Multiple Monitors on a Windows XP Guest

[ichilton]

Hi,

I am using a Windows XP Pro guest on an Ubuntu 8.10 host with 3 monitors.

I have got multiple monitors working by doing:

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VBoxManage modifyvm MyVM -crdpmulticon on
VBoxManage modifyvm MyVM -monitorcount 2

Then booting up the VM normally and using the display settings in XP to entend onto the 2nd monitor and shutting it down.

Then using this to start the VM:

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VBoxHeadless -s MyVM
[code]

and then this to connect to it using:

[code]
rdesktop -u MyVM -d @1 localhost:3389 &
rdesktop -u MyVM -d @2 localhost:3389 &

It seems to work ok but the rdesktop client seems to be terrible... when I go to full screen mode all my screens go white and on the left one I get the remote desktop in part of it (the resolution is lower than the host).

What would be ideal is if I could use the normal Virtualbox interface for the initial monitor and then rdesktop for the 2nd, when required - is that possible?

Is there any better rdesktop clients that will work with virtualbox?

Thanks

Ian

[Sasquatch]

You can change the resolution the rdp client uses before connecting. For Linux Hosts, this is done with a parameter. Just give the proper ones to it, and you have a better picture.

[ichilton]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

The problem is I want to be able to jump in and out of full screen mode...

Do you know of a way of running the normal VM (instead of booting it using VBoxHeadless) and connecting to the 2nd screen with rdp? - I think that would do exactly what I want.

Thanks

Ian

[Sasquatch]

If that would be possible, it would probably in the manual. But since it isn't, and they explicitly say to use VBoxHeadless, I doubt your idea is possible.

[ichilton]

Hi,

Someone on the IRC channel was saying that Multiple Monitors worked in the normal GUI, just not over RDP (which I dont need as i'm on the machine itself anyway).

He said when he went to full screen he got both screens across 2 monitors.

I can't get it working and like you said it doesn't say that in the manual....so i'm not convinced he's right.

If anyone reading this has it working - multiple monitors and the standard gui then please confirm it

Thanks

Ian

[thomasbaca]

Hey Ian,

Just wondering if you had any luck resolving this? I am having the same problem w/ toggling full-screen mode in two monitors.

thanks,
-tom

[ichilton]

Hi,

Unforunatly not

The only way I can get dual monitors to work is using the headless thing and using remote desktop to connect to them - but then full screen doesn't work and it's a bit naff.

The Virtualbox UI works great for a single monitor but I can't find a way to get dual monitors working in there

Ian

[mishkind]

I (and I suspect others) also have the same problem, and would really like to see this feature be better supported. If anyone has any rdesktop, or VBox tips that fixed this, please let us know!

[Sasquatch]

I (and I suspect others) also have the same problem, and would really like to see this feature be better supported. If anyone has any rdesktop, or VBox tips that fixed this, please let us know!

Don't crosspost and bump and old topic at the same time, it's bad netiquette.

[mishkind]

Ok, after 8+ hours of trolling the forums and testing I finally got it what I wanted working.
These are the steps I took:

1. Tell VB you want 2 monitors:

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VBoxManage modifyvm XP-vrdpmulticon on
VBoxManage modifyvm XP -monitorcount 2

2. Tell Windows you want 2 monitors:
Start the VM using the gui, right click the desktop, go to preferences and attach the second monitor. Chage the size at this point to the monitor size you want it to be. You might have to redo this resizing, but this was a critical step at some point for me.

3. Tell linux where to place the windows. This step was essential for me becasue rdesktop -f wouldn't work, ie. it would be full screen on one monitor, but just black out the other monitor. I tried all the rdesktop flags I could think of to get fullscreen to only work on a single monitor but nothing worked. Instead try changing the compiz settings: System -> Preferences -> Advanced Desktop Effects Settings

• 1. Get Rid of the Borders on all rdesktop windows.
  Goto: Window Decoration (make sure it is enabled)
  Decoration windows: any & !(class=rdesktop)
  Shadow windows: any & !(class=rdesktop)
  
  2. Set the windows rules for all rdesktop windows.
  Goto: Window Rules (make sure it is enabled)
  Skip taskbar: title=rdesktop - localhost
  Skip pager: title=rdesktop - localhost
  No ARGB visuals: title=rdesktop - localhost
  Non movable windows: title=rdesktop - localhost
  Non minimizable windows: title=rdesktop - localhost
  Non maximizable windows: title=rdesktop - localhost
  Non closable windows: title=rdesktop - localhost
  
  3. Tell where to load each rdesktop screen. I have two screens 1280x1024. Adjust the numbers accordingly.
  Goto: Place Windows (make sure it is enabled)
  Under Fixed Window Placement, Add Windows with fized positions:
  title=screen1, X position=0, Y position=0
  title=screen2, X position=1280, Y position=0
  
  4. Optional, if you want to be able to switch desktops by rotating the cube.
  Goto: Rotate Cube (make sure it is enabled)
  check Edge Flip Pointer
  
  Note: my X configuration file was setup to use TwinView. I used

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  sudo nvidia-setting

  [/i]

5. Start the VM headless, and wait for it to boot.

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VBoxHeadless -s XP &

6. Change the video size. I used 999 because I have a 1280x1024 monitor with only one 24pixel toolbar at the top. Subtract another 24 if you have two toolbars.

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VBoxManage controlvm XP setvideomodehint 1280 999 32 0

7. Open rdesktop

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rdesktop -d @1 -D -T screen1 -u mishkin localhost:3389 &

8. Make sure windows has the resolution of your second monitor correct. Go to preferences and make sure it is attach and change the size to match the first monitor (in my case 1280x999). If your VM is crashing at this point, ie. with rdesktop, then I found I had to change my desktop backroung in Windows. Sounds silly I know, but it worked. I changed mine to just a solid color.

9. Restart the VM. Shutdown the VM, so the setting in windows save properly so you don't have to do Step 9 everytime. I also did a restart of my X server at this point to make sure all VBox process were killed. Ctrl-alt-backspace.

10. Get everything to run with this script:

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#!/bin/bash

# Run VM in headless mode
VBoxHeadless -s XP &

# Set Video size
VBoxManage controlvm XP setvideomodehint 1280 999 32 0

# Wait for it to boot
sleep 15

# Run first screen
rdesktop -d @1 -D -T screen1 -u mishkin localhost:3389 &

#can't launch the second screen right away or it crashes
sleep 5

# Run second screen
rdesktop -d @2 -D -T screen2 -u mishkin localhost:3389 &