[SOLVED] Stretch Desktop with dual monitors

[R_Head]

I have a system with a nVidia graphic adapter that can support dual monitors.

Long ago I think with Mandriva 2008 or 2009 I was able to stretch the desktop with 2 monitors and behaved like it was 1.

Cannot find on the MCC or NVIDIA X Server Settings or System Settings where allow to change the Wallpaper and be able to stretch the desktop.

Does anybody knows where is it?

[doktor5000]

Has been possible all the time. Either using nvidia-settings, the builting facility of KDE -> systemsettings -> Display and Monitor or even easier when using kscreen.
I'd not use nvidia-settings, as that way you hardcode display configuration into xorg.conf, and it's harder to change it during runtime,
Not sure where your problem is.

Changing wallpaper is something completely unrelated to that.

[Trikki]

If I understand correctly, you wish to use one wallpaper across two monitors? Are you using KDE? If so, it seems that this is not possible with KDE4. See for example this forum http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=93190

Apparently this was indeed possible with KDE3, but it was not re-implemented on KDE4, because it caused too many problems for users. The only easy option seems to be to make one wide wallpaper image then cut it in half to make it two pictures and use one for a wallpaper on each monitor.

[R_Head]

Thanks for the replies.

I understand now; make sense.

One thing that bugs me is the desktops duplicates. So if I place a some on the desktop appears also on the other desktop (monitor). If I deleted the unwanted one both disappears.

How can I keep just one

[doktor5000]

Well, maybe you didn't get the difference between the various multihead modes or you didn't realize the different varieties.

You can either have cloned displays, both screens will show the exact same content, often used for beamers or presentations.
Or spanned/extended desktop, which is the typical desktop use case, where both screens will make up for one big screen.

The last one is separate X screens, which is essentially nearly the same as extended desktop, but does not allow you to drag windows from one screen to the other.

What do you currently use? Also please show the output of xrandr -q

[doktor5000]

What I am currently use is whatever is the default.; which is not that bad.

Here is the output of that command...

Code: Select all

Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 3360 x 1050, maximum 4096 x 4096
DVI-I-0 disconnected primary (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DVI-I-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DVI-I-2 connected 1680x1050+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 473mm x 296mm
   1680x1050      60.0*+
   1600x1200      60.0 
   1440x900       59.9 
   1280x1024      75.0     60.0 
   1280x960       60.0 
   1152x864       75.0 
   1024x768       75.0     70.1     60.0 
   800x600        75.0     72.2     60.3     56.2 
   640x480        75.0     72.8     59.9 
DVI-I-3 connected 1680x1050+1680+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 473mm x 296mm
   1680x1050      60.0*+
   1600x1200      60.0 
   1440x900       59.9 
   1280x1024      75.0     60.0 
   1280x960       60.0 
   1152x864       75.0 
   1024x768       75.0     70.1     60.0 
   800x600        75.0     72.2     60.3     56.2 
   640x480        75.0     72.8     59.9

[doktor5000]

Code: Select all

Screen 0: minimum 8 x 8, current 3360 x 1050, maximum 4096 x 4096
DVI-I-2 connected 1680x1050+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 473mm x 296mm
DVI-I-3 connected 1680x1050+1680+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 473mm x 296mm

So you have two screens next to each other, resulting in one big screen.

OK, which desktop environment do you use? And what do you want to achieve? Do I understand your initial post correctly that you only want to change the wallpaper?

[R_Head]

I use KDE 4.10 (Mageia 3) and what will like to do is to both monitors behave like one and the task bar to go across both monitors. Right now kind of does but on the right monitor the clock does not show. That shows on the left monitor in a way a single monitor would.

Is not that bad as is right now but my biggest gripe is that I have 2 trash cans, 2 Home folders and if I add some to the desktop it duplicates on the other monitor.

If I delete it, is deleted on both.

As far the wallpaper I could pick a solid color, that is not really a must have.

With the nVidia utility all I had to do was enable Twin View and was done.
As mentioned before, Mandriva 08 or 09 used to work really well.

I have not tried Mandriva Lx and do not want to; is too Rosa-ish and I do not like Rosa at all and their repos are lame (at this point).

[doktor5000]

As far as I'm aware control panel cannot span multiple monitors. You can have one panel on each monitor, though.

Also, what desktop mode do you use? Folderview, default workspace, some custom activity ... ?

[R_Head]

I assume is default, have not done anything special to it.

[doktor5000]

You probably need to change away from the "default workspace" maybe to folder view for one or both screens. I'm using that and second screen will be completely empty, unless you configure any plasmoids on it.

[R_Head]

Sorry for the dumb question but where is that at?

[doktor5000]

Right-click on the desktop background -> Folder view settings -> layout.

[R_Head]

Duh...! I saw that but I thought was some else.

Right now I am telecommuting and running WinXp for now (Citrix).

As soon I am done I will reboot on Mageia and make the changes.

[R_Head]

Just changed it as suggested and is better now. Changed the wallpaper to a more solid color and looks like one single desktop.

We can call this one Solved; thanks Doc