This allows windows to span more than one monitor, and allow moving windows from monitor to monitor.Īlong with the Xinerama feature came the Xinerama extension, which allows applications to query the physical monitor configuration. The Xinerama desktop feature was developed to combine the graphics cards into a single SCREEN. The above limitation with SCREENs and applications is very inconvenient, when one has several graphics cards to run several monitors. Multiple Graphics Cards, or the story of Xinerama The SCREEN cannot be changed without opening a new connection to the X server, which in practice means you have to quit and restart the application. In other words, the SCREEN where the application windows will appear, must be selected before the application starts (or connects to the X server). Screen number specifies the SCREEN the application has access to. Displaynumber specifies the X server instance, as one computer may have several X servers running. Host specifies the computer, as the X11 protocol can work over a network. The value of DISPLAY is of the form host:displaynumber.screen and the default value set by practically all graphical environments is :0.0, which means the local computer, the X server instance 0, and SCREEN 0. Usually the environment variable DISPLAY specifies which X server to connect to. When a graphical application starts, it connects to an X server. Internally, each SCREEN is driven by a separate driver (DDX) instance, since SCREENs had one-to-one correspondence with graphics cards, too. The only way (that your author knows about) to switch focus from one SCREEN to another is with the mouse. Windows can never span more than one SCREEN, nor can they be moved from one SCREEN to another. They can have, not only different video modes, but also different color depths and resolution (dots-per-inch, used in scaling e.g. The X configuration file ( nf) has one Section "Screen" for each SCREEN, either explicitly written in the file, or nowadays implicitly created by the X server. Dual- or multi-head graphics cards did not really exist, and things were simple. Traditionally in X11, a SCREEN had a one-to-one correspondence with a physical display device (a monitor). The most important concept in understanding how X deals with multiple monitors is the X protocol screen. For actual configuration tutorials, see the links on RandR 1.2 page. You need to know these terms, if you ever need help with a multi-monitor environment. There are even clip-on USB monitors for laptops that make dual- and triple- monitor setups possible in mobile setups.This article explains the basic concepts and terms related to monitors and graphics cards in the X11 world. It’s a great trick if you don’t permanently need dual monitors, or want to benefit from that setup on the road. Either by using a dedicated USB display or using a tablet like the Apple iPad and an app like DuetDisplay. But if you find the dual-monitor life is the one for you, then these dual monitor programs are essential to keep all that real-estate under control.ĭon’t forget that you can also easily add an extra screen via USB. We still recommend getting an ultrawide screen for the productivity gains and lack of mid-screen bezel, if you’re starting from a blank slate. Third-party developers did a lot of free research and development work for Microsoft, who simply had to copy the features that worked for their own operating system. The truth is that, for most users, the best dual-monitor management features are already built into Windows 10. Windows 10 also has a snazzy virtual desktop feature, shortcut keys to quickly switch multi-monitor modes and easy shortcuts to snap or maximize windows. Windows 10 natively supports having different wallpapers on each screen. There are now a wealth of multi-monitor customization options built into windows, with support for just about any arrangement and mix or resolutions and orientations. Which means that, if you are already running Windows 10, there are a bunch of features baked into the system that you’d have needed a third-party solution for in the past. Microsoft has been paying attention to the world of third-party multi-monitor utilities. MultiMon is quite a stable piece of software as well, so if you have a multi-monitor system of the right vintage, it’s worth checking out. This free tool is only designed to work up to Windows 7, but there are still plenty of computers out there running this older operating system. That includes not showing apps on the primary monitor taskbar that aren’t that monitor. Each monitor’s taskbar only shows the apps on that monitor. It can do this for up to three monitor setups. The free version of the dual monitor software adds taskbars to extended monitors in Windows.
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