<html><div>Hello,</div>
<div>Thanks for your quick response... can't say the same for me!</div>
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<div>This is pertaining to the GUI operation. And it's not just pertaining to some app, it's the whole OS -- with nothing running (no application selected). I get the snow straight out of the gate (so to speak): boot -> snow on both monitors.</div>
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<div>As for the snow -- Not sure from your comment if you knew what I meant by snow. It is essentially the same as tuning an analog TV to a channel where there is no broadcast signal: 'snow'. In the audio domain, tuning a radio to an AM station to a frequency where there is no broadcast signal: just noise. And in the process of illustrating that, I thought it might be appropriate to see if the is the same with both video and audio. I had some audio file playing, then connected the other monitor, waited for the screen to Go-Snow, to see if the audio was affected. Audio was not affected.</div>
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<div>As for an electrical problem: I would have to say NO. It works with every other OS I've used on this machine, including the present instance of Windows XP (x64). It just works!! But I appreciate your thoroughness -- covering the bases.</div>
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<div>Nevertheless when I booted to Mint again, all I got was the command-line log-in, which threw me (not used to that with the latest distros of Linux). It took several minutes before I realized that the login text WAS the login for the OS, not just some error message. So, the GUI is gone now -- I don't know what happened -- I DIDN'T TOUCH ANYTHING -- it just changed (which is confusing because it's code: it's deterministic !!) So I booted to the Live disc, to see what I could see for answering your questions. The following is the output of the command you gave me (using the Live disc. I presume the setting would be close, if not the same, because I get the same result with both monitors with the Live disc):</div>
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<div><span style="font-family: courier new,courier;">mint@mint ~ $ ps -ef|grep X</span><br><span style="font-family: courier new,courier;">root 1806 1801 1 18:56 tty7 00:00:07 /usr/lib/xorg/Xorg :0 -audit 0 -auth /var/lib/mdm/:0.Xauth -nolisten tcp vt7</span><br><span style="font-family: courier new,courier;">mint 2847 2793 0 19:03 pts/0 00:00:00 grep --color=auto X</span><br><span style="font-family: courier new,courier;">mint@mint ~ $ </span></div>
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<div>As for the apps that cause the screen-saver to freeze (lock-out): again, with the Live disc (since the GUI of the installed instance of it is gone), so far I was able to see that Firefox caused it to lock-out. However, when I booted to the Live disc, When I booted the Live disc, I forgot about the two monitors connected, went to get something to drink (while the OS booted from the DVD), came back, and the screen-saver had engaged. I pressed some keys: nothing; moved the mouse: nothing. I figured I needed to reboot so I pressed Ctl-Alt-Del (force of habit with Windows), and somewhere in that process caused the [GUI] screen to return. Perhaps I was using the wrong method to recover from the screen-saver? On the other distros that I have (Ubuntu, Centos, SLAMPP - all that I've used so far, anyway), any action: keyboard or mouse, recovers from the screen-saver. Still not sure yet of the boundaries of it all.</div>
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<div>Any help or insight is greatly appreciated.</div>
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<div>Rich Hall</div>
<div><br>---------- Original Message ----------<br>From: "Dr. Robert Meier" <list1c30fe42@bellsouth.net><br>To: mdlug-newbie@mdlug.org<br>Subject: [mdlug-newbie] dual monitor configuration has snow for particular app<br>Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2017 22:26:29 -0400<br><br>[The following is a relay to this list.<br> The original questioner had difficulty posting,<br> but should now be able to read and reply to this list.]<br><br>Xperts,<br><br> > ..., I have a dual-monitor video card<br> > (specifically one VGA and one DVI output).<br> > The brand is ATI (which is now AMD, model 9600 Pro<br> > using the RV350 chip/chipset), ...<br> > [the] behaviour is pretty much as expected.<br> > But if I plug in the second monitor,<br> > the other monitor lights up and<br> > the screen on BOTH monitors results in white snow<br> > - no actual discernible image.<br> > If I disconnect it fairly soon afterward,<br> > the remaining screen returns to the 'normal' state.<br> > If I don't disconnect it soon,<br> > the machine (actually the video) is hosed,<br> > and I must use the 1/0 button to get back to an active screen<br><br>I've never seen or heard of 'white snow'<br> (?random intensity distribution?)<br> resulting from digital misconfiguration.<br><br>Is it possible that you suffer a ground loop[1]<br> (common hardware problem)?<br>Are both monitors' shields (i.e. nominally screws<br> on the video connector) screwed in? [yes]<br>Are your wall power sockets grounded? [yes]<br>Are you using a polarized outlet adapter[2]? [no]<br><br>Please post your X configuration.<br>Depending on your X implementation (Xorg, XFree86, ???)<br> the config file(s) might be one or more of<br> /etc/Xorg.conf<br> /etc/xorg.conf<br> /etc/X11/xorg.conf<br> /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/*<br> /etc/XFree86Config<br> /etc/X86Config<br> ...<br>If you don't know your X implementation,<br> please post the output of<br> ps -ef | grep X<br>which should include your X implementation<br> and is likely to name your X configuration file(s).<br><br> > Secondly, as for the screen saver:<br> > If I do NOT have an application open and the screen saver kicks in,<br> > the active screen can be recovered (as you would expect).<br> > But if I DO have an application open and the screen saver kicks in,<br> > I must use the 1/0 button to return to using the computer.<br><br>Please post the identity of at least TWO applications<br> that exhibit this behavior.<br>Do you have another laptop, cellphone, or computer? [yes]<br>Can you use ssh to remotely log into the problem computer computer<br> from the second computer?<br>Using the remote login twice to run<br> ps -ef<br> can you post the results with an application open<br> before the screen saver kicks in<br> AND after the screen saver kicks in<br><br> > From my perspective,<br> > the first problem appears to be a VERY poorly written video driver<br> > or interface with the OS.<br> > The hardware is old enough to have decent drivers available,<br> > but not so old as to not have any reasonable drivers available<br> > ANY MORE.<br> > The second problem appears to be<br> > some sort of instability within the OS itself:<br> > (Why would an open app make any difference for the screen saver ?)<br> > It's all very frustrating for me<br> > because I expected more stability and predictability from Linux,<br> > whatever the specific flavor<br> > (e.g. Red Hat/Centos, Ubuntu, Debian/Mint, etc).<br><br>Relaying,<br>--<br>Bob<br><br>[1] See https://en.wikipedia.org/<br> wiki/Ground_loop_%28electricity%29<br> section Ground loops in digital and RF systems<br> for an explanation and<br>[2] Polarized outlet adapter<br> http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp<br> ?productId=1285936<br>_______________________________________________<br>mdlug-newbie mailing list<br>mdlug-newbie@mdlug.org<br>http://mdlug.org/mailman/listinfo/mdlug-newbie</p></html>
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