Tips For Getting Dual Monitors To Work?

[soundchaser59]

This is an old set up as far as monitors go. The system recognizes that I have nvidia geforce 210, and it knows there is a VGA and a DVI output.

When I do "xrandr" in a terminal it says both VGA1 and DVI 1 are connected and set to the same resolution.

The problem is all it will show is a "mirror"...the same screen on both monitors. I can't get it to set the second monitor to be an extension of the desktop instead of a mirror.

[Snowhog]

"The system..."

AVLinux again?

[sithlord48]

system settings -> display... if you want them mirrored overlap the previews. if you are using a properitary driver you need to use the properitary drivers config tool

[soundchaser59]

system settings -> display... if you want them mirrored overlap the previews. if you are using a properitary driver you need to use the properitary drivers config tool

I do not want them mirrored. They are mirrored by default and I cant get it to do anything else. I'm trying to get the second monitor to extend the desktop.

From other reading I"m wondering if the problem is that I need a specific driver and maybe there isn't one.

[soundchaser59]

"The system..."

AVLinux again?

I was under the mistaken impression that AVL was based on Kubuntu, but it is not, it is based on a Debian core. Not that I know exactly what that means, I have a decent idea, but so many of the commands and fixes are shared from one flavor to another, I've found that almost all of the help I've gotten here has been directly applicable to whatever I'm trying to fix or do in Mint and now in AVL. Almost everyone here has been very tolerant and tried to help me anyway, and that's why I've made it this far. The other forums are...less tolerant.

I have tried to constrain my questions to things that I hope will be rather generic to all flavors of Linux, like getting dual monitors to work, making the login menu the way I like it, or getting the wireless connection available to all users. I will not be asking any questions here that are specific to audio production or music making. Many times the replies I get here are enough to trigger more AVL specific responses on the AVL forum, or to get me asking the right questions somewhere else.

Most of all I bit the bullet and started asking questions in various forums because my overriding obsession is to get Windows and all things Microsoft out of my freaking house, especially out of my music making alter ego.

[oshunluvr]

I can speak for most of us who regular contribute here: No one is concerned if you're not referring to Kubuntu, but we do need to know that when you're asking questions. Basic forum protocol suggests you should include as much information as possible in your initial post so everyone starts out on the right page. One good suggestion is to create a forum signature with all the specific details of your hardware so that's it's easily referenced. You did good by stating nVidia 210 video, but too much info is better than too little from the get-go. In other words, don't make us drag it out of you.

As far as Debian base goes: Yes, Ubuntu and thus Kubuntu have a Debian core. Which (I think) just means that the core parts (low level stuff) comes from the Debian project. The Desktop Environments come from the developers - Plasma 4/5 for us (or KDENeon), Unity from Ubuntu, etc. Point is you're correct in thinking someone here might have an answer for you - once they know the pertinent data.

Ok, done flogging that particular pony. Now to your initial question, try this in a terminal:

xrandr --output VGA1 --right-of DVI1

Obviously, adjust the inputs and use left or right for your setup. Make the first output listed in the command the secondary monitor and then use left or right from the primary monitor. For example, if the VGA monitor sits in front of you and the DVI monitor is to the left of it, use:

xrandr --output DVI1 --left-of VGA1

Note this will not survive a reboot. For that you'll have to create a script and execute it at the correct time in the startup sequence. How best to do this may not be the same with AVLinux as it would be with Kubuntu.

[oshunluvr]

BTW, I found 23 posts that reference xrandr on the AVLinux forum. You might want to read those...

[soundchaser59]

I can speak for most of us who regular contribute here: No one is concerned if you're not referring to Kubuntu, but we do need to know that when you're asking questions. Basic forum protocol suggests you should include as much information as possible in your initial post so everyone starts out on the right page. One good suggestion is to create a forum signature with all the specific details of your hardware so that's it's easily referenced. You did good by stating nVidia 210 video, but too much info is better than too little from the get-go. In other words, don't make us drag it out of you.

As far as Debian base goes: Yes, Ubuntu and thus Kubuntu have a Debian core. Which (I think) just means that the core parts (low level stuff) comes from the Debian project. The Desktop Environments come from the developers - Plasma 4/5 for us (or KDENeon), Unity from Ubuntu, etc. Point is you're correct in thinking someone here might have an answer for you - once they know the pertinent data.

Ok, done flogging that particular pony. Now to your initial question, try this in a terminal:

xrandr --output VGA1 --right-of DVI1

Obviously, adjust the inputs and use left or right for your setup. Make the first output listed in the command the secondary monitor and then use left or right from the primary monitor. For example, if the VGA monitor sits in front of you and the DVI monitor is to the left of it, use:

xrandr --output DVI1 --left-of VGA1

Note this will not survive a reboot. For that you'll have to create a script and execute it at the correct time in the startup sequence. How best to do this may not be the same with AVLinux as it would be with Kubuntu.

Thank You. I will experiment further with that. There are many mentions of scripts on the AVL forum, so I knew it would come to that one way or another eventually. {)

Good tip about putting pertinent basic info in the sig. We do that on the music forums with our music gear, I should have thought of that here.

Except now that I've put something in there, and set my profile to display the sig, I notice there is no signature displayed on my posts. (I do see other people's signatures) I'll have to mess with that later.

[soundchaser59]

BTW, I found 23 posts that reference xrandr on the AVLinux forum. You might want to read those...

And correct me if I'm off base here, but I think I'm noticing that these terminal commands are case sensitive? Several times I've entered a command and nothing happened. Then a few minutes later I try again with the caps lock key toggled (on or off, I don't remember, probably off) and the command works. My years in Microsoft territory made me oblivious to the case sensitive thing, until I started working with C#.

[oshunluvr]

Except now that I've put something in there, and set my profile to display the sig, I notice there is no signature displayed on my posts. (I do see other people's signatures) I'll have to mess with that later.

Did you save it an does it show in the preview window on the edit page?

[oshunluvr]

And correct me if I'm off base here, but I think I'm noticing that these terminal commands are case sensitive? Several times I've entered a command and nothing happened. Then a few minutes later I try again with the caps lock key toggled (on or off, I don't remember, probably off) and the command works. My years in Microsoft territory made me oblivious to the case sensitive thing, until I started working with C#.

Yes, Linux - all flavors - is case sensitive. THere are some commands that have switches (like options) to ignore case but you may assume case sensitivity when using the terminal.

[oshunluvr]

BTW, I see your sig now.

[oshunluvr]

I'll be interested how quickly you dump Windows for good! Did you try Ubuntu Studio before finding AVLinux?

[soundchaser59]

Did you save it an does it show in the preview window on the edit page?

I did not preview it the first time, but I did save it. Now I did the preview and hit save again, and now I can see my sig. Thanks!

[soundchaser59]

I'll be interested how quickly you dump Windows for good! Did you try Ubuntu Studio before finding AVLinux?

I started with my home office machine, it was XP and needed to get converted. I can get Windows cheap where I work (academic institution) but I was totally sick of the hassles, updates, etc... it's an albatross, and it's what I do all day at work. I converted my home office machine to Mint 18 and after getting past the first few hurdles (again thanks mainly to this forum, even more than the Mint forum!) I think I only went back to Windows (dual boot) 3 or 4 times to retrieve folders and files. After about 2 weeks I have been using Mint ever since. The hoarder in me wants to preserve that Win XP side, but my sense of adventure tells me I should give in and claim that other 100GB of disk space for Mint and call it a day.

That was maybe 4 months ago...and now my music studio computer is in my target sights. My hardware audio interface (Creative Labs EMU) is old and ready to die with no support and zero path to upgrade, so I now have a new USB driven audio interface, several reports of this particular interface working OOB with AVLinux, and a lot of reports of people having a ton of trouble getting low latency audio to work in U Studio or KX Studio. I can't remember the guy's name now, but he has made this AVLinux a build that is dedicated to low latency audio work. And now that he has removed all the bloat from it and focused entirely on audio speed and low latency, which is critical to real time recording, there are several reports of it starting to gel and work well. And I am more than primed to make a go of it, as best I can... if I can get to the point where I record one guitar track or mix a few tracks into a quick demo tune on AVLinux, then Windows 7 will be history within a month or two. Then I can reclaim that other 300GB for Linux audio and start rockin and rollin again!

It's just because all of my research led me to conclude that AVLinux would be like the Mint of audio production...the quickest and easiest way to make the attempt with the greatest likelihood of success for a Linux newb.