Multiple Screens

**legacy** · 04-05-2004, 11:08 PM

I'm running KDE on RH9 with a 2.6.4 kernel and NVIDIA's latest graphics drivers. I currently have XFree86 configured to use the TVOut on my card as a seperate X screen than my main monitor. What I'm trying to figure out is, how can I make linux start a program on bootup that is displayed on my secondary screen (the TV)? Is there a way I can assign my TV to log in as a seperate user?

I'm using LIRC to control the mouse on the seperate screen so multiple inputs shouldnt be a problem.

p.s. - sorry if this post makes no sense... i'm exhausted from configuring all day

**mdwatts** · 04-06-2004, 11:22 AM

What command are you using to start a separate X session on the TV?

**saturn-vk** · 04-06-2004, 01:48 PM

I don't think VT supports multiple screens at all. Of course, I might as well be wrong here, since I too have tried to figure out how to put my second display to use in the console

**legacy** · 04-06-2004, 11:37 PM

I modified my XF86Config file to have two seperate "Screen" sections, and in serverlayout I specified "Screen1" rightof "Screen2". (as instructed in NVIDIA's readme file for their drivers)

It works fine, I can move the mouse from screen to screen and each has an independant taskbar/desktop - I just need to know what parameter specifies which monitor a program is loaded onto.

How do I specify which screen a program is loaded onto? Is there a way to move a window to a certain screen after it is run?

**gehidore** · 04-06-2004, 11:43 PM

could you please post your entire xf86conf file here

im sure im not the only one when i say we all would like
to know how you did it, ive been trying for a year now to
that exact thing

**duncanbojangles** · 04-07-2004, 12:23 AM

I'm not quite sure what you are asking, but I think you want to know how to put your program window of whatever onto whichever screen you want. One way would be to start XFree86 manually and specify either screen 0:0 or 0:1. Then, open your WM seperately in each screen. I can do this using blackbox, fluxbox, and KDE (as long as the other WM is not KDE). Then, when you run a program from your WM, it will open in the appropriate screen.
Here's an example script to open KDE in screen 0:0 and Fluxbox in screen 0:1 :
#!/bin/bash
XFree86 -depth 24 :0 &
export DISPLAY="0:0"
startkde &
XFree86 -depth 24 :1 &
fluxbox -display 0:1 &

Works for me, but then again many things don't, so your mileage may vary.

**legacy** · 04-07-2004, 10:16 PM

thanks bojangles, I'm not using two different window managers (yet, it's a good idea) currently KDE is splitting it up fine. Big thanks goes to you for pointing out the "-display" tag, it answered my question

Here's the relevant parts of my XF86Config file:

Code:

Section "Monitor"

	#VertRefresh  50.0 - 70.0
	Identifier   "Monitor0"
	VendorName   "Monitor Vendor"
	HorizSync    31.5 - 105.5
	Option	    "dpms" 
EndSection

Section "Monitor"

	#VertRefresh  50.0 - 70.0
	Identifier   "MonitorTV"
	VendorName   "Monitor Vendor2"
	HorizSync 	31.5 - 105.5
	#VertRefresh 60


	Option	    "dpms" 
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "Videocard0"
	Driver      "nvidia"
	VendorName  "Videocard vendor"
	BoardName   "Unsupported VGA compatible"
	Option	"NoLogo"	"1"
	#Option "TVStandard" "NTSC-M"
	Option "ConnectedMonitor" "CRT"
	#Option "TVOutFormat" "COMPOSITE"
	BusId       "PCI:1:0:0"
	Screen      0
EndSection

Section "Device"
	Identifier  "VideocardTV"
	Driver      "nvidia"
	VendorName  "Daewoo"
	BoardName   "NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200"
	#Option	"NoLogo"	"1"
	Option "TVStandard" "NTSC-M"
	Option "ConnectedMonitor" "TV"
	Option "TVOutFormat" "COMPOSITE"
	BusId       "PCI:1:0:0"
	Screen      1
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "Screen0"
	Device     "Videocard0"
	Monitor    "Monitor0"
	DefaultDepth     24
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth     24
		Modes    "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
	Identifier "ScreenTV"
	Device     "VideocardTV"
	Monitor    "MonitorTV"
	DefaultDepth     24
	SubSection "Display"
		Depth     24
		Modes    "800x600" "640x480"
	EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
	Group        0
	Mode         0666
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
	Identifier     "Default Layout"
		
	Screen         0 "Screen0"
	Screen         1 "ScreenTV" leftOf "Screen0"
	
	InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
	InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
	InputDevice    "DevInputMice" "AlwaysCore"
EndSection

I'm running MythTV on one monitor and am still able to use the other for computing now... thanks guys!

If anyone needs help setting up MythTV, I'm open to quesitons

**gehidore** · 04-07-2004, 10:29 PM

hey thanks ill try that out tonight

**mdwatts** · 04-08-2004, 11:26 AM

Originally posted by legacy
Big thanks goes to you for pointing out the "-display" tag, it answered my question

The X manpage (man X) actually mentions the '-display' option with examples.

Finally, most X programs accept a command line option of -display displayname to temporarily override the
contents of DISPLAY. This is most commonly used to pop windows on another person's screen or as part of
a "remote shell" command to start an xterm pointing back to your display. For example,

% xeyes -display joesws:0 -geometry 1000x1000+0+0
% rsh big xterm -display myws:0 -ls </dev/null &

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