Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 13:58:58 -0700 From: Frank Jahnke <jahnke@fmjassoc.com> To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Two faced FreeBSD - or is that two headed Message-ID: <1098305938.41718.69.camel@localhost>
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There are a number of ways to run dual monitors on FreeBSD, Leaving out the option of having the same desktop on each monitor (which is not very interesting), they are: Independent X sessions on each monitor. This gives you two totally independent screens, each with its own desktop. Advantages: you can run hardware acceleration on each (OpenGL, DRI, etc.). Disadvantages: you cannot drag windows from one screen to the other. I find this annoying. Xinerama. This spreads a single desktop over the two monitors. Advantages: a single desktop is wonderful. Disadvantages: no 3D hardware acceleration at all; software 3D only on the primary monitor, and none on the secondary (I think). Also, not all applications are Xinerama-aware, so you sometimes get dialog boxes split between the monitors (half on one, half on the other). Of course, you can simply drag the box onto one monitor or the other. MergedFB. Like Xinerama, except that it uses a single frame buffer for both screens (Xinerama uses one for each monitor). Advantages: Hardware acceleration is available. Disadvantages: some fiddling with the graphics drivers to get the windows to behave like Xinerama (for window placement and resizing). If you have no need for hardware acceleration, I recommend you try Xinerama to see how you like it. It may well be good enough. If you do need acceleration, it is your call on which of the other two options would be better. I don't know your graphics card, so I have no advice to offer here. It is possible to use two different graphics cards (the one you have, and the one integrated onto your motherboard) but I've not tried that. I use an old Matrox G450 in MergedFB mode (still on XFree 4.3.0; this should work on X.org as well). It is no speed demon, but 2D quality is nice, and speed is adequate for the few applications I have that require OpenGL. In addition to googling on Xinerama, try www.botchco.com/alex/dualhead and www.winischhofer.net/linuxsisvga.shtml for information on MergedFB. I have XF86Config files for all of these modes (for the G450); unless there is general interest I'd suggest you contact me off-list to get them if they would help. And good luck! Frank Jahnke
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