Wohooo.... First Question... Dual Monitors in Linux

HellSpam · Jan 31, 2005, 05:50 PM

Yay, new forum, exactly when I try and install linux this week

Ok, so my question is this. I just installed SimplyMepis 3.3 (based on debian), and I can't get both my monitors to work. The best I can get is that they both clone each other... each time I try to run fglrconfig and tell it to use Dual Head mode, they just won't turn on. Basicly, I want my monitors to work like they do in windows - each one on a different resolution, and that I can drag windows from one to the other. Is that even possible

? I'll try posting my XF86Config-4 file later. Can anyone help?

redsolar · Feb 1, 2005, 12:07 AM

Certainly post your config file. Also, have you tried making it work in the Big Desktop mode first? There are a few issues with running dual head, mainly due to having to run X on two screens. In my experience, cloning is by far the easiest dual setup so far, and to be honest, I have had little success with dual head.

Just in case you have not seen this yet, here is a description of how dual monitor setup works in Linux with ATI drivers. Due to two X instances, dragging from one screen to another is not possible as it is in Windows, and there are more limitations to it.

HellSpam · Feb 1, 2005, 03:52 AM

Hm... big desktop does work. But the problem with it is that I can't set two different res's. I have a 19inch set on 1600x1200, and an old 17 inch that can go only up to 1152X864 (actually, it can go to 1600x1200, but at a horrible refresh rate). So in big desktop, they both have to be the same height, and the max I can do with the old monitor at a good refresh rate is 1152x864. This is pretty much the only thing keeping me from moving to linux on a regular basis... I use the second monitor for all sorts of stuff; monitoring downloads, IM screens, etc. I'll see if I can make something work ok with Big Desktop. Thanks for the help!