Double-headed use advice?

Michael Kleber michael.kleber+vnc "at" gmail.com
Thu May 3 16:37:01 2007


I have an only-partly-VNC question, but the community here seems
like it might have good answers.

Until this week, my setup was simple:
* I do all my computing on a shared unix server, where I run a vncserver;
* At work, I run the RealVNC client on my Windows PC (in fullscreen mode,
  essentially hiding the fact that it's a Windows box);
* At home, I run the RealVNC client on my Mac.
* Inside my Xvnc, I switch between multiple virtual desktops (using KDE).

The new complication: I got a second monitor for my desktop PC at work.
How best to go double-headed?

* I could run a double-wide "vncserver -geometry 3200x1600".
 As far as I can tell, the RealVNC client can't do full-screen mode
 stretching across both monitors, though.  I could run two clients
 sharing the same server, one full screen on each monitor, but they'd
 accidentally scroll side-to-side all the time.

* I could run two entirely separate vncservers and two vncclients,
 one in fullscreen mode on each monitor at work.  From home, I'd
 connect to only one at a time, or have them in two overlapping
 windows.  Can't move windows between them.  Can probably
 copy-and-paste across going through the client OS, at least.

* Can Xvnc run as two screens of one server, eg :0.0 and :0.1?
 And have them listen on two different ports?  This would address
 some of the preceding option's problems, but I don't know much
 about how KDE works with double-headed X setups.  Is there even
 a window manager than will let me independently switch the two
 physical screens among >2 virtual desktops?

* I could wimp out and leave one monitor at work running Windows,
 and reserve it for web browsing and gmail :-).

Any advice on what's possible, especially including other ideas
that I haven't thought of, would be much appreciated.

--Michael Kleber

-- 
It is very dark and after 2000.
If you continue you are likely to be eaten by a bleen.