I am currently using dual monitors with a Nvidia Geforce 4 (dualhead, of
course)

It works nicely so far, except for a few small problems.

It seems like some programs (Kword, Openoffice text - these strech the
paper -, Xine, to name a few) appear to assume that the aspect ratio of
the screen is always 4:3, when it is really 12:5 (2280*1200). This
stretches things horizontally. Each monitor, however, is running at a
4:3 aspect ratio.

Is there any way to get these programs to use the correct aspect ratios?

Perhaps Xinerama - I don't know anything about it or how it works, but I
remember reading somewhere that it runs 2 X displays. Anyone have an
idea if this would work?

Any other suggestions?

(btw, I run one monitor at 1600*1200 and the other at 1280*960 - or
1024, if 960 isn't an option)

In alt.os.linux.slackware, Ori dared to utter,
> I am currently using dual monitors with a Nvidia Geforce 4 (dualhead, of

Great card. I'm using an NVIDIA GeFroce 4 dual-head too on one of my
machines. Love it!

> It seems like some programs (Kword, Openoffice text - these strech the
> paper -, Xine, to name a few) appear to assume that the aspect ratio of

I haven't noticed this problem at all, but I don't use any of those
programs. I do use StarOffice 6.1-beta, which shares a code-base with
OpenOffice.org, and it doesn't have that problem.

> Any other suggestions?

What window manager are you using? Some window managers aren't
dual-head aware, and that could be causing your problems. Using this
exact same video chip in dual-head, I've never had problems with GNOME
or fluxbox. Why don't you try one of those for your GUI and report
back?

--
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5

Alan Hicks wrote:
> In alt.os.linux.slackware, Ori dared to utter,
>
>>I am currently using dual monitors with a Nvidia Geforce 4 (dualhead, of
>
>
>>It seems like some programs (Kword, Openoffice text - these strech the
>>paper -, Xine, to name a few) appear to assume that the aspect ratio of
>
> I haven't noticed this problem at all, but I don't use any of those
> programs. I do use StarOffice 6.1-beta, which shares a code-base with
> OpenOffice.org, and it doesn't have that problem.
>
I agree, it does seem to be a strange problem.

I'd put up a screenshot on the web to show exactly what I mean, but the
screenshot in gnome appears to be broken. It's not a big deal to me, so
unless it's a one minute fix, I don't care enough to do anything.

Essentially, in Koffice and OpenOffice.org, the "paper" is roughly
square on the screen and the text is spaced funny - large gaps between
letters (that don't show up when printing - all of this is strictly on
screen), even though the paper size is set to 8.5 by 11, portrait.

>
>>Any other suggestions?
>
>
> What window manager are you using? Some window managers aren't
> dual-head aware, and that could be causing your problems. Using this
> exact same video chip in dual-head, I've never had problems with GNOME
> or fluxbox. Why don't you try one of those for your GUI and report
> back?
>
Sorry, I should have mentioned the window manager.
It is gnome. (maybe there's an option/setting I missed to make X or
gnome dualhead aware?)

How are you using your dual-head?
The standard Nvidia drivers?
If so, what version?
If not, how is it set up?

Some other misc information I forgot - the drivers for the video card
are the most recent Nvidia drivers

Ori wrote:
> Alan Hicks wrote:
>
>> In alt.os.linux.slackware, Ori dared to utter,
>>
>>> I am currently using dual monitors with a Nvidia Geforce 4 (dualhead, of
>>
>>
>>
>>> It seems like some programs (Kword, Openoffice text - these strech
>>> the paper -, Xine, to name a few) appear to assume that the aspect
>>> ratio of
>>
>> What window manager are you using? Some window managers aren't
>> dual-head aware, and that could be causing your problems. Using this
>> exact same video chip in dual-head, I've never had problems with GNOME
>> or fluxbox. Why don't you try one of those for your GUI and report
>> back?
>>
In addition, (tested with openoffice) it doesn't seem like this is WM
specific.

The problem persists in KDE, Gnome, and FWM95 (sp?)

> Sorry, I should have mentioned the window manager.
> It is gnome. (maybe there's an option/setting I missed to make X or
> gnome dualhead aware?)
>
> How are you using your dual-head?
> The standard Nvidia drivers?
> If so, what version?
> If not, how is it set up?
>
> Some other misc information I forgot - the drivers for the video card
> are the most recent Nvidia drivers
>

In alt.os.linux.slackware, Ori dared to utter,
>> How are you using your dual-head?
>> The standard Nvidia drivers?

The one difference I ahve noted is that both of my monitors run at the
same resolution, which may make a difference, I don't know. I'm using
the drivers I downloaded and installed from Nvidia's website on the
23rd of June, 2003. I don't know if these are the most recent version,
but they work very well, so why upgrade them?

Here's a copy of my XF86Config

alan@sentinel:~$ grep -v ^# /etc/X11/XF86Config | uniq -u

Section "Module"
SubSection "extmod"
Option "omit xfree86-dga" # don't initialise the DGA extension
EndSubSection
Load "type1"
Load "speedo"
Load "glx"
Load "dri"
EndSection
Section "Files"
RgbPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
EndSection
Section "ServerFlags"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "Keyboard"
Option "AutoRepeat" "500 30"
Option "XkbRules" "xfree86"
Option "XkbModel" "pc101"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection
Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse0"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "IMPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
Option "Buttons" "5"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
HorizSync 31.5 - 64.3
VertRefresh 50-100
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor1"
HorizSync 31.5 - 64.3
VertRefresh 50-100
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "NVIDIA GeForce4 440MMX H0"
Driver "nvidia"
#VideoRam 65536
# Insert Clocks lines here if appropriate
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 0
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "NVIDIA GeForce4 440MMX H1"
Driver "nvidia"
#VideoRam 65536
# Insert Clocks lines here if appropriate
BusID "PCI:1:0:0"
Screen 1
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "NVIDIA GeForce4 440MMX H0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen1"
Device "NVIDIA GeForce4 440MMX H1"
Monitor "Monitor1"
DefaultDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
ViewPort 0 0
EndSubsection
EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Multi-head Configuration"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
Screen 1 "Screen1" LeftOf "Screen0"
InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Alan Hicks wrote:
> In alt.os.linux.slackware, Ori dared to utter,
>
>>>How are you using your dual-head?
>>>The standard Nvidia drivers?
>
>
> The one difference I ahve noted is that both of my monitors run at the
> same resolution, which may make a difference, I don't know. I'm using
> the drivers I downloaded and installed from Nvidia's website on the
> 23rd of June, 2003. I don't know if these are the most recent version,
> but they work very well, so why upgrade them?

True - mine are the most recent just because I switched to Linux
recently, and they didn't put a new version out in the time I've been
using linux

> Here's a copy of my XF86Config
<snip>

This is mine.

Interestingly, you appear to be reporting your videocard to X twice,
while I use NVidia's built in twinview from the drivers.

I think that may be my problem.

Anyway, here is my X config, maybe someone can come up with a different
solution/point out a forgotten option that would cause that..

Section "Monitor"

Identifier "My Monitor"
HorizSync 30-92
VertRefresh 50-180
DisplaySize 400 300

vendorname "ViewSonic" (not my monitor, but KDE wanted to scroll the
screen at high res, so I tried making it think it had a bigger monitor.
I never bothered to change it back)
modelname "G 810"
ModeLine "1280x1024/61Hz" 110 1280 1328 1512 1712 1024 1025 1028 1054
ModeLine "1024x768/100Hz" 115.5 1024 1056 1248 1440 768 771 781 802
-HSync -VSync
ModeLine "800x600/100Hz" 69.65 800 864 928 1088 600 604 610 640 -HSync
-VSync
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "VESA framebuffer"
Driver "nvidia"
#VideoRam 4096
# Insert Clocks lines here if appropriate
Option "TwinView" "1"
Option "SecondMonitorHorizSync" "30-96"
Option "SecondMonitorVertRefresh" "50-160"
Option "MetaModes" "1280x960@1280x960,1600x1200@1600x1200"
Option "NvAGP" "3"
Option "HWCursor" "1"

Option "TwinViewOrientation" "LeftOf"

vendorname ""
boardname ""
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen 1"
Device "VESA framebuffer"
Monitor "My Monitor"
DefaultDepth 24
Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "800x600/100Hz" "800x600" "640x480"
Virtual 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "800x600/100Hz" "800x600" "640x480"
Virtual 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "800x600/100Hz" "800x600" "640x480"
Virtual 0 0
EndSubsection
Subsection "Display"
Depth 32
Modes "800x600/100Hz" "800x600" "640x480"
Virtual 0 0
EndSubsection

EndSection
Section "ServerLayout"

Identifier "Simple Layout"
Screen "Screen 1"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"

EndSection

In alt.os.linux.slackware, Ori dared to utter,
> Interestingly, you appear to be reporting your videocard to X twice,
> while I use NVidia's built in twinview from the drivers.

I've never played with TwinView, and indeed this was the first I'd ever
heard of it. The config file I posted is a standrad dual-head config
that should work with just about any dual-head card regaurdless of make
and model. The idea is to just tell it to start two screens with the
same device.

A similar technique uses two video cards (usualy one AGP and one PCI)
to work two monitors. You simply make a call to the first card on
screen0 and a call to the second on screen1.

XFree86 has done this for as far back as I can remember. I remember
using a Matrox Millineum card this way[0]. I would reccomend giving my
config a shot, or at least adapting it to your own card to see how it
goes. What do you have to loose?

[0] In fact, that XF86Config file was adapted from one I got from a
google search that was originally for a dual-head Matrox.

--
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5

Alan Hicks wrote:
> In alt.os.linux.slackware, Ori dared to utter,
>
> XFree86 has done this for as far back as I can remember. I remember
> using a Matrox Millineum card this way[0]. I would reccomend giving my
> config a shot, or at least adapting it to your own card to see how it
> goes. What do you have to loose?

I'm going to be trying it tomorrow, as soon as I back up the config file
(too much homework today..)

I'll report back on the results.

Thanks for the help.

> [0] In fact, that XF86Config file was adapted from one I got from a
> google search that was originally for a dual-head Matrox.
>

Ori wrote:
> Alan Hicks wrote:
>
>> In alt.os.linux.slackware, Ori dared to utter,
>>
> > XFree86 has done this for as far back as I can remember. I remember
>
>> using a Matrox Millineum card this way[0]. I would reccomend giving my
>> config a shot, or at least adapting it to your own card to see how it
>> goes. What do you have to loose?
>

Well, I tried it, and my original problem is solved, but now I can't
drag the windows from one monitor to the other!!

How do I fix this?

Thanks for all the help, although I finally solved the problem, which
was unrelated to the settings I was fooling around with.

The line that was causing this error was this line:

DisplaySize 400 300.

I entered this line originally, to prevent KDE from resizing my text a
huge amount (at a high resolution, KDE was making my text simply huge
,which caused the button text to get cut off, ugly interfaces, not to
mention cancelling one of the reasons I use a higher resolution - I
prefer my text fairly small).

Then I switched to dual monitors, and this was still specifying the
screen's aspect ratio, which was causing all the problems.