[ubuntu-uk] Screen resolution problems on dual-monitor setup

[Colin Law]

On 10 August 2011 12:00, James Morrissey <morrissey.james1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I posted this on the forums yesterday, but haven't had much luck. I
> was wondering if anyone here could help.
>
> I am trying to set up dual monitors in Ubuntu, with the two monitors
> having different resolutions. One monitor is on my laptop and the
> other is an external monitor. I have an ATI Radeon express 200m doing
> the graphics. For the two monitors i would like to have one showing at
> 1280x800 and the other at 1280x1024. At the moment the resolution has
> defaulted to 1024x768.
>
> I have seen a number of threads detailing this problem, but none seem
> to solve my issue. Here is a run down of how far i have gotten on
> different fronts.
>
> [snip]
>
> 4. I think is a GUI method for the solution offered by 3 (above). This
> involves trying to 'configure display settings' in 'monitor
> preferences'. Here i can change the resolution of each monitor quite
> easily. This works and the resolution is perfect. The problem though
> is once i have set the resolution to what i want for both monitors,
> they begin to behave strangely. Most notable is that when i close
> things they don't disappear off the screen (although they appear to
> have closed), the unity dock smears on the screen when it minimizes
> and mouse pointer labels show up and then don't disappear.

This is the method I use to configure my laptop with an external
monitor (different graphics to the OP of course).  The fact that this
appears to be working initially, but with odd effects, suggests to me
that you have successfully configured the system to use both monitors
in the different resolutions and that the problems you are seeing are
due to something else.  I suspect that if you achieve the same results
by hand, so to speak, with one of the other methods, you may still run
into the strange after effects.   Have you tried running the Classic
interface instead of Unity?  Also try switching off special effects.
This may throw light on the cause of the problem.

Not that I am an expert in this area so I may be spouting rubbish.

Colin