Question regarding dual headed machines with two keyboards and two mice
Hello! I'm wondering if its possible to set up a dual headed system with two keyboards and two mice? Essentially what I'm after is being able to have two users with two X consoles independently using the same computer. I've found some hints on the 'net that this will work, but it required patches against some old XFree 4.0 code. I've also had a look in the mailing list archives and again have found some hints that it may work... Can anyone provide any hints or tips on how to make this work? I'm pretty sure it can be done, as there is an Internet workstation in the lobby of our building that runs linux and has two monitors, keyboards, and mice on one Linux box. Thanks! Mark Mark Cuss, B. Sc. Real Time Systems Analyst CDL Systems Ltd Suite 230 3553 - 31 Street NW Calgary, AB, Canada Phone: 403 289 1733 ext 226 Fax: 403 282 1238 www.cdlsystems.com ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Question regarding dual headed machines with two keyboards and two mice
--- Mark Cuss [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello! I'm wondering if its possible to set up a dual headed system with two keyboards and two mice? Essentially what I'm after is being able to have two users with two X consoles independently using the same computer. I've found some hints on the 'net that this will work, but it required patches against some old XFree 4.0 code. I've also had a look in the mailing list archives and again have found some hints that it may work... Can anyone provide any hints or tips on how to make this work? I'm pretty sure it can be done, as there is an Internet workstation in the lobby of our building that runs linux and has two monitors, keyboards, and mice on one Linux box. here's one link: http://cambuca.ldhs.cetuc.puc-rio.br/multiuser/ Search for multiuser xfree86 or multiuser X on google for more links. There is no standard support for this in xfree86 yet. still just hacks. Alex Thanks! Mark __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the Signing Bonus Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Question regarding dual headed machines with two keyboards and two mice
Okay - thanks! I did find the link you sent, but was wondering if this was supported in the new 4.4.0 release... Is there support planned in a future release? Mark - Original Message - From: Alex Deucher [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; X Developers List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 11:16 AM Subject: Re: Question regarding dual headed machines with two keyboards and two mice --- Mark Cuss [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello! I'm wondering if its possible to set up a dual headed system with two keyboards and two mice? Essentially what I'm after is being able to have two users with two X consoles independently using the same computer. I've found some hints on the 'net that this will work, but it required patches against some old XFree 4.0 code. I've also had a look in the mailing list archives and again have found some hints that it may work... Can anyone provide any hints or tips on how to make this work? I'm pretty sure it can be done, as there is an Internet workstation in the lobby of our building that runs linux and has two monitors, keyboards, and mice on one Linux box. here's one link: http://cambuca.ldhs.cetuc.puc-rio.br/multiuser/ Search for multiuser xfree86 or multiuser X on google for more links. There is no standard support for this in xfree86 yet. still just hacks. Alex Thanks! Mark __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the Signing Bonus Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Question regarding dual headed machines with two keyboards and two mice
On Fri, 16 Jan 2004, Mark Cuss wrote: Okay - thanks! I did find the link you sent, but was wondering if this was supported in the new 4.4.0 release... Is there support planned in a future release? You can run a single X server with two screens, two mice (mice, not pointers/cursors) and (I think) two keyboards. You could run two X servers each with a screen keyboard and mouse, the problem is that normally there is only a single console, and only one *active* virtual terminal (I'm thinking Linux, but this is true for most if not all supported OSes). Try this; it works but you have to switch VTs with CtlAltFn to see both X servers. As I see it this is an OS issue, not an XFree86 issue - XFree86 turns a text head into a graphics head. If the OS only provides one text console at a time, XFree86 only gives you one graphics head at a time. (OK maybe it would be possible for an Xserver not to use a VT). I understand that 2.5.x kernels can support multiple text consoles, and I understand that in this case two X head can be done. -- Dr. Andrew C. Aitchison Computer Officer, DPMMS, Cambridge [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~werdna ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Question regarding dual headed machines with two keyboards and two mice
Thanks for the info... I understand that this is an OS issue; I have found some links that provide patches to the 2.4.x kernel which allow multiple consoles, but from what I understand this still requires a modified X server as well. I didn't know that the new kernel had built in support for this - If I can avoid a patch against 2.4.x that would be good - thanks! Mark - Original Message - From: Dr Andrew C Aitchison [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mark Cuss [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: X Developers List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 16, 2004 11:53 AM Subject: Re: Question regarding dual headed machines with two keyboards and two mice On Fri, 16 Jan 2004, Mark Cuss wrote: Okay - thanks! I did find the link you sent, but was wondering if this was supported in the new 4.4.0 release... Is there support planned in a future release? You can run a single X server with two screens, two mice (mice, not pointers/cursors) and (I think) two keyboards. You could run two X servers each with a screen keyboard and mouse, the problem is that normally there is only a single console, and only one *active* virtual terminal (I'm thinking Linux, but this is true for most if not all supported OSes). Try this; it works but you have to switch VTs with CtlAltFn to see both X servers. As I see it this is an OS issue, not an XFree86 issue - XFree86 turns a text head into a graphics head. If the OS only provides one text console at a time, XFree86 only gives you one graphics head at a time. (OK maybe it would be possible for an Xserver not to use a VT). I understand that 2.5.x kernels can support multiple text consoles, and I understand that in this case two X head can be done. -- Dr. Andrew C. Aitchison Computer Officer, DPMMS, Cambridge [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~werdna ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
Re: Question regarding dual headed machines with two keyboards and two mice
Hello! As I see it this is an OS issue, not an XFree86 issue - XFree86 turns a text head into a graphics head. If the OS only provides one text console at a time, XFree86 only gives you one graphics head at a time. (OK maybe it would be possible for an Xserver not to use a VT). Last time I tried to run two X servers simultaneously (by writing a simple patch disabling the console switching magic), very mysterious things were happening as each X server was trying to disable I/O ports and memory of the other card :-) I understand that 2.5.x kernels can support multiple text consoles, and I understand that in this case two X head can be done. I think that the right way is to teach the X server how to run without attaching to a text console (assuming you have a card which doesn't need access to VGA registers) and use the Linux input layer for keyboard input. Should work with any 2.4.x or newer kernel. The only problematic place seems to be initialization of the secondary card(s) by calling their BIOS, which is almost guaranteed to require exclusive access to VGA ports, but it can be done once during system boot. Have a nice fortnight -- Martin `MJ' Mares [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mj/ Faculty of Math and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Rep., Earth A mathematician is a machine for converting coffee into theorems. ___ Devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/devel
