Adding a second monitor

[Ric Moore]

On 06/22/2012 11:06 AM, Kevin O'Gorman wrote:
> I've got used to using 2 monitors from using my laptop and large
> screen to support my lectures.  It's gotten so that I like it so much
> that I use a regular monitor with it at home, and prefer working on it
> over using my (much more capable) desktop.
>
> This is silly.  I've retired, and don't really need a laptop any more.
>   I should just add one or two extra monitors to my desktop, but I
> tried and it failed miserably.
> 1) the existing board had several connectors, so I tried using two of
> them.  No joy, only one would be recognized.
> 2) I tried a card that had been donated to a charity I work for (with
> permission from the manager).  When I tried just putting it in without
> an attached monitor, X would not even start.  I was in a rush, and did
> not try it with a monitor.  It's quite possible the card is broken
> anyway.
> 3) I realized I'm in slightly over my head.
>
> So, given that I have a large PCI-E slot and a regular PCI-X slot
> empty, I'm wondering...
> 1) Should I expect X to manage 2 cards, and if so what should I do
> besides just plugging them in?
> 2) Could the problem have been missing drivers for the added card, and
> if so how should I go about finding them?
>
> I tried this on 11.04, but plan to go to 12.04 soon.
>
What make of video card do you have?? With nVidia, it's a piece of cake 
as long as you have the nVIdia driver installed using twinview in the 
setup and write out the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.  I have run two 
monitors off of one card long time. Nary a burp in the barrel.

Now, I have two nVidia cards, that are identical, each in a PCI-E slot. 
Again, with the nVidia drivers installed, I had to select "Separate 
X-Screen" to get them both working with one monitor per card. I hope to 
add two more to get a total of 4 monitors. I'll look like a blooming 
stock exchange around here. Killing space aliens will be too KeWl.
:) Ric



-- 
My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say:
"There are two Great Sins in the world...
..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
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