Under Systemsettings there is no section "Multiple Monitors" anymore after an update from KDE 4.8.5 to KDE 4.9.3.

I use Gentoo Linux with open source ATI drivers 7.0.0 and two connected physical monitors. My xorg.conf is attached.

After a downgrade from KDE 4.9.3 to 4.8.5, without changing anything else in the system, the "Multiple Monitors" section was present again in Systemsettings.

Okay ... I did not find the button to attache a file.

My stripped down xorg.conf is:

Code: Select all

Section "ServerLayout"
        ...
        Screen          0 "Screen0" 0 0
        Option          "AIGLX"         "true"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
        ...
        Option  "AIGLX"                                 "true"
        Option  "Xinerama"                              "on"
        ...
EndSection

Section "Files"
        ...
EndSection

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

Section "InputDevice"
        ...
EndSection

...

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier      "Monitor0"
        Option          "DPMS"          "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier      "Monitor1"
        Option          "DPMS"          "true"
        Option          "LeftOf"        "Monitor0"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier      "Card0"
        Driver          "radeon"
        ...
        BusID           "PCI:2:0:0"  # The PCIE Radeon with internal VGA enabled
        Option          "ZaphodHeads"           "DVI-0,VGA-1"
        Option          "BusType"                       "PCIE"
        Option          "DynamicClocks"                 "off"
        Option          "ClockGating"                   "on"
        Option          "ForceLowPowerMode"             "off"
        Option          "DynamicPM"                             "on"
        Option          "Monitor-DVI-0"                 "Monitor0"
        Option          "Monitor-HDMI-1"                "Monitor1"
        Option          "AccelMethod"                   "EXA"           # XAA | EXA   (EXA is slow with KDE 3.5)
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Card0"
        Monitor    "Monitor0"
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport        0 0
                Depth           24
                Virtual         3840 1080
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
        Group   0
        Mode    0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
        Option  "Composite"     "Enable"
EndSection


the xinerama options were removed, see
http://lists.kde.org/?l=kwin&m=132705572907176&w=2
and
https://git.reviewboard.kde.org/r/103756/

-> what are you looking for?

Hi,
thanks for the detailed response.

Mainly I miss 2 things after updating from KDE 4.8.5 to 4.9.3:

1. a configuration option: Set the monitor/screen, on which newly startet applications should be displayed per default. After the update, they are displayed always on the right screen/monitor. I want them on the left.

2. window experience related: I have a window (jEdit) enlarged over almost two screens/monitors. But not fullscreen. In KDE 4.8.5 the window size is remembered. After reboot and start of jEdit, it is automatically displayed at the same position and in the same size, as before the reboot. Now (after the update) it always opens with maximized size on one screen/monitor (not fullscreen). And I must resize the window every day to my preferred size and move it to my preferred position after powering on my computer.

Thank you so far!

Did you mean in your answer, that I should remove the Xinerama option from my xorg.conf, or did you want to tell me, that Xinerama was removed from KDE?

(1) has never existed - "Show unmanaged windows on" has almost *never* hit (very few windows are unmanaged) BUT:

- windows are usually placed on the currently active screen. The currently active screen is either the one with the active window or the one with the mouse in it (configurable in "kcmshell4 kwinoptions")
- in 4.10 we actually have a way to control this (through "kcmshll4 kwinrules". You can create a rule that matches all windows and places them on screen <whatever>)

(2) The "videowall" mode is currently not supported (but through eg. scripting or rules) but what you currently run into is a stupid kludge to cover the fact that kmainwindow does not store it's maximization state (but a size beyond the maximization area instead)
For a special case you can create a window rule as well to match that window and remember the size (and maximization state) - this *should* catch that issue (do not attempt to create a "remember" rule matching all window, that does not have the outcome you want)

If you need assistance on creating the rules (hint: pass them a striking name , just call back.

This dialog and the xinerama options were removed from KDE, the local entries should have been removed through some kconfupdate script

Hi, thank you again for clarifying this.

This situation bothers me. The behaviour related to multiple monitors, I am used to, exists since KDE 3.

I can not understand, why it is removed. I will stay with KDE 4.8.5 in the meantime.

Is the removal of the multiple monitor options temporary? Will they come back in a future version of KDE?

Or in other words: Would the behaviour, which I expect and I am used to since 5 years, come back in a future version?

Nevertheless, thanks for your explainations, but manually creating window rules is not a satisfying alternative for me. Maybe temporary, but not as a final solution. Strictly speaking, I must call it a workaround and not a solution.

I think, what I meant by (1) were some focus related options in the window behaviour settings pane.

I can not understand, why it is removed.

As pointed out in the linked discussion, actually only the maximization across all screens had an actual impact.
On the other hand, those settings blew up the code and made it partially overly complex.

Or in other words: Would the behaviour, which I expect and I am used to since 5 years, come back in a future version?

Regarding the "huge window becomes maximized": this will implicitly "fix" when we can drop the kludge with proper maximization hinting from the starting clients.
Unfortunately this requires behavioral change in kdelibs and as of now that means: KDE frameworks (ie. "KDE 5")
In the meantime it might be possible to improve the situation by checking for multiscreen presence and comparing that to the actually requested oversize.

Strictly speaking, I must call it a workaround and not a solution.

Strictly speaking: this is what the rules are there for. =P

I think, what I meant by (1) were some focus related options in the window behaviour settings pane.

That has not gone at all. Windows open on the active screen and that follows the mouse or not.
What was configurable then, was to initially place windows across the entire screen (ie. the placement area was the combination of all display panels)

I have been struck by this regression as well. I am unable to maximize windows on only one monitor since some recent update. I have KDE 4.9.4 and I am running openSUSE 12.2 with double monitors on NVIDIA Twinview. I tell you, it is not nice to remove support for core features without ANY notice. My workflow is seriously impaired now since I found maximizing windows by moving them to the top border an extremely helpful feature. Should I report a bug for this terrible regression or is there a known fix/workaround? I would say that there should be AT LEAST an automatic migration tool.

I am unable to maximize windows on only one monitor since some recent update.

Certainly unrelated, since that is actually the only available stock behavior now.
"Videowall" (fullscreen, not maximizing across all screens) can be achieved by eg. a script (not sure whether it's actually shipped with kwin - maximizing could be done analogue, but apparently that's not what you want)

My workflow is seriously impaired now since I found maximizing windows by moving them to the top border an extremely helpful feature.

And how would that now be related?
The "Quick maximization" feature has not been touched at all, nor is it related to mentioned xinerama settings in any way.

Should I report a bug for this terrible regression or is there a known fix/workaround?

First, please figure what actually *is* the regression on your side - apparently not this issue.
FYI
- it's possible to maximize a window by dragging it to the top
- windows are maximized to the bounds of one screen, this has also been the default before

If you lack the ability to maximize a window by dragging it to the top: the feature is de/activated in "kcmshell4 kwinscreenedges"

I have bizarre behavior where the taskbar is on one screen, windows can be dragged across the screens but when I maximize it spans my 3 monitors. I don't know what window behavior I enabled but this is super annoying.

3x 2560x1600 Apple Cinema HD
3x Nivdia GTX 1070

Xinerama enabled

Can someone please help. I feel like this is new.