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Thread: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

  1. #1
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    Question [Solved] How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    I have two screens. One that comes built into my laptop, and another larger monitor that I've attached to the laptop.

    On Windows, I set my larger monitor as the main monitor, with the smaller screen as an extension to the desktop. In other words, I can (for example) drag windows between the two screens. This is a huge help to me when I want to compare two windows-full of data, as I often do.

    However, my Ubuntu sees the two screens as identical; both screens show the same thing (but the windows run off the bottom of the smaller screen, because it's smaller).

    How do I ask Ubuntu to do the same thing -- to use one monitor as the main desktop, and the other as an extended desktop?
    Last edited by Paddy Landau; June 23rd, 2008 at 05:30 PM. Reason: Solved

  2. #2
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    Re: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    Maaaan are you in for a lot of fun. Took me 3 days to get mine set up to my satisfaction.

    Here's a good start since it covers so many methods.

    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=221174

  3. #3
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    Re: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    Depends on your graphics card. If you use nVidia, then firstly you should be using the restricted drivers. If you are,

    1) then press Alt+F2 and type in
    Code:
    nvidia-settings
    2)In the window that comes up, type in your password - if required - and then look for TwinView. That's what you need to set. Also mark which one you want to make your primary monitor and which one your secondary.

    3)Make sure you click "Save to X config file" or something along those lines. Then either reboot or simply restart X (Ctrl + Alt + Backspace)


    If you have an ATI card, then I am not sure.
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    Re: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    Quote Originally Posted by Inxsible View Post
    Depends on your graphics card. If you use nVidia, then firstly you should be using the restricted drivers. If you are,

    1) then press Alt+F2 and type in
    Code:
    nvidia-settings
    2)In the window that comes up, type in your password - if required - and then look for TwinView. That's what you need to set. Also mark which one you want to make your primary monitor and which one your secondary.

    3)Make sure you click "Save to X config file" or something along those lines. Then either reboot or simply restart X (Ctrl + Alt + Backspace)


    If you have an ATI card, then I am not sure.
    In order for changes to be saved you need to run nvidia-settings as sudo. If not, it won't save. Setting up with nvidia-settings is rather easy, should take no more than 10 minutes

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    Re: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    Quote Originally Posted by dicecca112 View Post
    In order for changes to be saved you need to run nvidia-settings as sudo. If not, it won't save. Setting up with nvidia-settings is rather easy, should take no more than 10 minutes
    you are right

    But if you type the command in the Run Dialog(as I mentioned) as opposed to the terminal, all administration apps will ask you for you password, correct?

    Correct me if I am wrong.
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    Re: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    Quote Originally Posted by Inxsible View Post
    Depends on your graphics card. If you use nVidia...
    How do I tell what graphics card I use?

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    Re: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    Quote Originally Posted by Paddy Landau View Post
    How do I tell what graphics card I use?
    Open up a terminal and type in
    Code:
    lspci | grep VGA
    Post the result back here.
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    Re: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    nvidia-settings is very handy. anyway to acces that through gui? that would be even nicer.

    twinView works but i do have some weird bugs. Firefox renders some pages very strangely. fonts are to large and things aren't sized right. Not sure why twinview would cause this, but so it is.

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    Re: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    Quote Originally Posted by ameseisch View Post
    nvidia-settings is very handy. anyway to acces that through gui? that would be even nicer.

    twinView works but i do have some weird bugs. Firefox renders some pages very strangely. fonts are to large and things aren't sized right. Not sure why twinview would cause this, but so it is.
    I have noticed in Hardy, that the NVidia Settings is also a menu item under System for Xubuntu.

    It might be there for Ubuntu under System>>Administration as well.

    I can say for sure that until gutsy, it wasn't automatically created.
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  10. #10
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    Re: How to set up dual screens Extended desktop

    i had to instal nvidia-settings on ubuntu 8.04. it prompted me to instal it the first time I entered nvidia-settings in the terminal.

    also noticed that large font-thing happens in the help windows as well, and that gnome pannels don't really like the extended desktop. I acidently deleted my wireless monitor in the top panel when I was trying to get them arranged nicely. creating a lot of extra work for myself.

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