Best distro or desktop for multi-monitor setup

[kvvv]

Update: Decided that unity and kde are the best desktops for multimonitor. :) Going to use unity coz I prefer gnome.

Hey,

I am stuck on ubuntu 11.04 gnome classic, because the options for multimonitor setups are pretty limited or bad in the later editions.

With 11.04 heading towards EOL, can you suggest good desktop environments or even just configs for multimonitor setups?

I have tried gnome shell, ubuntu and even elementary, and they are all buggy or just weird to use in one way or another.

Edit: I have tried using i3-wm ;), but I would like something less hardcore for regular usage.

[mips]

Something with KDE or XFCE etc maybe?

What GPU are you using?

[kvvv]

I am just using the integrated thing that comes with Intel.

Are XFCE and KDE really the best for multiple monitors?

[Primefalcon]

I heard Mint is very good for multi monitor thing (at least that's what Larry on the Going Linux Podcast says).

If I rememebr rgt he said it was a reason for switching, and the thing is, it's based on Ubuntu so.. all the great Software Ubuntu has, Mint has.....

Personally I have not had an issue with Ububtu, and would proally say try XFCE or KDE since the main thing mint does is do their own desktop thing....

[TheSqueak]

I have KDE running 3 monitors at the moment, and it works brilliantly, so chalk me up as a vote for that :)

[kvvv]

I heard Mint is very good for multi monitor thing (at least that's what Larry on the Going Linux Podcast says).

If I rememebr rgt he said it was a reason for switching, and the thing is, it's based on Ubuntu so.. all the great Software Ubuntu has, Mint has.....

Personally I have not had an issue with Ububtu, and would proally say try XFCE or KDE since the main thing mint does is do their own desktop thing....

Thanks I think I will try out mint then, or rather their shell
.

I have KDE running 3 monitors at the moment, and it works brilliantly, so chalk me up as a vote for that :)
KDE is powerful, but just not my cup of cake. Will try that as a last resort.

[viperdvman]

I too use KDE for my multi-monitor environment. Although I don't know about Xfce's or Cinnamon's abilities to handle multiple monitors, I do know that KDE has a major advantage in allowing you to use different desktops for different monitors.

Unity handles multiple monitors very well too. On top of that, with 12.04, you can choose which monitors have the Unity Launcher.

GNOME Shell does multiple monitors as well, though I haven't played with it as much to know how easily you're able to assign which monitor is your primary (probably the same as Unity's and KDE's)

The problem with Unity and KDE is that you're limited to having the same wallpaper on both monitors, although I believe some GPUs will allow you to use one wallpaper to span across all your displays.

So if KDE isn't your cup of tea, do know that Unity and GNOME Shell both handle multiple monitors pretty decently. You just can't have different wallpapers on different monitors like you can in KDE.

[TheSqueak]

The problem with Unity and KDE is that you're limited to having the same wallpaper on both monitors, although I believe some GPUs will allow you to use one wallpaper to span across all your displays.

Err, that's not been my experience with KDE at all. I found one large (5740x1080) image, and had to split it into 3 images and assign each one separately to the relevant monitor. The desktop settings/wallpaper window is different for each screen.

[spynappels]

I use Unity, on 11.10, and have a monitor attached to my laptop dock at work. When I drop the laptop onto the dock, my desktop immediately uses both the built in screen and the external monitor and extends across the two. When I eject my laptop from it's dock, it all shrinks back on to the laptop screen.

Works flawlessly, the only thing is that I had to use the VGA connector on the dock, for some reason the DVI port wouldn't work.

[kvvv]

It's less about rendering bugs (although there are a few), but more about some weirdness. Enumerating some

1. On gnome shell, the dock appears on the big screen, but the desktop switching is on my laptop screen, and i am not able to maximize apps on the screen.
2. elementary, the app launcher protrudes to the external display.
3. unity: accessing the unity panel on the external monitor and dragging windows from one to another was a bit weird, but all in all was the best of the three.

[kvvv]

Going to be using unity. It works really well when you setup the laptop below the monitor, and works fairly well when they are placed side by side.

Kudos to ubuntu for really polishing it.

[Lightstar]

Flawless experience for me on Unity, Ubuntu 12.04.

Ah... to think I once disliked Unity... things change.
It's all good now <3