Multiple Monitors w/ multiple WMs

[originel]

ok...so i've been running Twinview for a while now with KDE and it just isn't what i want.

basically i want to be able to watch a movie on one screen and be able to do whatever on the other (including going through multiple virtual desktops). so i decided to try and use multiple wms at once but i just can't get it to work.

Basically i'm driving it with a single video card (my geforce FX) and outputting to my main CRT monitor and then my tv. (i have the suspicion that this would work fine with a second video card...but i don't have another card w/ tv-out so i have to use just the one card)

The only thing i can get with my current XF86Config file is video on my main monitor (which is outputting fine) but i'm not getting any signal to my tv.

so here's the relevant sections of my XF86Config file.

# **********************************************************************
# Monitor section
# **********************************************************************

# Any number of monitor sections may be present

Section "Monitor"

    Identifier  "Monitor_CRT"

# HorizSync is in kHz unless units are specified.
# HorizSync may be a comma separated list of discrete values, or a
# comma separated list of ranges of values.
# NOTE: THE VALUES HERE ARE EXAMPLES ONLY.  REFER TO YOUR MONITOR'S
# USER MANUAL FOR THE CORRECT NUMBERS.

    HorizSync   30.0 - 70.0

#    HorizSync	30-64         # multisync
#    HorizSync	31.5, 35.2    # multiple fixed sync frequencies
#    HorizSync	15-25, 30-50  # multiple ranges of sync frequencies

# VertRefresh is in Hz unless units are specified.
# VertRefresh may be a comma separated list of discrete values, or a
# comma separated list of ranges of values.
# NOTE: THE VALUES HERE ARE EXAMPLES ONLY.  REFER TO YOUR MONITOR'S
# USER MANUAL FOR THE CORRECT NUMBERS.

    VertRefresh 50-180

EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier "Monitor_TV"
    HorizSync 30-50
    VertRefresh 60
EndSection


# **********************************************************************
# Graphics device section
# **********************************************************************

# Any number of graphics device sections may be present

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "NV_CRT"
    Driver      "nvidia"
    Screen	0
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "NV_TV"
    Driver      "nvidia"
    Screen	1
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# Screen sections
# **********************************************************************

# Any number of screen sections may be present.  Each describes
# the configuration of a single screen.  A single specific screen section
# may be specified from the X server command line with the "-screen"
# option.
Section "Screen"
    Identifier  "Screen_CRT"
    Device      "NV_CRT"
    Monitor     "Monitor_CRT"

# If your card can handle it, a higher default color depth (like 24 or 32)
# is highly recommended.

#   DefaultDepth 8
#   DefaultDepth 16
   DefaultDepth 24
#   DefaultDepth 32

# "1024x768" is also a conservative usable default resolution.  If you
# have a better monitor, feel free to try resolutions such as
# "1152x864", "1280x1024", "1600x1200", and "1800x1400" (or whatever your
# card/monitor can produce)

    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       8
        Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       16
        Modes "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       24
        Modes "1152x864" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection
    Subsection "Display"
        Depth       32
        Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
    EndSubsection

EndSection

Section "Screen"

    Identifier 	"Screen_TV"
    Device 	"NV_TV"
    Monitor 	"Monitor_TV"
    
    Option 	"ConnectedMonitor" "TV"
    
    Option 	"TVStandard" "NTSC-M"
    Option 	"TVOutFormat" "SVIDEO"
    
    DefaultDepth 24
    Subsection 	"Display"
        Depth	24
        Modes "800x600"
    EndSubSection
EndSection

# **********************************************************************
# ServerLayout sections.
# **********************************************************************

# Any number of ServerLayout sections may be present.  Each describes
# the way multiple screens are organised.  A specific ServerLayout
# section may be specified from the X server command line with the
# "-layout" option.  In the absence of this, the first section is used.
# When now ServerLayout section is present, the first Screen section
# is used alone.

Section "ServerLayout"

# The Identifier line must be present
    Identifier  "TwoScreens Layout"

# Each Screen line specifies a Screen section name, and optionally
# the relative position of other screens.  The four names after
# primary screen name are the screens to the top, bottom, left and right
# of the primary screen.  In this example, screen 2 is located to the
# right of screen 1.

    Screen 0 "Screen_CRT"
    Screen 1 "Screen_TV" RightOf "Screen_CRT"

# Each InputDevice line specifies an InputDevice section name and
# optionally some options to specify the way the device is to be
# used.  Those options include "CorePointer", "CoreKeyboard" and
# "SendCoreEvents".

    InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

EndSection

More relevant info

Slackware 9.0
XFree86 v4.3.0
KDE v3.1.0
Nvidia driver v4496
GeforceFX 5900 ultra

[originel]

I had another thought.

my problem could be with how i start x-windows (i.e. just using startx with little or no arguments).

Maybe i need to go in and edit my xinitrc file some...or possibly use xdm/kdm/gdm/whatever.

I just checked in the xinitrc file (the global one cause i don't have a local one...yet), and i can't say i know much about shell scripting like that. i've been googling a lot but i can't find anything specific enough for my situation. any thoughts/ideas?

[jkrohn]

Hmm, this probably isn't what you are looking for but it is worth a shot if you cannot find anything else

1) Keep the current setup. One large desktop over two screens.
2) Launch Xnest -ac :1
3) Drag that to monitor 2 and sticky it to all desktops.
4) Open a terminal
export DISPLAY=localhost:1
startkde (or other WM)
5) Play video/do stuff

Mplayer will not work using XV so you have to use X11 and you lose scaling. There are a ton of options to Xnest though so I am sur eif you play with them you will find a better combo.

Jkrohn

[originel]

well i played around with it some but it wasn't really what i was looking for. but thanks for the tip, i didn't know it existed.

I actually did make a lot of progress and managed to get twinview to work like i had wanted.

KDE has under advanced options in window behavior to enable xinerama support and you can make windows always open up on the primary monitor...it also allows for fullscreen of xinerama aware programs on either monitor.

Also i managed to get xine and mplayer to work well in these conditions, so i'm happy.

the only thing i haven't been able to get so far has been 1152x864 res (it still defaults to 1024 due to the tv-out). but i think i can fix that with a virtual desktop area.