Setting up a second monitor

[Dana J. Laude]

On Thursday 20 April 2006 04:27, Jean Hollis Weber wrote:
> Hi, I'm a fairly new user of Ubuntu and completely new to
> Linux. Although I have been using computers for over 35 years,
> I am not a programmer, just a user. :-)
>
> I am using 5.10 (Breezy?) on a dual-boot Dell Inspiron 510m
> laptop. I want to use a second monitor as an extension of the
> desktop. Is this possible? At the moment the second monitor is
> not displaying anything (no signal at all), and I don't know
> where to start.
>
> This setup works fine under Windows, so I know the hardware is
> compatible. I'm just clueless about setting up the software.
> If this is written up in the documentation somewhere, a
> pointer to the right place would be fine. I'm a bit daunted by
> the volume of available information.
>
> Thanks!
> --Jean

Jean, I found this after a bit of googling, so I'll paste the 
xorg.conf file below:

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration 
file) 
# 
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration 
tool, using 
# values from the debconf database. 
# 
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf 
manual page. 
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.) 
# 
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package 
upgrades *only* 
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the 
xserver-xorg 
# package. 
# 
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be 
automatically updated 
# again, run the following commands: 
# 
# cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.custom 
# sudo sh -c 'md5sum /etc/X11/xorg.conf 
>/var/lib/xfree86/xorg.conf.md5sum' 
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg 

Section "Files" 
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc" 
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic" 
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled" 
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled" 
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1" 
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/CID" 
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi" 
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi" 
# paths to defoma fonts 
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType" 
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/CID" 
EndSection 

Section "Module" 
Load "GLcore" 
Load "bitmap" 
Load "ddc" 
Load "dri" 
Load "extmod" 
Load "freetype" 
Load "glx" 
Load "int10" 
Load "type1" 
Load "vbe" 
EndSection 

Section "InputDevice" 
Identifier "Generic Keyboard" 
Driver "kbd" 
Option "CoreKeyboard" 
Option "XkbRules" "xorg" 
Option "XkbModel" "pc105" 
Option "XkbLayout" "gb" 
EndSection 

Section "InputDevice" 
Identifier "Configured Mouse" 
Driver "mouse" 
Option "CorePointer" 
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice" 
Option "Protocol" "ImPS/2" 
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" 
EndSection 

Section "Device" 
Identifier "ATI Rage Pro XL" 
Driver "ati" 
BusID "PCI:2:10:0" 
EndSection 

Section "Device" 
Identifier "i815" 
Driver "i810" 
BusID "PCI:0:2:0" 
VideoRAM 16384 
EndSection 

Section "Monitor" 
Identifier "LM-500" 
Option "DPMS" 
HorizSync 30-60 
VertRefresh 60-75 
EndSection 


Section "Monitor" 
Identifier "Philips 151AX" 
Option "DPMS" 
HorizSync 30-60 
VertRefresh 60-75 
EndSection 

Section "Screen" 
Identifier "AOC" 
Device "ATI Rage Pro XL" 
Monitor "LM-500" 
DefaultDepth 16 
SubSection "Display" 
Depth 16 
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" 
EndSubSection 
EndSection 

Section "Screen" 
Identifier "Philips" 
Device "i815" 
Monitor "Philips 151AX" 
DefaultDepth 16 
SubSection "Display" 
Depth 16 
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480" 
EndSubSection 
EndSection 

Section "ServerLayout" 
Identifier "Default Layout" 
Screen 0 "AOC" 0 0 
Screen 1 "Philips" RightOf "AOC" 
Option "Xinerama" "On" 
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard" 
InputDevice "Configured Mouse" 
EndSection 

Section "DRI" 
Mode 0666 
EndSection

I found this info at: 
http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-2458891.html

You'll have to find the correct horizontal and vertical settings 
for you're specific monitor(s).  

Regards,

Dana