Ubuntu – How to run game on one monitor and have programs on other monitor still visible

gamesmultiple-monitors

How can i make programs on second monitor still visible while playing game (Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory)?

I know that i can use windowed mode, but playing in windowed kinda feels different, like game has a lot of tiny video lags.

EDIT1: I am running gnome on latest ubuntu, and while one monitor has game on it and other is completely black (my notifications are set up so they pop up on second monitor) i can see notifications (libnotify and skype).

Best Answer

Windowed is as good as I've got, I'm afraid but to be fair, doing it any other way will be just as laggy because the system is rendering more. It's overlaying your game on a desktop as well as the other uncovered desktop and those applications, so yeah, it's a little more intensive and that's going to hurt in-game performance.

Coincidentally, I also use Compiz to make certain screen-sized windows render with fullscreen hinting (so they show above the panel, without window decoration). You can do this by opening CCSM (compizconfig-settings-manager), heading down to Window Rules, enabling it and entering a rule for your game's window.

This won't help performance, it'll just make it look how you'd expect.

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Nvidia Multiple Monitors – Force Full-Screen Game to One Monitor

Yes there is. You need to wirte a second metamode into your /etc/X11/xorg.config. For me it looks like this:

 # excerpt from /etc/X11/xorg.config
 Section "Screen"
     Identifier     "Screen0"
     Device         "Device0"
     Monitor        "Monitor0"
     DefaultDepth    24
     Option         "TwinView" "1"
     Option         "TwinViewXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-0"
     Option         "metamodes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select +1680+0, DFP: nvidia-auto-select +0+0;1024x786,NULL;NULL,1680x1050"
     SubSection     "Display"
         Depth       24
     EndSubSection
 EndSection

I have an old LCD-monitor connected to my laptop. The LCD is called 'CRT' in xorg.config has a resolution of 1024x768. The laptop screen called 'DFP' in the file with resolution 1680x1050.

In my xorg.config you will find three metamodes (line Option "metamodes" "CRT: nvidia-auto-select +1680+0, DFP: nvidia-auto-select +0+0; 1024x786, NULL; NULL, 1680x1050") devided by semicolons:

CRT: nvidia-auto-select +1680+0, DFP: nvidia-auto-select +0+0; uses both monitors in auto select mode.
When a resolution of 1680x1050 (i.e. of my laptop screen is requested) the metamode NULL,1680x1050; deactivates the old CRT and sets the laptop screen resolution to that value.
Vice versa, when 1024x786 is needed 1024x786,NULL; deactivates the laptop screen and sets CRT to that resolution.

Now you just have to add similar entries. Finding out which display is called what will help. Then you have to set your game to use the resolution specified in the additional metamode. That should do the trick.

Ubuntu – Dual Monitor Setup, One Monitor has Double Width and scrolls into other monitor

I've figured out what was wrong after trying a few things. I had to plug both monitors into the same kind of port, on the same graphics card. I had a hard time digging up the cables at home but once I got my hands on a pair of HDMI cables, I was able to set up the monitors correctly without much trouble.

It seems obvious now in retrospect but this didn't occur to me, especially since my Windows install on the same machine seemed to handle the original setup (two types of ports, two different devices) well enough. This makes perfect sense though.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Nvidia Multiple Monitors – Force Full-Screen Game to One Monitor

Ubuntu – Dual Monitor Setup, One Monitor has Double Width and scrolls into other monitor

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