Ubuntu – How to set up dual monitor on PC without graphic card? Ubuntu 12.04

12.04displaymultiple-monitors

My PC does have built-in graphic. I have vga switch and using it I would like to setup dual monitor. After pluging both monitors with VGA switch I had a duplicated view on both desktops. I would like to have extended view (mouse coursor goes between two desktops). Displays Settings does not show second monitor. How to setup it? How to make them two working in extended mode.

Before VGA switch I tried with DPI-DVI adapter, I was lucky to have extended mode on dual monitor but mouse cursor cannot go to second monitor – it was stick to the edge.

I've searched for solution to this problem many times. I've tried with xrandr, CCSM and many others, but nothing worked.

lspci | grep -E "VGA"

VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)

Best Answer

If you mean you're splitting the output of one VGA connector on your PC, you can't - this (fairly obviously) just duplicates the signal to different monitors.

If you have a VGA connector and an HDMI or DVI connector, then you may be able to use dual monitors, depending on the graphics chipset. I don't recall ever seeing a motherboard with onboard graphics that had two video outputs, though.

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Ubuntu – Ubuntu 12.04 – can’t detect 2 displays

Same sort of problem occurred on my system(i5-4570s). And I found this page..

But I have just solved this probrem, NOW!

Just Try It!

My vga is

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 06)

/var/log/Xorg.0.log showed fbdev modules was loaded and Display was detected as Single Virtual Monitor.

There are some new intel driver modules packages, but old xserver packages on 12.04 is not suitable to install those. Finally, I found newer xserver package distributor.

https://launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ppa

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa 
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

After that, new intel driver module is loaded and 2 displays are also detected.

Ubuntu – Dual monitor setup, why does NVidia 340 Prime only detect one monitor

Post-installation and removal Nvidia, I noticed a strange(and a good one at that) behavior. And that its that the GUI response in the second monitor has become much improved.

And I also noticed that the xorg.conf has a different setting, pasting it for your reference,

jpvel@jpvel-M11xR3:~/Downloads$ sudo cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf.04192015 

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier "layout"
    Screen 0 "nvidia"
    Inactive "intel"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "intel"
    Driver "intel"
    BusID "PCI:0@0:2:0"
    Option "AccelMethod" "SNA"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "intel"
    Device "intel"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier "nvidia"
    Driver "nvidia"
    BusID "PCI:1@0:0:0"
    Option "ConstrainCursor" "off"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "nvidia"
    Device "nvidia"
    Option "AllowEmptyInitialConfiguration" "on"
    Option "IgnoreDisplayDevices" "CRT"
EndSection

I suspect that the existing nouveau driver seems to start honoring the configuration and appropriately instruct the graphics card to send the output to the external monitor. As

For those souls who tried using the DVI port or HDMI to VGA adapter, let me forwarn you, it does not work. As neutrino pointed out, the HDMI port is welded with Nvidia card in Alienware laptops

Edit from 2nd answer:

I went for the reinstallation and again tried using the latest Nvidia drivers from ppa:xorg-edgers/ppa for Nvidia-340, it ended up mucking the UI. So I decided to uninstall and live with the existing setup.

However, with the fresh installation, I am able to work with a dual monitor setup that is not perfect, but usable. I mirrored the displays and ensured that the intel's graphics driver could do the rendering(but it is lousy though I admit)

Best Answer

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Ubuntu – Ubuntu 12.04 – can’t detect 2 displays

Ubuntu – Dual monitor setup, why does NVidia 340 Prime only detect one monitor

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