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Old 02-05-2005, 07:00 AM   #1
inertia666
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extended desktop, not session desktop over 2 monitors


Hi,

I'm new to linux and have managed to succesfully set up 2 monitors on my NVIDIA 5900 PCIe card using Fedora core 3.

What I would like to do is have an extended desktop like I do in windows XP where a single desktop is split over two screens.,

Currently I seem to have 2 independant desktop sessions, which is better than nothing but I cannot drag and drop my windows from the left monitor over to the right for example or drag a single application over 2 screens.. For an application to appear in the right monitor I need to open it in the right monitor.

Currently, I run 2 screens of 1024x768 and I guess my aim is to expand this to 2048x768, if that make sense.


Any help is appreciated,

cheers.
 
Old 02-06-2005, 05:03 AM   #2
MasterC
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Check out the:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux_readme_install.html
For all kinds of parameters, but I think the 2 that apply are:
Option "TwinView" "true"
Option "TwinViewOrientation" "RightOf"

Or LeftOf depending on your setup.

Cool
 
Old 02-06-2005, 12:17 PM   #3
bulliver
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I use nVidia's twinview for my dual-head setup, although I run both monitors at 1280x1024. This gives me a 2520x1024 'virtual' desktop that I can drag apps back and forth between...

Here is the relevant part of my xorg.conf:
Code:
Section "Device"
    Identifier  "NVIDIA"
    Driver      "nvidia"
    Option      "AGPFastWrite" "True"
    Option      "RenderAccel" "True"
    VideoRam    262144

    # twin-view
    Option "TwinView"
    Option "MetaModes"    "1280x1024,1280x1024; 1024x768,1024x768"
    Option "HorizSync"    "30-110"
    Option "VertRefresh"  "50-160"

    # Insert Clocks lines here if appropriate
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Screen 1"
    Device      "NVIDIA"
    Monitor     "My Monitor"
    DefaultDepth 24

    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"

# The Identifier line must be present
    Identifier  "Simple Layout"
    Screen "Screen 1"
    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

EndSection
Notice that if you use twinview rather than xinerama, the two displays are handled at the hardware level rather than software, and so the config is placed in the 'Device' section of xorg.conf.

Note also that your apps (WM etc...) still need to be compiled with xinerama support so that they 'know' where the desktop boundaries are. ie: so apps don't start up in between screens, and so when you maximize an app it maximizes in one screen rather than both...

Last edited by bulliver; 02-06-2005 at 12:22 PM.
 
Old 02-06-2005, 02:50 PM   #4
inertia666
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thanks bulliver, thats the kind of thing i am looking for i will give it a shot and post the results.
 
Old 02-06-2005, 04:10 PM   #5
inertia666
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ok i tried setting up that in my conf file and it only displays a single monitor with those settings.

then i copied yours exactly and the same things.

there must be something else missing or something i am doing wrong....but what you doing on your pc is what i want to acheive.
 
Old 02-08-2005, 08:50 AM   #6
MasterC
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Do you have the Nvidia drivers actually installed? This would mean you have an entry in your conf file that says "Driver nvidia" instead of "Driver nv"
And during X startup you see a nice NVIDIA startup logo across your entire screen(s).

Cool
 
Old 02-08-2005, 10:19 AM   #7
inertia666
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yes the nvidia driver is installed i am using the nvidia driver in the config.

Like i said before, i have got 2 screens working just fine but they seem to be independant sessions, which is ok but it's not really any use to me as i want to drag and drop between each monitor as i see fit. currently, the only way to open up in the left monitor is to use the menu in the left monitor to run a program and the same for the right monitor.

what i want to achieve is a single stretched desktop which would be like having 2048x768 resolution.

the config file above only switches on my left monitor.
 
Old 02-11-2005, 09:40 PM   #8
MasterC
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When I first used an nvidia card with 2 outputs, the default for me (after making the minimal changes in the config, such as driver=nvidia) was the desired effect for you It may be that your window managers aren't setup for xinerama, as noted by Bulliver. I'm not sure how you could check this on FC3, but if you were to compile your window managers by hand (again not sure of your level of experience, so this is just a suggestion) you could ensure the xinerama compile option was enabled, and see if that makes the difference.

Good Luck!

Cool
 
Old 02-12-2005, 02:59 AM   #9
inertia666
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ok I guess Xinerama is the problem. i'll try and find how to do that.

i'm completely new with Linux. i've tried kernel compiles and it always go wrongs
 
Old 02-12-2005, 09:22 AM   #10
inertia666
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right i got it working exactly how i want with

Option "Xinerama" "on"

So thats good. Is there anyway to replicate this in twinview?
 
Old 02-12-2005, 12:36 PM   #11
bulliver
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Well, I'm thinking your card must not have twinview. Are you absolutely sure? I think that not all dual-head nVidia cards actually have it.

I just ask because I have the nVidia Geforce 5700 dual-head card, and all I had to change to get it working is add those lines I posted above...

Anyway, if the xinerama method is working for you then why not just leave it?
 
Old 02-12-2005, 12:39 PM   #12
inertia666
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yeah i will leave it at that if nothing else works. I heard twinview was hardware drawn while xinerama was software meaning its slower.

I have the Geforce 5900 PCIe card. it certainly has twinview support in windows and the "twinview" mode gave me dual monitors last time, just 2 seperate desktop sessions.

cheers for all the replies. I have a satisfactory solution but if i can get it working in twinview i woudl prefer that. I noticed i can't change screen res or refresh rate of the monitors in gnome anymore.
 
Old 02-12-2005, 12:45 PM   #13
bulliver
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Quote:
I heard twinview was hardware drawn while xinerama was software meaning its slower.
Me too, which is why I use it. I have never actually tried just Xinerama though, so I cannot compare the speed. I can say that I have noticed _zero_ slowdown of my desktop using twin-view.

Quote:
I have the Geforce 5900 PCIe card. it certainly has twinview support in windows and the "twinview" mode gave me dual monitors last time, just 2 seperate desktop sessions.
This is very strange. Time to see what the Nvidia README has to say about this....

EDIT: I just had a look at ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Li...629/README.txt

and the only lines you _require_ to get twin-view running are:
Code:
    Option "TwinView"
    Option "MetaModes"    "1024x768,1024x768"
    Option "HorizSync"    "30-110"   # change to value of 2nd monitor
    Option "VertRefresh"  "50-160"  #   "          "      "        "         "
In your device section. So if it doesn't work? Bug? Flaky hardware? Who knows.

Last edited by bulliver; 02-12-2005 at 12:54 PM.
 
Old 02-12-2005, 02:24 PM   #14
inertia666
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can you show me your complete config file? thanks.,
 
Old 02-12-2005, 03:16 PM   #15
bulliver
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Sure, this is a copy of my real-live xorg.conf (sans comments):
Code:
Section "Module"
    Load        "dbe"   # Double buffer extension
    SubSection  "extmod"
      Option    "omit xfree86-dga"   # don't initialise the DGA extension
    EndSubSection
    Load        "type1"
    Load        "freetype"
    Load       "glx"
EndSection
Section "Extensions"
    Option "RENDER" "Enable"
EndSection
Section "Files"
    RgbPath     "/usr/lib/X11/rgb"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/misc/"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/TTF/"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/Type1/"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi/"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/local/"
    FontPath   "/usr/share/fonts/TrueType/"
EndSection
Section "ServerFlags"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier  "Keyboard1"
    Driver      "kbd"
    Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
    Option "XkbModel"   "pc101"
    Option "XkbLayout"  "us"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier  "Mouse1"
    Driver      "mouse"
    Option "Protocol"    "IMPS/2"
    Option "Device"      "/dev/psaux"
    Option "Buttons"      "5"
    Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

    Option "Emulate3Buttons"  "false"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
    Identifier  "My Monitor"
    HorizSync   30-110
    VertRefresh 50-160
EndSection
Section "Device"
    Identifier  "Standard VGA"
    VendorName  "Unknown"
    BoardName   "Unknown"
    Driver     "vga"
EndSection
Section "Device"
    Identifier  "NVIDIA"
    Driver      "nvidia"
    Option      "AGPFastWrite" "True"
    Option      "RenderAccel" "True"
    VideoRam    262144
    Option "TwinView"
    Option "MetaModes"    "1280x1024,1280x1024; 1024x768,1024x768"
    Option "HorizSync"    "30-110"
    Option "VertRefresh"  "50-160"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Screen 1"
    Device      "NVIDIA"
    Monitor     "My Monitor"
    DefaultDepth 24
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes       "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
        ViewPort    0 0
    EndSubsection
EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier  "Simple Layout"
    Screen "Screen 1"
    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection
 
  


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