
> ctrl-alt-f8/f7
> >commands to toggle between them - since the inactive one seems to have a
> >dark screen.  If anyone knows how to have the "inactive" nvidia
> display show
> >the screen when it isn't consoled, I'm interested....
> >
> >
> So it looks like the independent fbs are working?
> They can't both be /dev/fb0 check your dmesgs - if the nv device starts
> first it'll get /dev/fb0 and the PVR'll get /dev/fb1.
>
>

That's the thing, the independent /dev/fbx;s arent initiating correctly.
When ivtv_fb loads in the startup process, it grabs /dev/fb0.  Then when I
start the nvidia driver with modprobe no /dev/fbx is made. Then when X fires
up the nvidia driver to run the display, it tries to make itself /dev/fb0
and the stack of cards falls down.

Somehow the nvidia driver isn't aware of the pre-existing /dev/fb0, and I
don't know how to tell it about it.  Or how to force the ivtv_fb to pick
another number.  Maybe the answer lies in the aliases file, but I don't
know.