Multiple Monitors

[adonai]

Welll heres the problem, I have a Raedon 9700 Pro which comes with 2 plugs for 2 different monitors. I did it in Windows with that 1 card. I had 2 monitors running from that one card. Now that I have gone to Mandrake 10.1, both monitors are working, only problem is, they are exact clones of each other! I move the mouse, it moves on both. They are exactly the same. Even when I start up, when I log in, it gives me a log in on each monitor.
So, it is sending information, just that I cant have dual screens and drag some applications from one desktop to the next. I just have 1 desktop but on 2 monitors. I hope I made that clear, hehe.


K, so I am looking around and I see this Multiple Monitors tab in the Display - Control Center and I go bezerks! I click on it and it says....

This module is only for configuring systems with a single desktop spread across multiple monitors. You do not appear to have this configuration.

What!?!?!

So after almost beating myself up, I go and pick up this pretty old video card I have lying around and plug this sucker in. its an nVidia GeForce 200. 32mbs p.o.s. pretty much. Well Mandrake recognizes it and all, but I can't do anything wtih it.

So I have 3 monitors connected to my computer, 2 are exact copies of each other and the other is like on idle mode. I think I need some serious help. If you have any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. I am also on AIM under the screen name "sdrugxfreee".

Thanks a bunch.

[drakebasher]

Google: linux multiple monitor looks productive, for example:
http://cambuca.ldhs.cetuc.puc-rio.br/multiuser/ and
http://www.faqs.org/docs/Linux-HOWTO...ama-HOWTO.html

I'd be happy to know how it works out [/url]

[killerdragon]

Its quite simple with an Nvidia card
Here are the key points from my xorg.conf

I didn't want to use xinerama becuz of my nvidia's twinview functionality

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"
Screen "screen1"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
# Option "Xinerama"
EndSection

...

Section "Device"
Identifier "device1"
Driver "nvidia"
VendorName "nVidia Corporation"
BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce XXXX"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Option "ConnectedMonitor" "CRT,CRT" #only needed if you start X without both monitors connnected... If you use DVI cables with your LCD monitor then replace crt with dfp (digital flat panel). The inverse is important: if you use your LCD in analog mode (non-dvi cable) you should refer to the monitor as "CRT". You can also change the order here.
Option "RenderAccel" "True"
Option "HWcursor"
Option "TwinView" "True"
Option "TwinViewOrientation" "RightOf"
Option "DPMS"
Option "SecondMonitorHorizSync" "31.5 - 82.0"
Option "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" "50.0 - 90.0"
EndSection


For non-twinview dual monitors
...

Section "Device"
Identifier "GeForce out 0"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "RenderAccel" "true"
BusID "PCI:1:0:0" #command line "scanpci" to get specific values for your system
Screen 0 # maping separate screens
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "GeForce out 1"
Driver "nvidia"
Option "RenderAccel" "true"
BusID "PCI:2:0:0" #command line "scanpci" to get specific values for your system
Screen 1 # maping separate screens
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Generic"
ModelName "Flat Panel"
Option ....
Option ....
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor1"
VendorName "Generic"
Option "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
Option "DPMS" "true"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 0"
Device "GeForce out 0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 16
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "GeForce out 1"
Monitor "Monitor1"
DefaultDepth 16
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection

You can use multiple monitors without the proprietary drivers, by enabling xinerama, but you lose 3D acceleration by doing it this way. Don't forget to run "eselect opengl set xorg-x11" before starting X for the first time or GLX wont load. Also re-emerge your window manager with the xinerama USE flag.

While there are several disadvantages using this method as compared to TwinView (windows cannot be dragged between X screens, hardware accelerated OpenGL cannot span the two X screens), it does offer several advantages over TwinView:

First which, each display device is a separate X screen, properties that may vary between X screens may vary between displays (eg: depth, root window size, etc).

Hardware that can only be used on one display at a time (eg: video overlays, hardware accelerated RGB overlays), and which consequently cannot be used at all when in TwinView, can be exposed on the first X screen when each display is a separate X screen.


I hope this helps