Configure Dual Screen on
Ubuntu 8.10
Nvidia graphics

By Michael Richards

in this tutorial I'll teach you how to enable dual-screen in Ubuntu 8.10 (I'm using the release candidate but should be same when 8.10 is officially released).

First you will want to make sure you are running the right drivers for the video card. To do this click “System > Administration > Hardware Drivers” (as in fig: 1)

you should be faced with a window looking like this (fig:2)

selecting the recommended Nvidia Driver should do the trick. Make sure you activate it and then you will need to restart your computer or X for the changes to take effect. Its your choice. Restarting X is easyer and faster but sometimes X fails to reload and will require you to do a hard reboot.

To restart X save all documents as if you are going to restart the PC and then press: “Crtl + Alt + Backspace”

once you log back in everything should seem as it did before. The second screen may be black instead of a clone of the first but thats normal.

Next you will want to install the “Nvidia X Server Settings” from the package manager.

First you will need to enable all avalible applications in the package manager to do this open it and click the “Show” dropdown at the top of the window. (fig: 3)

once you have selected “All available applications” the package manager will update and you will then be able to search for “nvidia” in the search box.

When the search result show up you will be able to select “NVIDIA X Server Settings” (the one below the one hi-lighted in Fig: 4)

Check the box next to it a and click “Apply Changes”.

Once that is installed, you can then open a terminal Window and type “sudo nvidia-settings” (fig: 5)

a window will launch and it will you will need to chose “X Server Display Configuration” (Fig: 6)

Then Select “Enable Xinerama” and then select the disabled screen and click “Configure...” and you will be faced with a window as follows (Fig: 7)

Select “Separate X screen” and click “OK”.

You will be taken back to the main window and you will then need to click “Save to X Configuration File”.

A window will popup like (Fig: 8 )

Click Save and then close all windows.

If all went well you are ready to restart. Again you can ether do a full reboot or just restart X.

Then when you load back up you should have dual screen.

The End

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some ppl are having problems with menu's and things on one monitor being slow heres the fix:

somewere make a file called 'whatever.sh' and place in it:

#!/bin/bash
# start compiz
DISPLAY=:0.0 compiz --only-current-screen --replace &
disown $!
sleep 3
DISPLAY=:0.1 compiz --only-current-screen --replace &
disown $!

save it and set the permissions so anyone can edit/run it and allow it to run as a program.
then go into 'System > Preferances > Sessions" and create a new one. call it somthing and then link to the file you made.

finnaly restart X by hitting 'Ctrl + Alt + Backspace' BEWARE restarting X is like Restarting the whole system but faster. save all work and bookmark all webpages that you want to go back to.

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Setting up dual screen in Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop

nVidia

By Michael Richards

It took me a wile figure out how to do it but now that i'v done it its awesome. To start with you have to go into 'System > Administration > Hardware Drivers' and enable the 'Proprietary drivers' for the graphics card. You will most likely have to do a restart in order for the settings to take effect.

Once you've done that you'll want to download and install the 'NVIDIA X Server Settings' app. To do this just go to 'Applications > Add/Remove...' then just do a search for 'nvidia' in the list of resualts selec 'NVIDIA X Server Settings' and check the box next to it.

Click 'Apply Changes' and restart if need be. Then we want to configure the screens to do this go to 'System > Administration > Nvidia X Server Settings'. A small box will come up and you will need to select 'X Server Display Configuration'. The small box will get bigger and look somewhat like the windows nvidia control panel. One of your moniters will be disabled (probably the one on DVI) click on it in the window and click 'Configure'. Once you get to this point there will be two options for dual screen.

1. Separate X screen

2. TwinView

'TwinView' is only really any good if you have two or more identical screens because it spans the display over all screens. Were as 'Separate X screen' is better for multiple screens of varying resolutions and sizes. It will basically allow you to have two separate 'Desktops' allowing you to split up your screens into two different 'computers' for lack of a better word.

TwinView

setting up 'TwinView' is a sinch just check the box and apply it

Separate X screen

Setting up 'Separate X screen' can be more difficult to set up first you want to select that instead of the other.

You will then want to set its location. For mine it was fine the way it is by default but you may need to change it. Once you have all your settings the way you like it you will need to 'Save to X Configuration File' if this fails you will have to take the following steps if not skip ahead to 'Restarting X'.

1. Navigate to '/etc/x11/' and select the file 'xorg.conf' copy it and then past it to the same directory calling it something like 'xorg.conf_backup'.

2. You will then need go into terminal ('Applications > Accessories > Terminal') and type following command:

#: sudo gedit /etc/x11/xorg.conf

2. You will probably be promoted for a password, enter it and continue on.

3. A test editor will popup with a hole heap of stuff in it delete the lot and go back to the 'NVIDIA X Server Settings dialog and click 'Save to X Configuration File' then 'Show Preview.
   

1. Copy the lot and then past it into the file you opened step 3. save and close the file

Restarting X

now restarting 'X' is easy, all you have to do is press 'Ctrl + Alt + Backspace'. BE WARNED it is nearly the same as restarting your computer but a lot faster so make sure you save documents and bookmark web pages before doing it.

THE END

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well the new theme is up but its not finished. the top still needs work and its also missing a fair bit of colour.

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i'm working on a new theme for the site. it will be verry blue...

there is a concept image attached (click the title of this article)

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