[plug] Configuring dual screens as separate desktops on Ubuntu 10.4

[Brad Campbell]

On 14/10/10 15:21, Michael Hunt wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm just wondering if anyone can help me with setting up two separate
> desktops for the following hardware config:-
>
> 1. ATI Technologies Inc RV350 AS [Radeon 9550] rev 0
> 2. Two 17 inch monitors (not identical) one connected to the VGA port
> on the card and the other connected to the DVI port
> 3. Ubuntu 10.4
>
> What I want to be able to do is to have two individual/independent
> desktops that have there own panels and virtual desktops. Cut/Paste&
> Drag/drop between desktops would also be nice.
>
> Using the default Ubuntu "Configure Display Settings" app gets both
> screens running but they don't act independently to each other (and it
> also breaks compiz.(3D desktop)).
>
> Saw someone talking about this kind of setup before on the list and
> keen to track down some more info.

Sounds like precisely what I just went through. I ended up going with xmonad to replace metacity. It 
took a little while to get used to a tiled window manager, but the plusses _way_ outweigh the 
minuses (have to configure your preferences file for apps that have odd behaviour on a case by case 
basis, but once it's done, it's done).

I have 2 1920x1200 screens. The right screen has my gnome menu/status bar up the top. The left is 
blank canvas.

The gnome pager panel can't cope with the dual workspace environment, so I've got it retracted and I 
just use meta-1 through -0 to select the virtual desktop I want to work on.

Moving clients around, sending them to the other screen and switching things around will-nilly takes 
a little getting used to as it's all key driven, but the more I use it the more I love it.

I've just finished upgrading my laptop from Ubuntu 8.04 to 10.04, and I'm just installing it there 
also.

Nothing else I tried allowed me to use each monitor as a separate desktop with its own set of 
workspaces, and move clients between screens + cut & paste. This does it all.

Brad