11.2 Dual monitor, dual wallpapers?

xenth · December 3, 2009, 5:02pm

Heya

I’m using a dual monitor setup (extended), everything is working as it should be.

The only thing I would like to change is, to have a different wallpaper on each screen, and not span it accross both screens.

How would I go about doing this?

T.i.a.

GofBorg · December 3, 2009, 5:33pm

> I’m using a dual monitor setup (extended), everything is working as it
> should be.
>
> The only thing I would like to change is, to have a different wallpaper
> on each screen, and not span it accross both screens.
>
> How would I go about doing this?

You didn’t mention ATI or nVidia or other…
With nVidia You need to set up Twinview and Xinerama
so that the panels act as separate displays. As 1 screen
you could create a wallpaper that is really two wallpapers
spliced at whatever the ‘middle’ of your screen is.

xenth · December 3, 2009, 5:38pm

Oh sorry, using ati but I haven’t installed the driver yet.

GofBorg · December 3, 2009, 6:11pm

> Oh sorry, using ati but I haven’t installed the driver yet.

I would recommend getting the driver set up properly and configuring
them as two displays. The problem as 1 big one is that gap at the middle and
most dialogs will pop up right on it.

xenth · December 3, 2009, 8:51pm

I’ll do that, see if I can select two wallpapers then

Cheers.

GofBorg · December 3, 2009, 9:40pm

> I’ll do that, see if I can select two wallpapers then

I also don’t see if you are using KDE or GNOME.
If KDE, you need to right click on the monitor you want
to set the wallpaper on. Do it for each one.

xenth · December 4, 2009, 5:17pm

I’m using gnome,

I’ve installed the ati drivers, set my displays up as "Multi-display desktop (with display 1)

It’s still trying to span the background over both screens I can’t select the display in the Appearance preferences unfortunately.

GofBorg · December 4, 2009, 6:36pm

> I’m using gnome,
>
> I’ve installed the ati drivers, set my displays up as "Multi-display
> desktop (with display 1)
>
> It’s still trying to span the background over both screens I can’t
> select the display in the Appearance preferences unfortunately.

Sorry I can’t help you further, I don’t use Gnome or ATI.

xenth · December 6, 2009, 1:20am

Thanks so far though

GofBorg · December 7, 2009, 6:55pm

> Thanks so far though

Try posting your current xorg.conf from
/etc/X11.

Maybe I can spot something.

xenth · December 7, 2009, 11:41pm

Here you go


Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier     "aticonfig Layout"
	Screen      0  "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0" 0 0
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "Module"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
	Option	    "Xinerama" "off"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier   "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
	Option	    "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
	Option	    "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
	Option	    "DPMS" "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier   "0-DFP1"
	Option	    "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
	Option	    "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
	Option	    "DPMS" "true"
	Option	    "PreferredMode" "1680x1050"
	Option	    "TargetRefresh" "60"
	Option	    "Position" "1360 0"
	Option	    "Rotate" "normal"
	Option	    "Disable" "false"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
	Identifier   "0-DFP2"
	Option	    "VendorName" "ATI Proprietary Driver"
	Option	    "ModelName" "Generic Autodetecting Monitor"
	Option	    "DPMS" "true"
	Option	    "PreferredMode" "1360x768"
	Option	    "TargetRefresh" "60"
	Option	    "Position" "0 282"
	Option	    "Rotate" "normal"
	Option	    "Disable" "false"
EndSection

Section "Device"

  #BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
	Identifier  "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
	Driver      "fglrx"
	Option	    "Monitor-DFP1" "0-DFP1"
	Option	    "Monitor-DFP2" "0-DFP2"
	BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "amdcccle-Device[1]-1"
	Driver      "fglrx"
	Option	    "Monitor-DFP1" "0-DFP1"
	BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
	Screen      1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "aticonfig-Screen[0]-0"
	Device     "aticonfig-Device[0]-0"
	Monitor    "aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0"
	DefaultDepth     24
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Virtual   3600 3600
		Depth     24
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "amdcccle-Screen[1]-1"
	Device     "amdcccle-Device[1]-1"
	DefaultDepth     24
	SubSection "Display"
		Viewport   0 0
		Depth     24
	EndSubSection
EndSection

elkhornr · December 8, 2009, 12:40am

I don’t believe with gnome you can just have 2 seperate wallpapers for each monitor. you have to use an image editor like gimp and put 2 images together as one.

GofBorg · December 8, 2009, 12:42am

For starters change “Xinerama” “off” to “on”
Save
and restart the X system.

>
> Here you go
>
>
> Code:
> --------------------
>
> Section “ServerLayout”
> Identifier “aticonfig Layout”
> Screen 0 “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0” 0 0
> EndSection
>
> Section “Files”
> EndSection
>
> Section “Module”
> EndSection
>
> Section “ServerFlags”
> Option “Xinerama” “off”
> EndSection
>
> Section “Monitor”
> Identifier “aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0”
> Option “VendorName” “ATI Proprietary Driver”
> Option “ModelName” “Generic Autodetecting Monitor”
> Option “DPMS” “true”
> EndSection
>
> Section “Monitor”
> Identifier “0-DFP1”
> Option “VendorName” “ATI Proprietary Driver”
> Option “ModelName” “Generic Autodetecting Monitor”
> Option “DPMS” “true”
> Option “PreferredMode” “1680x1050”
> Option “TargetRefresh” “60”
> Option “Position” “1360 0”
> Option “Rotate” “normal”
> Option “Disable” “false”
> EndSection
>
> Section “Monitor”
> Identifier “0-DFP2”
> Option “VendorName” “ATI Proprietary Driver”
> Option “ModelName” “Generic Autodetecting Monitor”
> Option “DPMS” “true”
> Option “PreferredMode” “1360x768”
> Option “TargetRefresh” “60”
> Option “Position” “0 282”
> Option “Rotate” “normal”
> Option “Disable” “false”
> EndSection
>
> Section “Device”
>
> #BusID “PCI:1:0:0”
> Identifier “aticonfig-Device[0]-0”
> Driver “fglrx”
> Option “Monitor-DFP1” “0-DFP1”
> Option “Monitor-DFP2” “0-DFP2”
> BusID “PCI:1:0:0”
> EndSection
>
> Section “Device”
> Identifier “amdcccle-Device[1]-1”
> Driver “fglrx”
> Option “Monitor-DFP1” “0-DFP1”
> BusID “PCI:1:0:0”
> Screen 1
> EndSection
>
> Section “Screen”
> Identifier “aticonfig-Screen[0]-0”
> Device “aticonfig-Device[0]-0”
> Monitor “aticonfig-Monitor[0]-0”
> DefaultDepth 24
> SubSection “Display”
> Viewport 0 0
> Virtual 3600 3600
> Depth 24
> EndSubSection
> EndSection
>
> Section “Screen”
> Identifier “amdcccle-Screen[1]-1”
> Device “amdcccle-Device[1]-1”
> DefaultDepth 24
> SubSection “Display”
> Viewport 0 0
> Depth 24
> EndSubSection
> EndSection
>
> --------------------
>
>

GofBorg · December 8, 2009, 12:51am

> I don’t believe with gnome you can just have 2 seperate wallpapers for
> each monitor. you have to use an image editor like gimp and put 2 images
> together as one.

If this is true then my other posts are irrelevant. I have canceled them.

gminnerup · December 8, 2009, 1:47pm

Sadly, multiple monitor setups remain Linux’ Achilles heel. Yes you can but it usually involves some compromise - no 3D acceleration, no rotation, no moving of windows between the screens, or any combination thereof, and then only with the aid of proprietary blobs. Not the fault of the FOSS community but a problem nonetheless. Doesn’t matter if it’s KDE or Gnome.

xenth · December 8, 2009, 4:06pm

Agh, I’ll try the gimp workaround then

One of the things that bugged me about windows was the way it dealth with multiple monitors

Thanks for the replies!

GofBorg · December 8, 2009, 8:10pm

> Sadly, multiple monitor setups remain Linux’ Achilles heel. Yes you can
> but it usually involves some compromise - no 3D acceleration, no
> rotation, no moving of windows between the screens, or any combination
> thereof, and then only with the aid of proprietary blobs. Not the fault
> of the FOSS community but a problem nonetheless. Doesn’t matter if it’s
> KDE or Gnome.

Actually I can do all of these things on my office setup.
So while it might be a challenge to do, it is not impossible.
The nVidia driver wholly supports dual monitors and KDE leverages
that ability, providing separate wallpapers and desktop settings
per monitor.

gminnerup · December 9, 2009, 1:39pm

GofBorg:

OK, try this: dual monitors, one (only one: rotating both with Twinview is easy) rotated, compositing enabled, as one big screen (ie not two Xwindows). Can’t be done although it should be easy with XRandR, but NVIDIA doesn’t support it.
If you manage to do that I’ll buy you a beer next time I come to Delta Quadrant (wherever that is)

GofBorg · December 9, 2009, 6:19pm

> OK, try this: dual monitors, one (only one: rotating both with Twinview
> is easy) rotated, compositing enabled, as one big screen (ie not two
> Xwindows). Can’t be done although it should be easy with XRandR, but
> NVIDIA doesn’t support it.
> If you manage to do that I’ll buy you a beer next time I come to Delta
> Quadrant (wherever that is)

So you are saying you want independent cubes for each monitor?

I am unable to decipher exactly what you are saying.

gminnerup · December 10, 2009, 2:43am

I want one desktop stretched over both monitors, as in Twinview, but with one of the monitors rotated (portrait orientation), and compositing working.
Good luck!