Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

gen2 · 2008-12-28 08:12:12

I'm using 4 monitors in a 2x2 setup. The top two screens are configured as seperate X screens and the bottom two are configured in twinview.

I've been trying various configs, 4 screens in xinerama, all seperate x screens and everything in between. Problem is performance vs. usability. When putting all 4 screens in xinerama I get crap performance, for example, in Evolution you can actually see the window updates as I scroll through the email list.

However, when I have all 4 screens as seperate X screens, then I loose the capability of dragging windows between screens.

At the moment, I have a small performance issue with video and multimedia as it appears that the screen updates aren't sync'ed to the LCD's refresh rate. So I get screen tearing. This might be just a xorg config issue though.

Does anyone have any remotely similar? If so, what soft of graphics card, xorg config and WM are you using?

Here is my current config:

Hardware:
- Dual DualCore Opteron
- 6gig of ram
- Linux skynet 2.6.27-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sun Oct 26 10:08:01 UTC 2008 x86_64 Dual Core AMD Opteron(tm) Processor 280 AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux
- All package versions are up-to-date

Picture of setup: http://img368.imageshack.us/my.php?imag … 801er3.jpg

Xorg Config: http://htmlup.pawerty.com/index.php?pag … FMT6H.conf

WM:

I currently use Openbox spawned on each X screen through openbox-session script.

#!/bin/sh
if test -n "$1"; then
    echo "Syntax: openbox-session"
    echo
    echo "See the openbox-session(1) manpage for help."
  exit
fi

AUTOSTART="$HOME/.config/openbox/autostart.sh"
GLOBALAUTOSTART="/etc/xdg/openbox/autostart.sh"

if test -e $AUTOSTART; then
    . $AUTOSTART
else
    if test -e $GLOBALAUTOSTART; then
        . $GLOBALAUTOSTART
    fi
fi

DISPLAY=:0.1
exec /usr/bin/openbox "$@" &
DISPLAY=:0.2
exec /usr/bin/openbox "$@" &
DISPLAY=:0.0
/usr/bin/lxpanel &
/usr/bin/gnome-settings-daemon &
exec /usr/bin/openbox --debug-xinerama "$@" &

#Hidden Session to stop the script for quiting
exec /usr/local/bin/kill_session.sh

I use the debug-xinerama switch for openbox because when I have multiple X screens the twinview/xinerama information is lost on the X server.

Hence, I need to emulate the xinerama info which works for the most part.

Is there a WM out there thats built for multiple screens like I have???

EnvoyRising · 2008-12-28 09:00:36

Give xmonad a go.

ArchArael · 2008-12-28 15:23:20

Wow ...four monitors are just great for developing. I use just two LVDS+VGA and I also use openbox but maybe the xmonad hint is the best one, at least for four monitors.

Nice setup dude. It could be great if I could use three monitors on my laptop...because I have an hdmi and a vga port on my laptop. But it doesn't seem possible on the intel x3100.

Last edited by ArchArael (2008-12-28 15:29:35)

Procyon · 2008-12-28 16:02:31

I ran into this problem of being unable to move a window between monitors. I don't use twinview or xinerama and couldn't figure it out.

The only solution I know is for console applications: launch screen on your main monitor/terminal, and 'screen -x' on any other. Only problem is the $DISPLAY variable will not match the monitor it's on so X apps are launched in the main screen (I actually like this, and it's easy to fix with export DISPLAY=...).

Cyrusm · 2008-12-29 01:46:57

I've never seen a setup with four monitors before, but I have my dual monitors set up without using twinview or xinerama. I have mine set up statically in my xorg.conf, but but can also set this up dynamically using Xrandr. (actually I read somewhere that xinerama has been deprecated in favor of this method)

here's a link.
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Xorg_RandR_1.2

give me a little bit and I can post my xorg.conf, it should be a good example

timetrap · 2008-12-29 01:50:59

I would second using xrandr. And I would also add use arandr to help you configure everything.

(I use xmonad on two monitors at work and love it).

anrxc · 2008-12-29 02:15:39

xrandr supported drivers: intel, ati (OpenSource driver), radeonhd (OpenSource driver), nv (nvidia 2D driver) and nouveau (OpenSource nvidia driver).

Anyway, speaking of "screen", this might come in handy http://partiwm.org/wiki/xpra

... basically it's screen for remote X apps

Last edited by anrxc (2008-12-29 02:16:46)

gen2 · 2008-12-30 14:07:03

Thanks for the replies, I'll look into xmonad.

As for xrandr, the binary nvidia driver doesn't support it and the nv driver is just too slow and the nourveau driver is still a bit buggy. Also, xrandr hasn't yet developed support for dual cards like in my case where to get 4 screens I run it over 2 graphics cards (2 each)

Ranguvar · 2008-12-31 04:04:30

Almost all the tiling WMs have great multi-monitor support - dwm has a fork (branch? patch?) in the AUR with multi-monitor support (don't know how well it works), AwesomeWM has support, and I believe Stumpwm and Ratpoision do as well...

dmz · 2008-12-31 04:18:08

Ranguvar wrote:

Almost all the tiling WMs have great multi-monitor support - dwm has a fork (branch? patch?) in the AUR with multi-monitor support (don't know how well it works), AwesomeWM has support, and I believe Stumpwm and Ratpoision do as well...

Yeah, ratpoison ROCKS with 2 monitors, best thing I've experienced in my life. Give it a go!

gen2 · 2009-01-03 11:48:34

Well, i've worked out how to get 4 screen xinerama without the performance loss.

Essentially I have twinviewed each pair of screens horizontally. Then set xinerama. This essentially created an environment where objects would maximize to the entire twinview screen. To correct this, I used the fakexinerama patch and provided a config that would emulate the 4 screens. Hence, I now have a 4 screen xinerama setup in which each pair of screens have a single frame buffer unlike having multiple xorg screens in xinerama.

There is a fix to get composite working with xinerama which is to install XGL and use that. I might try that later on.

Last edited by gen2 (2009-01-03 11:49:03)

dmz · 2009-01-03 14:58:20

gen2 wrote:

Well, i've worked out how to get 4 screen xinerama without the performance loss.
Essentially I have twinviewed each pair of screens horizontally. Then set xinerama. This essentially created an environment where objects would maximize to the entire twinview screen. To correct this, I used the fakexinerama patch and provided a config that would emulate the 4 screens. Hence, I now have a 4 screen xinerama setup in which each pair of screens have a single frame buffer unlike having multiple xorg screens in xinerama.
There is a fix to get composite working with xinerama which is to install XGL and use that. I might try that later on.

Can we please get a screenshot? I'm also trying to get 4 monitors to work

TheDuck · 2009-01-03 15:49:30

gen2 wrote:

Well, i've worked out how to get 4 screen xinerama without the performance loss.
Essentially I have twinviewed each pair of screens horizontally. Then set xinerama. This essentially created an environment where objects would maximize to the entire twinview screen. To correct this, I used the fakexinerama patch and provided a config that would emulate the 4 screens. Hence, I now have a 4 screen xinerama setup in which each pair of screens have a single frame buffer unlike having multiple xorg screens in xinerama.
There is a fix to get composite working with xinerama which is to install XGL and use that. I might try that later on.

Oh good! You got it figured out! I was gonna help, but didn't come across this topic until just today. I set mine up a couple years ago using exactly the same configuation.

But, are you having any oddities like your mouse buttons quit working all of a sudden? My mouse buttons iwll just stop working for no good reason. It seems to happen when I launch or mainpulate windows of GTK apps like Firefox, Thunderbird, or Pidgin and at random intervals. Keyboard still works though, I can quit the GUI and restart it, and everything is fine. This problem began immediately after the last Xorg-server upgrade.

dmz wrote:

Can we please get a screenshot? I'm also trying to get 4 monitors to work

Here's mine:

I flipped the top 2 monitors upsidedown to make them fit closer together making the buttons on the bottom easier accessable on he top. I then inverted the top two monitors in xorg.conf.

Its still slowish because of using Xinerama to stitch together the Twinview screens, but MUCH faster than running each screen as an independent Xinerama.

RANDR 1.2 doesn't support multiple screens across GPUs... we are waiting for 1.3 to have that feature. Until then, we have to use Xinerama.... blah.

Specs:
- AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6400+
- A pair of nVidia Corporation GeForce 8600 GTS PCI-E cards
- 8GB RAM
- Linux pc1.bestcp.com 2.6.27-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Mon Dec 8 23:24:22 CET 2008 x86_64 AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 6400+ AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux
- 4 x 22" Acer AL2223W monitors all running at 1680x1050 for a combined desktop resultion of 3360x2100
- I haven't run a system update since just before Christmas

Last edited by TheDuck (2009-01-03 15:50:16)

Arch Linux

#1 2008-12-28 08:12:12

Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#2 2008-12-28 09:00:36

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#3 2008-12-28 15:23:20

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#4 2008-12-28 16:02:31

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#5 2008-12-29 01:46:57

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#6 2008-12-29 01:50:59

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#7 2008-12-29 02:15:39

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#8 2008-12-30 14:07:03

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#9 2008-12-31 04:04:30

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#10 2008-12-31 04:18:08

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#11 2009-01-03 11:48:34

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#12 2009-01-03 14:58:20

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

#13 2009-01-03 15:49:30

Re: Best multiple monitor WM and xorg config

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