multiple monitor questions?

[haywire]

Well, I got a Nvidia Geforce FX 6200 FX6200 AGP and had a great deal of trouble trying to install it to my already set up system. No problem, I copied off any data and re-installed vector linux. I had to install in text mode, but that worked...


Video is beautiful and fast now, but I was wondering about setting up a 3 monitor setup now. I guess I'm
just one of those people who is always looking for extra, never happy I suppose...

I have 4 pci slots open on this machine, can I just add a couple of the same pci video cards or should I just get a video card that supports 3 monitors? I'd rather just add a couple of pci video cards but I'm not so sure this would work. (it works with xp and vista I know that)

I think I tried that before on a vector linux machine with an agp video card and I got no video out of the pci card when I tried it, though I could be mistaken.

My perfect multimedia vector linux machine is just two monitors away, so anyone with any experience with this please do chime in.  Thanks for any thoughts you may have on this subject...

Steven

[M0E-lnx]

There are several ways to go about this, and it is really cool.
I was doing backflips myself when I finally managed to get my laptop's display and my 21" wide LCD panel to work on my laptop... hughe extended desktop... the most beautiful thing I had ever seen

I'm no 100% positive on this, but I think the closed nvidia drivers have a tool for dual monitors... Granted, it give the impression that it's for 2 monitors only, but maybe something you want to look into. I haven't owned an nvidia card in a long time.

There is always xrandr... you can use it to turn on/off as many monitors as you want/have

[rbistolfi]

You can use two video cards in the same box, you need a section in xorg.conf for each one. I dont know if the nvidia-settings aplication lets you do this setup, you want to try it for sure. In any case, here you have an example of a /etc/X11/xorg.conf for two nvidia cards: http://www.terrencemiao.com/Webmail/msg00928.html
Basically, you need a "Device" section for each card, and one for each Screen.

[haywire]

I tried plugging the pci video card in while the agp card was already installed. I get video out of the agp card, but nothing from either the motherboards built in video, or the pci video card.

I was kinda hoping I could use the onboard video card for 1280x1024 on a flatscreen and the same for the pci video card out...

Any ideas?

Steven

[haywire]

Well I installed the ati driver for the pci card, then it asks me which card I want to use with my monitor.

Pity there is not a switch for "both!" - grrr... That x config page you gave is a bit confusing, I have no idea how to edit mine to reflect this stuff, any more ideas? Isn't there a linux app to manage multiple monitors that includes a graphic interface?

After installing the pci video card drivers, I rebooted. Main screen good, second screen connected to pci video card is blank...

Steven

[nightflier]

Normally, when a video card is plugged into a motherboard with on-board video, the on-board circuitry is automatically disabled. It's an either/or situation.

Running multiple video cards with different drivers sounds complicated. Doesn't your Nvidia card have two outputs on it? Most come with a VGA and a DVI connector + adapter. In that case, setting up dual monitors is easy. Then you could take on the third one later.

[haywire]

Yes it does have two outputs on the agp nvidia card, but I thought that was just one output in case you have
older vga monitor?

Hmmm, maybe I'll try that and see what happens...

I found some apps for linux that may help.. I will work on this tonight.

Steven

[haywire]

Okay so the two outputs on the nvidia card do work, but strangely, after running the nvidia app and setting the monitors up...

Now the nvidia app won't run again, this really sucks. Also, you can not drag windows between screens? That pretty much sucks.
I guess its still more usable deskspace, but not being able to drag the windows just kinda sucks.

I don't know why but I just assumed vector or any linux supported multiple monitors better than this.

Honestly, windows 98 does a better job and less headaches/hassles, its sad but windows 98 just works.

I am moving next month, I give up on this till I can set up the machine in its new home.



Steven

[overthere]

sounds interesting....I recall useing xinearama to get dual monitors on some linux a while back useing an agp and pci...one could drag from one to the other or switch to clone mode? I could not figure out how to get the wallpaper not to stretch across the two screens as I recall and moved on to some other unused functionality..was fun to play with and would be sweet with vector as it would actually have some value.....many more programs now than then...
cheers