extending display (SOLVED!)

[sledgehammer]

Running VL 7 and xfce4 on my Samsung RF511.  Not too sure what my video card is:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)

01:00.0 3D controller: nVidia Corporation Device 0df4 (rev a1)

Anyway, I have connected a separate monitor to the video port on my laptop.  It works fine but is a clone of my regular screen. I would like the desktop to spread across both monitors, or, perhaps, to have each screen operate independently.

Any thoughts?

[rbistolfi]

Hi John,

I use xrandr from the command line for this. You dont need to be root.
First run xrandr without arguments just for checking your output devices.
It will look like this:

Code: [Select]

$ xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 2624 x 1200, maximum 4096 x 4096
<default> connected 1024x768+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
   1024x768       60.0*
   800x600        60.3     56.2 
   848x480        60.0 
   640x480        59.9 
<VGA-1> connected 1600x1200+1024+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 367mm x 275mm
   1600x1200      60.0*+
   1280x1024      75.0     60.0 
   1152x864       75.0 
   1024x768       75.1     60.0 
   800x600        75.0     60.3 
   640x480        75.0     60.0 
   720x400        70.1 
I marked the names of the outputs used in this example with "<>". Yours will be different for sure, it depends on the machine.
Now you can try:

Code: [Select]

xrandr --output <VGA-1> --right-of <default>
Remember to replace the names of the outputs with yours.
If this works, we can check out for an easier way. I think this will be improved in the next release of the Xfce Display Settings app.

Let us know how it works for you.
HTH, Rodrigo

[sledgehammer]

Thanks Rodrigo,

It works to move the display to the left screen or, with "--left-of," to the right screen.  That is cool!

But the data display is either on one screen or the other, not both.  The display without the data just has the large Mouse icon in the middle and does not otherwise seem active.

John

[sledgehammer]

aaaarrrrrgggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Rodrigo, I pulled a window from the left screen to my display and it works fine. 

  Observe what loads of stupid rhymes
            Oppress us in corrupted times. --Swift.
      [1913 Webster]

THANK YOU!