Arch Linux

nephish99

Member

Registered: 2007-09-01

Posts: 85

nvidia, two monitors, both load, opens all programs on first screen

Hey all,

I have an nvidia GE force 9400GT and using two monitors.
In awesome wm, i get two different screens, almost like two computers shareing a keyboard.
However, in gnome, i get almost the same, but not quite. My wallpaper stretches across both screens, and if i open a program in either screen, it will only load in the first screen,
I don't want one large desktop spread over two monitors, would much rather have two seperate screens.

Am using the nvidia-173xx package

appreciate any advice. thanks

Tera

Member

From: Finland

Registered: 2007-01-25

Posts: 81

Re: nvidia, two monitors, both load, opens all programs on first screen

I have two monitors as well. What I am doing is running a separate X server on every screen. This behavior can easily be configured in the nvidia-settings application, on the "X Server Display Configuration" tab. Just press "Configure" and you are prompted for three options. Choose "Separate X screen". Then click OK, "Save to X Configuration File" and restart your X.

What you should note when you restart your X is that your window manger doesn't probably load on the secondary screen without further configuration. I have the following two lines on my .xinitrc file which loads Openbox to both of my screens (which you can use as reference):

DISPLAY=:0.0 exec openbox-session &
DISPLAY=:0.1 exec openbox

nephish99

Member

Registered: 2007-09-01

Posts: 85

Re: nvidia, two monitors, both load, opens all programs on first screen

Tera,
thanks for your post.
I used the example you placed in the .xinitrc file and got a working openbox session on both screens.
Just what i wanted ( will tinker with other wm's later. )
Anyway, thanks again. Got me where i needed to be.

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,355

Re: nvidia, two monitors, both load, opens all programs on first screen

Basically, just setup your xorg.conf without Xinerama and without Twinview. I'm using gnome with dual-head myself.

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nephish99

Member

Registered: 2007-09-01

Posts: 85

Re: nvidia, two monitors, both load, opens all programs on first screen

Thanks, i am not totally done here, and want to try all this with wmii or a couple of others.
will tinker more when i get home, thanks for your posts.

nephish99

Member

Registered: 2007-09-01

Posts: 85

Re: nvidia, two monitors, both load, opens all programs on first screen

ok, i certainly know what i am after here. I want two different x sessions, Tried your above code that works perfectly with openbox, but not with wmii. In wmii, i open any window and they all open on display 0.  if i do DISPLAY=:0.1 firefox from a terminal, it will open in the other display. Is there a work-around on this? I know different wm's don't handle dual head the same. Just can't find anything specific on wmii and how to handle this.

thanks

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,355

Re: nvidia, two monitors, both load, opens all programs on first screen

I have no idea about wmii, but could it be using glibc? This bug has been around for a couple of months for Gnome users, and from the bug (which I've lost currently, but was previously tracking) reports someone patched it a week ago. I've been waiting for that update to make Arch .

Again, I don't know if wmii is similar/different. Some WMs might just not know about separate X.

---

Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.