Configuration tools for multiple monitors for X / Linux

Question

I have Ubuntu 10.04 running gnome and two monitors.

I am wondering if a can get a better multi-monitor configuration tool. The one I have, gnome-display-properties, has too many problems, including:

When I swapped my monitors over, the narrower (external) one now on the left. There is a width calculation error, such that I have a virtual monitor the width of the wide-monitor on the narrow-monitor and part of the wide monitor. And a virtual narrow-monitor on the remainder of the wide-monitor. Also the visible mouse pointer does is not aligned with the active spot, an x offset of one monitor width.

I would like, in approximate order of importance:

• nobugs.
• to be able to select which is primary monitor.
• to have multiple configurations.
• configurations to be automatically selected based on which monitors are attached.
• configurations to be cycled (reliably) when display mode key is pressed.
• when a display is deactivated, for windows to migrate to remaining monitors.
• option to not change display resolution when mirroring, but to use side/top blanking bars to pad out screen.

Chip set info:
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)

Solution 1

The xrandr command line tool is quite good. You can easily save a configuration by putting it in a script. And it does every thing the graphical tools do and more.

Solution 2

I don't know if it still exists, but I have a application called "ARandR" in the "system" section of 9.10 Netbook remix. You could look for thr package arandr and eventually install it.

Comments

[Oli]

What graphics card and drivers are you using?

[ctrl-alt-delor]

@Oli, I think in in an intel integrated think, can you tell be how to find out. Preferably a command-line command.

[Oli]

It'll be somewhere in lspci

[ctrl-alt-delor]

@Oli: added info to question

[ctrl-alt-delor]

I no longer have a problem (currently using Debian 7 (Wheezy)).

[prathvi]

It's in the 10.04 repositories, and works wonderfully for my setup.

[ctrl-alt-delor]

no I don't have that particular chip set. One of the things I like about linux is that generally things like this are not in the driver so are common to all devices of the some type.