Re: [gdm-list] Multiple monitor issues w/ GDM 2.28

[Jörg Barfurth <Joerg Barfurth Sun COM>]

Lawrence Statton schrieb:
> I'm having some issues getting my multi-headed configuration working.  

> I am trying to get a single display configured with three screens.  

> The machine boots and the 'mostly purple' Ubuntu root-window graphics 
> appear on *each* screen, but only one of them has any "real activity" 
> (that is:  When I log in, there are only window-manager decorations in 
> the :0.0 screen, only the :0.0 screen responds to clicks in the 
> root-window) ... I can mouse over to the other screen and see the pointer.
>
> If I try launching an X client (e.g. xterm -display :0.1 ) "nothing 
> appears to happen" ( no error returned, but neither does a terminal 
> launch ) (nb I also tried launching the xterm as root, in case there 
> were some permission issues )

That sounds like a window manager problem rather than a display manager 
problem. Once you have logged in and the session and window manager take 
over, the display manager doesn't play a role any more.

> The release notes mention that  "GDM 2.20 and earlier supported the 
> ability to manage multiple displays with separate graphics cards" and 
> "These features were not added back during the 2.22 rewrite."
>
> The question looming large in my mind is:  Are they using the words 
> "multiple displays" in the pedestrian sense of "many things on my desk" 
> or in the specific X sense of the word "a group of screens bound to a 
> keyboard and mouse"?

AFAIK that is in the X sense. Multiple local X servers using separate 
hardware and serving a display each (multiple 'Seats' in Console-Kit) is 
what is missing (and being worked on).

> Can gdm/gnome be made to do what I want, or am I going to just have to 
> continue using xdm/fvwm like I have been for the last 15 years?

You could try making a desktop file to allow using fvwm as your window 
manager while still using gdm as the display manager.

If I am right, that should work for you.

- Jörg

--
Joerg Barfurth
Software Engineer        mailto:joerg barfurth sun com
Desktop Technology       http://blogs.sun.com/joergb/
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