Arch Linux

b9anders

Member

Registered: 2007-11-07

Posts: 691

will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

I will be doing a lecture next week, and thought to use my laptop to project some presentation slides on a projector screen I know will be there.

As I don't want to troubleshoot it in class, I thought I'd ask ahead of time what I am gonna need. I use xfce, with an intel GMA965 card, with xorg hotplugging enabled.

I would presume with hotplugging enabled, it is as simple as xfce simply recognising a new monitor when plugged in, but I haven't really been able to tell.

Is there some software that would be good to have beforehand? Some xorg configuration I am gonna need?

ataraxia

Member

From: Pittsburgh

Registered: 2007-05-06

Posts: 1,553

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

"xorg hotplugging" normally only refers to mouse and keyboard hotplugging. If you plug in an extra display, you'll (most likely) need to do something with "xrandr" to make it do what you want. xrandr comes with xorg, so you probably already have it, but I suggest you read its man page and maybe hunt up some examples of plugging in a projector.

Ramses de Norre

Member

From: Leuven - Belgium

Registered: 2007-03-27

Posts: 1,289

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

From the top of my head:

xrandr --output VGA --same-as LVDS --auto

The resolutions can do quirky, you might want to test with a screen (just a crt or lcd). LVDS and VGA are the names of my laptop lcd and vga outputs, run xrandr without options to see the names of your outputs.

Last edited by Ramses de Norre (2009-06-09 21:30:31)

JK3mp

Member

Registered: 2009-03-25

Posts: 105

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

My laptop works fine with my dell monitor just with the defaults i installed in beggining(following installl guide in wiki). Test yours on LCD and maybe you be as lucky. (sorry not much help really)

Denacke

Member

Registered: 2008-04-09

Posts: 106

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

I use arandr from aur for this. Provides me a nice graphical interface to xrandr. Ideal if you have less time to figure out the right commands to change resolution and such.

zenlord

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2006-05-24

Posts: 1,223

Website

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

I have done this in the past to attach a beamer and watch a movie. It was as easy as attaching the beamer and logging out (=restarting X). Can't beat that for simplicity

b9anders

Member

Registered: 2007-11-07

Posts: 691

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

I use arandr from aur for this. Provides me a nice graphical interface to xrandr. Ideal if you have less time to figure out the right commands to change resolution and such.

Cheers. Nice fallback option.

Will be testing it tomorrow. Fingers crossed or I will look like a right git in front of the students with my sazzy linux desktop *not* appearing on the screen....

Denacke

Member

Registered: 2008-04-09

Posts: 106

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

Just make sure to change resolution to 1024x786 or perhaps even 800x640 as most projectors will only support that

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,358

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

Really? The projectors I use for teaching mostly support 1280x1024 here. And this is a third-world country... I've only come across one old-ish projector left-over from the old campus which was limited to 1024x786.

---

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.

Shapeshifter

Member

Registered: 2008-03-11

Posts: 231

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

Also make sure that you have a high enough "Virtual" in you xorg.conf, or xrandr might complain about a max size. E.g.:

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "Screen0"
    Device     "Card0"
    Monitor    "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth 24
    SubSection "Display"
        Depth     24
        Modes "1440x900"
        Virtual 1440 1924         # <---- Set this to total needed screen size!
    EndSubSection
EndSection

Last edited by Shapeshifter (2009-06-12 18:04:17)

vajorie

Member

Registered: 2009-03-12

Posts: 66

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

I will be doing a lecture next week, and thought to use my laptop to project some presentation slides on a projector screen I know will be there.

I'm now in a similar situation (but I don't have any screens to do any tests)... What did you end up doing?
thanks

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,358

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

Good job bumping a 5 months old thread in hopes the OP still checks it and/or gets it in his mailbox.

---

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.

Dr.U

Member

From: Ettlingen, Germany

Registered: 2005-03-03

Posts: 68

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

I will be doing a lecture next week, and thought to use my laptop to project some presentation slides on a projector screen I know will be there.

I'm now in a similar situation (but I don't have any screens to do any tests)... What did you end up doing?
thanks

Hi,
if you have not seen this thread:
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php? … 07#p623307
then you might want to read it and see if the tips are of any value for your case.

Regards,
-- Dr.U

vajorie

Member

Registered: 2009-03-12

Posts: 66

Re: will need dual monitor support for lecture this week

Good job bumping a 5 months old thread in hopes the OP still checks it and/or gets it in his mailbox.

lol, if I opened a new thread, you'd go "search the forums, why don't you?"

if you have not seen this thread:
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php? … 07#p623307
then you might want to read it and see if the tips are of any value for your case.

Thanks. I saw it when I was searching around, but this one was very similar to my situation (intel + hotplugging enabled + not willing to troubleshoot when connected to projector).