dual monitor support

[k_graham]

It appears that your graphics driver does not support the necessary extensions to use this tool. Do you want to use your graphics driver vendor's tool instead?

yes

GeForce FX 5700LE

CRT-1 (CRT-1),

Acer X223W (CRT-0)



It shows CRT-1 as 64x480 but its a Optiquest V95 that I would like to run at 1024x768
It properly allows the Acer to display 1680x1050
It won't let me create a backup file as shown by next message so it doesn't actually allow me to have 2 separate displays.

Unable to create new X config backup file '/etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup'.

I could copy and paste information to another file - but am concerned if I mess it up I might loose display completely.

Suggestions?

Thanks, Ken

[DarkChild]

Hello k_graham.


Heres an alternative to what "jrphorbin" posted.

Dual Monitors with NVidia in Ultimate Edition/Ubuntu:

It’s quite a pain to get dual monitors working your first time using Linux, however I hope this guide will make the process relatively quick and painless.

The first step towards dual monitors involves installing the NVidia 3D drivers. Luckily, NVidia has great Linux support and the drivers can easily be downloaded from the Ubuntu repository. Ubuntu Feisty Fawn gives users the option to install these drivers when first installing, but in case you chose not to install these drivers, all it requires is one line of code in the terminal:

sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx

Now that the drivers are installed, let’s make sure that we’re using them. First, let’s check xorg.conf, the main location for display settings in Linux. Type sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf_backup. This ensures that we have a backup copy in case some of the settings we’re about to edit break X and don’t allow you to use a graphical interface! I suggest always doing thins before changing settings in Linux manually to ensure easy recovery later. Now we’re ready to edit our settings, so type sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Under the module section, replace “nv” with “glx”. Under the device heading, make sure that Driver says “nvidia”. Under the screen section, add the following line:

Option “RenderAccel” “true”.

Now save your changes and close gedit. We’re going to reload X to ensure that we’re now using the proper drivers. Reload X by hitting Ctrl+Alt+Backspace. This will require you to log back into Ubuntu, so if you’re not using a browser that saves your session, like Firefox/Swifterfox, make sure you bookmark this guide to follow the remaining instructions. If our install worked, you should see the NVidia logo flash quickly before the Ubuntu log in screen comes up. Actually, if this doesn’t work, you’re not going to be able to load X properly. If that’s the case, you’re going to have to type this into the console to replace the new xorg.conf with the old:

sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf_backup /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Assuming everything went well, we’re quite close to having dual screens working. Let’s go back into xorg.conf using sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Now go back under the heading “Screen”. Let’s add a few lines:

##This turns on NVidia’s TwinView
Option “TwinView”
##Here I’m setting the resolution to the individual monitors.
Option “MetaModes” “1280×1024 1280×1024″

That should be it! Restart X with Ctrl+Alt+Backspace and you should have two screens. If the orientation of the screens is off, try this under the “Screen” heading…

Option “TwinViewOrientation” “LeftOf”

LeftOf can be LeftOf, RightOf, Below, Above, or Clone.

Hope that was helpful!
Thanks to the progress in technology by 220-601 and 70-620 professionals, a dual monitor is not just limited to the laboratory of a 1Y0-259 pro. It was basically a requirement in SY0-101 and 642-812 courses to work on the kinks of the project and finally in 70-236 certifications candidates learn to operate it fully.

[k_graham]

Thanks, while both were helpful they still left me with the problem that the CRT screen was 640x480.

What faked it into working was hooking the flatscreen 1680x1050 monitor to the VGA connector.

Then hooking the CRT to the newer connector with an adapter - at this point it still was only accepting 640x480.

Then rebooted and reversed the connectors and the CRT came online at 1024x768 I am guessing it tried at higher resolution and reduced to highest that it could accept. The flat screen stayed off but then using sudo nvidia-settings I was able to turn it on and it chose 1680x1050 again.

Then I printed out sheet to see what it was showing

Option "metamodes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select +1680+0, DFP: nvidia-autoselect +0+0"

In case that helps.

With the above in mind I might have managed the same thing by just hooking the 1 high resolution monitor to the VGA connector, then the lower resolution CRT - assuming it would then run at 1024x768, then hook up the high resolution monitor and using sudo nvidia-settings select Twinview.

________________

Another item - a reminder that when trying the sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf_backup /etc/X11/xorg.con f
restore Linux is Case sensitive, watch out for the capital X and the 1's are ones not l's.

_______________

Yet another item . if you screw up the above when rebooting theire is a safer mode right under the default mode, if you select that the downarrow to the bottom of the list which is off the screen view their is a mode where it will try and fix the video itself - graphical enough to get you back in the game.

Yes I made all the mistakes to get this to work. I'm not sure why it likes to have CRT's at lower resolution.
I can tell you I am using Filezilla.orgs free cloning linux tonight from a CD and am backing up this system to a portable hard disk.

Thanks,
Ken