6 Monitors - Ubuntu 8.04 - Compiz Fusion - XGL NVIDIA Working! (Video Included)

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! 04/19/2009 - NEW VIDEO OF THIS SYSTEM WITH JAUNTY JACKALOPE, KDE 4.2.2, XGL, AND COMPIZ FUSION EFFECTS POSTED:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhMErNsEoZw

I will be starting a new thread soon with complete HowTO and information!

:guitar:

** ORIGINAL POST BELOW **

FIRST OF ALL! Thanks to the community for the support to make this happen! I did a lot of surfing and reading on this project!

video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DWzuIreDGA

original build pics: http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstation/

Quick Notes:
This took some testing and tinkering but it's now working with xserver-xgl installed. If we used 3x twinview setups and disabled xinerama - it would create 3 seperate x sessions - but if we used xinerama in that setup it wouldn't give us compiz effects - I could span glxgears across all 6 monitors without a problem - but compiz wouldnt' work.. Sooo - we had to use xserver-xgl with this setup in order to get it to work with compiz.

More Info:
This was a quick video I made of our latest production workstation - The firefox windows come up quickly even with a mp3 playing with visualization on one screen... Which is nice.. but then you realize its really impressive once you see whats going on in the background..

Running Intel quad core cpu with 3x nvidia 8800GTX's - its a 3way sli motherboard but the cards are all running independently. (Complete specs are listed below). Had to use xserver-xgl to get it working correctly. Each vertical row of monitors (3) is running in a twinview configuration- then I use xinerama to combine those 3 virtual monitors together. Tie it all together with another Fake xinerama patch that forces windows to maximize to each monitor and you have once nice setup..

I'll post more videos and blog a breakdown of the workstation later - we documented the workstation build with photos so it should make for a good write-up.

If anyone is interested - we do custom build and sell these workstations - and they can run windows applications using virtual solutions as well.

Complete Specs of system:
--- XFX MB-N780-ISH9 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i (3way) SLI Intel Motherboard
--- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model HH80562PH0568M
--- ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler
--- 3x (yes thats 3 of these monsters) - XFX PVT80FSHF9 GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
--- Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
--- 8 GIGABYTES OF RAM - OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR800C44GK
--- (Memory above is not what is pictured in the build pics - we received wrong set originally - but replaced shortly after)
--- COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro RS-C50-EMBA-D2 ATX Form Factor 12V V2.3 / SSI standard EPS 12V V2.92 1250W Power Supply
---- ALSO USING 4x 10K RPM 36.6GB RAPTOR DRIVES IN RAID 0+1 CONFIGURATION (Most of our storage is on network server so we just need storage on the workstation for apps).
---- External USB 2.0 LG SLIM DVD WRITER
---- 6x DELL Ultrasharp 2009W 20" LCD Monitors
---- 3x Ergotron DS100 Vertical Stands


Pic's of the build can be found here: http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstation/

UPDATE ( 11/02/2008 ) : Added the following pictures for the 3x Ergotron DS100 Vertical Stands used to mount the monitors in this configuration.
(pardon the dust! I don't have to go back there much!)
http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstati...ergotron_1.jpg
http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstati...ergotron_2.jpg
http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstati...ergotron_3.jpg
http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstati...ergotron_4.jpg

UPDATE ( 11/02/2008 ) : So there is no confusion - these NVIDIA graphics cards are setup in NON-SLI mode. SLI mode at this time only allows you to power a single DVI output. In order to power all 6 monitors using all of the DVI outputs from the cards - the setup is configured in NON-SLI mode - with a single graphics card dedicated to two monitors each.

UPDATE ( 12/11/2008 ) : ADDED IMAGE - Showing windows apps (Adobe CS4 Flash, Fireworks, Word 2003, Excel 2003, IE, Firefox for Windows) w/ Ubuntu Apps (Swiftweasel, etc)

UPDATE ( 04/14/2009 ) : ADDED LINK TO NEW VIDEO OF THIS SYSTEM WITH JAUNTY JACKALOPE 64Bit w/ KDE 4.2.2, XGL, AND COMPIZ FUSION EFFECTS! NEW THREAD WITH COMPLETE HOWTO COMING SOON!

Thanks!

Shane Menshik
D2 GLOBAL INC
http://www.d2global.com

"You see things; and you say Why?? But I dream things that never were; and I say Why not?!" - George Bernard Shaw

good job. that looks, might i say, pretty ******* awesome.

Nice computer, but you could have saved a ton if you just got 3 Geforce 8800GTs, the GTXs are not too good for new builds because they haven't dropped in price barely at all; a 8800GT will almost always match or outperform a 8800GTX.

I went with the 8800GTX over the GT's because at the time of purchase (Back in Feb) - the 8800GTX's and ULTRA's were the only cards to support the 3way SLI mode. As far as I've read - the 8800GT's still don't support the 3way SLI - however the newer 9800GT's that are out now do..

Of course for what I'm using it for right now - it doesn't matter - but I suppose i could always put the tower on casters and wheel it out to the living-room and hook it up to power a single HD LCD TV when i wanted to play a game with all that GPU power :P

- D2G

awesome.

Thats just beautiful! Great work man...

Hi!

Great system.

Is it possible to post a How To for the Setup of this system? I have a similar system (same Motherboard, Ram an 3 8800GTX with 6 19" Samsung 930BF). The only difference are the Harddisks (2 Samsung F1 750 32MB in Raid-0 for the system and 2 Samsung F1 750 32MB in Raid-1 for the data). I also need a seperate Partition for WinXP on the System Raid.

The biggest Problem i have is to set up the 6 Monitors. Mabe you can help me.

Greets, Speedy

I will do up a HOWTO: when I get some free time! I had to manually edit the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to setup the 3 seperate nvidia twinview's (1 for each video card / pair of monitors) - then I actually used a fake xinerama patch and compiled it to replace my xinerama library file - but I think this can be avoided using compiz fusion's built in window management stuff for the most part - I plan on reformatting from scratch and re-installing everything eventually and will create the howto then - I have been installing and testing a lot of things and a clean install after I'm finished and satisfied will be good for this workstation..

In the mean time if you have any specific questions - let me know!

Thanks,

- D2G

Simply awesome... Swordfish anyone :)

@d2globalinc:

Thank you, great. I look forward to read your HowTo soon ;-)

Now i have a litte different system.
ASUS Striker 2 Extreme with 3 ASUS GF8800GTS G92 512MB with raid5 for the system, and raid-1 for data.

Greets, Speedy