On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 15:18:09 -0700, Andrew Gaffney muttered: > I just installed a 2nd video card in my box and hooked up a 2nd monitor. > Now, what cool things can I do? :) I was thinking about using the 2nd > monitor to extend my X desktop, but I don't know if that will work. My > primary is a nice 17" that I run at 1024x768. The 2nd one is a wimpy 15" > that can do 1024x768 but looks much better at 800x600. Can you mix and > match resolutions like that?
Yes, but it can get very messy. There are three ways I know of to have X
deal with multiple monitors -- one is to run X on just one of them (and
ignore the others), another is to have it use them as separate "screens"
(which few programs truly support), and a third is to use Xinerama.
Xinerama merges multiple monitors to make them appear like one big one.
The problem is that differing resolutions act strangely -- they'll
create a dead space. For example:
+-------------+ ? ? ? ? ? ?
| |? ? ? ? ? ?
| +-----------+
| 1024x768 | |
| | 800x600 |
| | |
+-------------+-----------+
Note that some "dead space" exists above the smaller monitor. Windows
can exist in this space -- in some cases, your WM will even *place*
windows there -- but it won't appear on any of your monitors. And it'll
probably interact strangely with graphic acceleration.
I'd advise you to just dump the second monitor and run the first at a
higher resolution ;-) I run my 19" at 1600x1200 and use big fonts. Works
For Me.
--
Andrew Farmer
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
pgp00000.pgp
Description: PGP signature
