# Multi-Monitor Linux Support How?



## immagikman (Jun 27, 2012)

The environment
OS: Redhat Enterprise Workstation R6.2
Hardware: Lenovo T400 8gig memory 500gig HD
Docking Station.

This laptop was forced upon me by my employer, they want us to use Linux with a KVM System running Win 7.......The problem is...the Employer, their Help Desk and their Linux Support teams say that you cannot use a docked laptop with Multiple monitors.
My scouring of the web has revealed at the best of times Lenovo Products blow when it comes to Docked multi-monitor environments....and no one seems to know how to get this working in Linux..... Would appreciate any advice...other than get a real computer 

Thanks


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## wmorri (May 29, 2008)

Hi,

So the thing is that it can be done but you might need to do a little testing. The problem with doing testing though is that this laptop is your work computer and if you mess it all up the people in IT probably won't like you.

To start I would like to know if you want to run two monitors separate from the laptop screen. Or if you want to run the laptop and a second screen. It shouldn't make that much of a difference but it might. Also you mention that you are using Redhat Enterprise Workstation R6.2, is this a derivative of RHEL 6?


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## immagikman (Jun 27, 2012)

6.2 is referred to as "Santiago" I believe...not really a Linux guy but the Linux People convinced our management that Linux was as easy and plug and play ready as windows so Im doing my best 

The good news Is I am keeping my old laptop till they convice me I can work with this new one.....that wasnt their plan but since Im a remote worker they will have to pry the old one out of my cold dead hands until we get this "cutting edge" technology to actually function in a modern work environment.

Now I can use two monitors IF I use the laptop display and connect another monitor to the VGA output....this is not how I work though....The laptop is permanently docked in a docking station which has 3 video outputs, VGA, DVI and Display Port. I wish to use two of these outputs to drive 2x 30" monitors at 1920x1600 the laptop out of the dock can drive one monitor at this resolution as can my much older Lenovo R400 wich has no problem driving both monitors at this resolution from the docking port.

When I go into the RHEL display applet when the computer is docked, it only detects the monitor connected to the VGA port on the Docking Station, the DVI and Display Port seem to be inactive.


Hope thats enough info. Thanks in advance for any help.

Oh checking the BIOS on the laptop it shows that I have 3 graphics choices, "Integrated" "Discrete" and NVIDIA Optimus...Im thinking maybe NVIDIA might have drivers or something but I really dont know how Linux handles hardware.


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## wmorri (May 29, 2008)

Here is the issue that I think you are going to run into. You need to connect your laptop to the dock for some reason that has to do with your network. Now this is all good, but when you try and connect two monitors as you have found it only detect one of them. 

The thing that I would try and find out is if the dock is running off its own graphics processing from inside the box itself. Or if the dock is running off the graphics processing of the laptop. As for how Linux handles hardware you should be able to run with the Nvidia chipset without a problem. The latest kernel has support for Nvidia hardware built in, 

I would start with this. If you can't figure out about the docks or they won't tell you. I will start to ask my fedora contacts and see if we can get this figured out for you. I just have to say that this will all get worked out for you, but it will just take a little time as all new hardware and OS combos do.


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## immagikman (Jun 27, 2012)

The Docking station doesnt have any internal video hardware, it simply is basically just a port expander, giving me better access to the laptops ports. The laptop itself has a VGA and a Display Port output on it. As I said windows functions pretty well with this set up, its strictly the Linux image that is stuck in the 1990's...as near as I can tell.

Out of curiosity how is "Fedora" related to RedHat Enterprise Workstation R6.2 Santiago? This linux lingo makes me dizzy :rofl:


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## wmorri (May 29, 2008)

I am going to try and be nice here, but Linux isn't stuck in the '90's. Whenever a new technology comes out it is implemented into the next release of the kernel. I know that USB3.0 was introduced quickly, wireless N, etc. Also Linux has one of the largest world wide communities that just want to see the improvement of the OS into the mainstream and less mainstream applications. I imagine the routers that your company uses runs off a Linux OS. 

Getting back to your questions, what Fedora has to do with Red Hat is that Fedora is the upstream community OS where a lot of the technology and features that are in your release of RHEL are tested and worked on. The reason I bring them up with that there are a number of people that work for Red Hat that are deeply involved with Fedora, and I can try and reach out to them for help if I need to. 

Now back to your question. I would try and change the graphics processing to use the Nvidia processing and see if that changes anything.


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## immagikman (Jun 27, 2012)

The first thing I did was try the BIOS setting to the NVIDIA...it was a no go..in that I could get one monitor to work and only one. I could get the VGA connector to work or the DVI connector to work but the Display app in Linux only sees a single Monitor whenit detects them.....all the other ports are not seen


Didnt mean to insult on the linux being stuck in the 90's but seriously my pentium 4 laptop was capable of seamless plug and play dual monitor output with no hassels in windows 98....so this feels very antiquated to me.....


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## wmorri (May 29, 2008)

I guess that at this point you need to talk to your it people. Tell them that you use to monitors and you have been for a while. Linux isn't working for you and you would like them to try and come up with a fix for you. I understand how it is with two monitors, I don't think that I an go back to having only one. Give them as much information as you can they know what the OS is and what the laptop is, tell them that the makes and models of the monitors, what type of connector you are using. You get the idea. Then it is up to them to work on figuring it out. Either they will try and help your or they won't but it is up to them at that point.


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## immagikman (Jun 27, 2012)

Thanks but my IT department says it cant be done. My searches on the web show that at the best of times Lenovo products kind of suck at multi-monitor support via docking station which is kind of strange as thats pretty much the whole point to the docking station..... Im in the Unix Engineering department (AIX) and have taken the issue all the way up the chain in the Support department....which is why I cam to the web to try to find some help....I may check out Nvidia's site later in the week. 

Thanks for the feed back though I do appreciate it. :thumb:


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## wmorri (May 29, 2008)

Have you tried not using the docking station and seen if that makes a difference?


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## immagikman (Jun 27, 2012)

I cant find a way to make both the VGA and the Display Port active at the same time...but you just gave me an idea to try something else....some different settings in the bios and not using the docking station.


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## hal8000 (Dec 23, 2006)

You can only run multiple monitors, if you have two graphics card or a dual head card.
Your laptop has neither.

Connecting the external VGA monitor should display the same iamge on your LCD laptop screen as it does on the external monitor. If there is no display it is usually a combination of laptop function keys. Fn+ (some other combination) usually turns this function on and off.
Post back if this works.


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## immagikman (Jun 27, 2012)

Thats odd, it appears to have a dual head graphics card and the docking station that Lenovo sells and advertises for up to three monitors. The Laptop itself has VGA and Display Port. (The combo if Fn + f7)


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## hal8000 (Dec 23, 2006)

Have a look again at the docking station, 2 monitors only:

ThinkPad Advanced Mini-Dock - Overview

Post the link if I'm looking at the wrong docking station.
You may find some useful info here:

Linux on Lenovo Laptops & Notebooks

Looks as though no one has tried dual monitors, so your HelpDesk and support may be 
correct with your particular model.


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## immagikman (Jun 27, 2012)

Yep that looks like the one. Which leads me to say....Lenovo + Linux is crap  My old alienware Pentium 4 could run dual monitors without any problems whatsoever and here we are how many years later with a "Workstation" class laptop that can't handle multiple monitors under Linux....pathetic  I suppose Ill just have to repurpose one of my own systems and use Windows instead and put this Linux laptop in my junk pile till the company asks for it back.

But thank you for the help. I do appreciate it. :thumb:


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## hal8000 (Dec 23, 2006)

Well, OK< in the words of Klaus Knopper, what you should do, is take it back to the shop and claim it is not suitable for your purpose.

Its not that linux does not support your hardware, but sometimes manufacturers never give sufficient details about their product so that someone can write an appropriate kernel module (driver).

This is the place to look:

Linux on Laptops

Everything thats been tried and tested is on that site, hope that helps you.


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## immagikman (Jun 27, 2012)

Oh IM sure it's a combination of the perfect storm, unfortunately the Corporate environment I work in can not deal with "It doesn't suit my needs" They would just rather not know about it. Thus as usual, I will make my own solution to the problem ...one perk of working from my home...no one to check up on me.


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