[wplug] Multi-Monitor Support

Michael Semcheski lists at immuneit.com
Sun Aug 6 00:48:29 EDT 2006


Hello,

I've got to run Windows XP for some work apps, and when I do, I have a
Thinkpad with an ATI chip and a Thinkpad Dock (with VGA and DVI output)
that lets me run two monitors via ATI's Hydra method.  Basically, I get
a 2560x1024 screen (which is really two 1280x1024) screens.  I have the
DVI going into monitor 1 and the VGA for monitor 2.

On my desktop (which is what I'm more concerned with for this posting) I
have an ATI Radeon 9200SE that also does the trick in Windows.  The DVI
output is plugged into monitor 2, and the VGA into monitor one.  When I
want to switch from my dock to my desktop, I swap the keyboard and
mouse, and toggle the input source on both monitors.  Low Budget KVM
solution.

I've never been able to get my desktop (or Thinkpad for that matter, but
its less important to me) to use both monitors under Ubuntu.  I had some
upgrade issues with Ubuntu, and I'm ready to ditch Ubuntu for SUSE. 
(Not that I don't think things could have been fixed, but I wasn't all
that crazy about it.)

Now here's the question.  Does anyone know how to get dual monitor
support under Linux?  I know it can be done, but I haven't been able to
do it myself.  I'm not opposed to supplementing my current AGP graphics
card with a PCI one if I have to.  Or switch to a single AGP card that
can do it correctly.  Ideally, if I have to buy any new hardware, I'd
like to have dual DVI outputs (I can see a difference.)  I'd also like
to keep it under $200. 

Any suggestions?

Mike



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