dual monitor setup

**ryadav** · January 6th, 2010

I am on kubuntu 9.10 x86_64

I just got my new video card: nvidia 9500 GT to setup dual monitors.

the video card has 2 dvi output to support dual monitors
monitor 1 is connect to dvi
monitor 2 is connect to dvi using a vga adaptor

i can't seem to get dual monitor to work?

from system settings -> monitor, i see 2 vid outputs one is DVI0, the other is VGA2. what's odd is i can set up different screen resolution for each monitor, but I only see one desktop, both monitors show the same desktop.

how do i get each monitor to show it's own desktop?

**fatbotgw** · January 6th, 2010

Make sure you don't have the "mirror desktop" option checked...

**ryadav** · January 6th, 2010

where is the mirror desktop option? when i go to the multi-monitor panel in systems settings, it says

"This module is only for configuring systems with a single desktop spread across multiple monitors. You do not appear to have this configuration."

i can disable/enable one monitor, so kde is aware of the different monitor connected.

**HappyFeet** · January 6th, 2010

You need to do: (I'm assuming you have the nvidia drivers installed)

Code:

sudo nvidia-settings

Make the necessary changes, apply, and save. It may throw up an error such as "failed to parse...." If it does, do the following.

Code:

sudo rm /etc/X11/xorg.conf

then restart nvidia-settings with:

Code:

sudo nvidia-settings

then make all the changes you need, apply, then save configuration, and it will see you don't have a xorg.conf file. A new window will open. Hit the button labeled show output, and copy the file. Leave nvidia-settings open, and open a new terminal. Do:

Code:

sudo touch /etc/X11/xorg.conf && sudo kate /etc/X11/xorg.conf

then paste what you copied from nvidia-settings. Save and reboot.

**ryadav** · January 9th, 2010

I had to download the nvidia driver and build it to get dual monitor support.

to setup dual monitor with 2 separate desktop I have to enable Xinerama through the nvidia settings, otherwise the 2nd desktop was a black screen and I could not getting anything on there.

i booted up in recovered mode, because kde was hanging with the old driver? it was working fine but then on the next boot up i would freeze at the login screen

I would suggest other with a nvidia vid card to make sure they download the nvidia driver they need before they logout after install kubuntu 9.10

this way you can build they driver, otherwise you're going to have do a reinstall because KDE will freeze on you