HL2.exe Games With Dual Monitors

[perkkio]

Whenever I launch any Source Engine games with hl2.exe executable, the games open in 3840x1080. Any launch options or config file changes are ignored and the game uses 3840x1080 regardless. The game is then autoscaled to fit on my primary display.

The only thing I've found that helps is using "-window" in the launch options. This coupled with "-w 1920 -h 1080" launches the game on my secondary display in a 1920x1080. However, the game is highly unstable in the window and the window refuses to be dragged back onto my primary display.

Here are my specs, and let me know if I'm missing anything (and possibly how to get the info) as I'm still relatively new to Ubuntu:

Ubuntu 9.10 amd64
Wine 1.1.27
PlayOnLinux 3.6
Athlon X2 5400+ Black (OC to 3.15ghz from 2.8ghz stock)
EVGA GeForce 9800GTX 1GB
4gb G.Skill DDR2 800 (OC to 840mhz)
Creative X-Fi X-Gamer

[Toffeeapple]

I have 2x 1440x900 monitors and I get round this problem by making wine Emulate a virtual desktop (found under the winecfg graphics tab) of 1440x900.

Also using Openbox as my WM and have set up alt+F1 to close active window which makes it easy and problem free to minimise the wine desktop should I wish.

Also this line in my /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Option "metamodes" "DFP-0: 1440x900_60 +0+0, DFP-1: 1440x900_60 +1440+0; DFP-0: 1440x900_60 +0+0, DFP-1: NULL"

Stops that annoying thing where games try to span both monitors as in it generally lets me select a screen res of 1440x900 in games.

[perkkio]

It looks like that worked. The virtual desktop is a little annoying for the other features of steam, but I can handle it. My keyboard isn't behaving in the virtual desktop, but I have a starting point now. Thanks!

[Toffeeapple]

I have had it running the other way and so having the task bar icon working in my system try thing and being able to have my friends window open and visible but this involves setting all the games to run in windowed mode and some of them just wont behave.

I've found that running Steam in it's own prefix and having that run in a virtual desktop 1440x900 is the best all round solution for my Steam set up and the games I have running in it, a list of which can be seen here (http://my.opera.com/louitrilobite/blog/the-other-wine-i-love-so-much-as-in-wine-is-not-and-emulator-that-wine) at the bottom of the post.