Tutorial for setting up a Linux machine with 3 monitors?

Question

Can you provide a link to an up-to-date tutorial for setting up Linux with 3 monitors? Specifically, I want to set up 2 different nvidia video cards with 3 monitors. I can already do 2 monitors on 1 video card, so I am not interested in those tutorials.

Solution

I run a three monitor setup using xinerama and two Nvidia gfx cards. This works with X.org 1.9.4. Have a look at my xorg.conf:

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier     "X.org Configured"
Option      "Clone"     "off"
Option      "Xinerama"  "on"
Screen      0  "Screen0"
Screen      1  "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"
Screen      2  "Screen2" LeftOf "Screen0"
InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
    Option      "DontZap"       "false"
EndSection

Section "Files"
ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/TTF"
FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/local"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load  "record"
Load  "extmod"
Load  "dbe"
Load  "dri2"
Load  "dri"
Load  "glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier  "Keyboard0"
Driver      "kbd"
Option      "XkbLayout" "gb"
Option      "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp" 
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier  "Mouse0"
Driver      "mouse"
Option      "Protocol" "auto"
Option      "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option      "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier   "Monitor0"
VendorName   "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName    "Monitor Model"
Option       "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier   "Monitor1"
VendorName   "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName    "Monitor Model"
Option       "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier   "Monitor2"
VendorName   "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName    "Monitor Model"
Option       "DPMS"
EndSection



Section "Device"
Identifier  "Card0"
Driver      "nvidia"
VendorName  "nVidia Corporation"
BoardName   "G80 [GeForce 8800 GTS]"
BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
Option      "NoLogo"    "1"
Option      "RenderAccel"   "True"
Screen      0
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier  "Card1"
Driver      "nvidia"
VendorName  "nVidia Corporation"
BoardName   "G80 [GeForce 8800 GTS]"
BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
Option      "NoLogo"    "1"
Option      "RenderAccel"   "True"
Screen      1
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier  "Card2"
Driver      "nvidia"
VendorName  "nVidia Corporation"
BoardName   "G92 [GeForce 8800 GTS 512]"
BusID       "PCI:4:0:0"
Option      "NoLogo"    "1"
Option      "RenderAccel"   "True"
Screen      0
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device     "Card0"
Monitor    "Monitor0"
Option     "Metamodes" "1680x1050"
SubSection "Display"
    Depth     24
    Modes     "1680x1050"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen1"
Device     "Card1"
Monitor    "Monitor1"
Option     "Metamodes" "1680x1050"
SubSection "Display"
    Depth     24
    Modes     "1680x1050"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen2"
Device     "Card2"
Monitor    "Monitor2"
Option     "Metamodes" "1680x1050"
SubSection "Display"
    Depth     24
    Modes     "1680x1050"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Yes, I know Xinerama is old and all the cool kids should be using xrandr. Well, if anybody can show me an Xrandr config that works, I'd change in a heartbeat.

Another solution would be to use a hardware gizmo that multiplexes your monitors. Expensive, but would allow you to run SLI/xrandr/etc instead of Xinerama. Gizmos here

Comments

[Jjames]

Try that one, it's for mandriva, but should be working.

[Sirex]

I should advise you not to expect alot. I recently got to the end of my tether and ended up buying a new larger monitor to replace 2 smaller ones to go from 3 to 2 monitors because linux triple-head and multi-gpu hardware acceleration is nothing short of rubbish. Dual head is good times, Triple was just faf, pain, and annoyances. I got 3 monitors working in 2d, but no xrandr meant everything from googleearth to my mp3 player's visualisations (and everything in-between, particularly most games) just crashed out., or my personal faviorite - would crash X losing all your unsaved work.