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I have Ubuntu 10.04 running gnome and two monitors.

I am wondering if a can get a better multi-monitor configuration tool. The one I have, gnome-display-properties, has too many problems, including:

When I swapped my monitors over, the narrower (external) one now on the left. There is a width calculation error, such that I have a virtual monitor the width of the wide-monitor on the narrow-monitor and part of the wide monitor. And a virtual narrow-monitor on the remainder of the wide-monitor. Also the visible mouse pointer does is not aligned with the active spot, an x offset of one monitor width.

I would like, in approximate order of importance:

  • nobugs.
  • to be able to select which is primary monitor.
  • to have multiple configurations.
  • configurations to be automatically selected based on which monitors are attached.
  • configurations to be cycled (reliably) when display mode key is pressed.
  • when a display is deactivated, for windows to migrate to remaining monitors.
  • option to not change display resolution when mirroring, but to use side/top blanking bars to pad out screen.

Chip set info:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)

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  • What graphics card and drivers are you using?
    – Oli
    Feb 8, 2011 at 22:48
  • @Oli, I think in in an intel integrated think, can you tell be how to find out. Preferably a command-line command. Feb 8, 2011 at 23:25
  • It'll be somewhere in lspci
    – Oli
    Feb 8, 2011 at 23:35
  • @Oli: added info to question Feb 8, 2011 at 23:42
  • I no longer have a problem (currently using Debian 7 (Wheezy)). Jun 23, 2015 at 19:16

3 Answers 3

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I don't know if it still exists, but I have a application called "ARandR" in the "system" section of 9.10 Netbook remix. You could look for thr package arandr and eventually install it.

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  • It's in the 10.04 repositories, and works wonderfully for my setup.
    – Windigo
    Feb 8, 2011 at 22:15
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The xrandr command line tool is quite good. You can easily save a configuration by putting it in a script. And it does every thing the graphical tools do and more.

0

If you have an Nvidia graphics card and use the proprietary drivers, the nvidia-settings utility provides a great way to configure multiple monitors with their "twinview" configuration.

Twinview works very well for most applications, although it has been known to cause problems with full screen games. If you're not using your system for gaming, and have an Nvidia card, I'd recommend giving it a try.

Note: You'll have to run it with root privileges (gksudo nvidia-settings) if you'd like to apply the settings from within the utility.

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  • no I don't have that particular chip set. One of the things I like about linux is that generally things like this are not in the driver so are common to all devices of the some type. Feb 8, 2011 at 23:01

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