Separate X session with own mouse/keyboard

andy713 · 04-20-2013, 08:46 AM

I have a laptop with nvidia video that I'm using for testing at work. I'd like to be able to add a second monitor with it's own mouse and keyboard for someone else to sit at. Looking at xorg.conf it seems theoretically possible to have two displays with their own mouse and keyboard, but I could start a second X session if that would make it work too. Anybody had any success with this?

Andy

ButterflyMelissa · 04-20-2013, 10:16 AM

Hmmmnoo, that does'nt work.

What you need is a server. And each workstation with its own OS installed, or a thinclient. Now, a thin client could be what you're looking for.
Suggestion would be to have a redundant (older) PC set up as a server and work from there. Set up accounds for the users, assign private folders and provide symlinks to shared stuff (data, diagrams, pics, stuff)
Sharing one Xorg server among multiple users like what you want...seems not possible and definetly not practical...

Good luck

Thor

chemfire · 04-20-2013, 11:18 AM

Its going to be hard to do with a laptop. Likely to be possible if you get a USB video adapter to drive the second screen.

I played around with this some time ago. I never really go it working well. They system would crash if you looked at it cross eyed. That was with internal PCI vga adapters though. It appears others are having more luck with PCIe and USB hardware.

Here are some links on the subject.
http://www.x.org/wiki/Development/Do...tion/Multiseat

kingbeowulf · 04-20-2013, 03:38 PM

X.org supports multiseat http://www.x.org/wiki/Development/Do...tion/Multiseat

...oops...chemfire beat me to it. Need to read the thread more carefully.

Anyway, If you can run 2 monitors, you can run 2 keyboards/mice, either in the same log in session or as separate user logins. If got some config files floating around somewhere.... Its a bit tricky to set up but it does work well.

ButterflyMelissa · 04-21-2013, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Its a bit tricky to set up but it does work well.

Granted, but the server-based approach should have preference over this one...
Let's think this one tru for a moment. Two separate users on one system - a system that theoretically does allow multi seats - but distances that can not be more than three feet or so...
Personally, I fail to see the practicallity...
Nonetheless, a worhwhile effort...be it a (highly) temporarily one...

andy713 · 04-21-2013, 07:14 PM

Multiseat was the key word for searching, but so far it seems that I need two video cards. Dual head requires Xephyr which I didn't have much success with. It looks like another week of sharing my laptop.

Andy

coralfang · 04-21-2013, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingbeowulf

X.org supports multiseat http://www.x.org/wiki/Development/Do...tion/Multiseat

...oops...chemfire beat me to it. Need to read the thread more carefully.

Anyway, If you can run 2 monitors, you can run 2 keyboards/mice, either in the same log in session or as separate user logins. If got some config files floating around somewhere.... Its a bit tricky to set up but it does work well.

Arch wiki has a nice page about it:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg_multiseat

ButterflyMelissa · 04-22-2013, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Multiseat was the key word for searching, but so far it seems that I need two video cards. Dual head requires Xephyr which I didn't have much success with. It looks like another week of sharing my laptop.

Well, there is an other option: get a second-hander in the picture, set it up, set up a server on yours and your worries are somewhat over. With the setup you mentioned (two video cards and so on) you're pretty much there already as far as the cash goes

And, yes, nobody likes sharing one's laptop

Thor