6 Monitors - Ubuntu 8.04 - Compiz Fusion - XGL NVIDIA Working! (Video Included)
UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! 04/19/2009 - NEW VIDEO OF THIS SYSTEM WITH JAUNTY JACKALOPE, KDE 4.2.2, XGL, AND COMPIZ FUSION EFFECTS POSTED:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhMErNsEoZw
I will be starting a new thread soon with complete HowTO and information!
** ORIGINAL POST BELOW **
FIRST OF ALL! Thanks to the community for the support to make this happen! I did a lot of surfing and reading on this project!
video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DWzuIreDGA
original build pics: http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstation/
Quick Notes:
This took some testing and tinkering but it's now working with xserver-xgl installed. If we used 3x twinview setups and disabled xinerama - it would create 3 seperate x sessions - but if we used xinerama in that setup it wouldn't give us compiz effects - I could span glxgears across all 6 monitors without a problem - but compiz wouldnt' work.. Sooo - we had to use xserver-xgl with this setup in order to get it to work with compiz.
More Info:
This was a quick video I made of our latest production workstation - The firefox windows come up quickly even with a mp3 playing with visualization on one screen... Which is nice.. but then you realize its really impressive once you see whats going on in the background..
Running Intel quad core cpu with 3x nvidia 8800GTX's - its a 3way sli motherboard but the cards are all running independently. (Complete specs are listed below). Had to use xserver-xgl to get it working correctly. Each vertical row of monitors (3) is running in a twinview configuration- then I use xinerama to combine those 3 virtual monitors together. Tie it all together with another Fake xinerama patch that forces windows to maximize to each monitor and you have once nice setup..
I'll post more videos and blog a breakdown of the workstation later - we documented the workstation build with photos so it should make for a good write-up.
If anyone is interested - we do custom build and sell these workstations - and they can run windows applications using virtual solutions as well.
Complete Specs of system:
--- XFX MB-N780-ISH9 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i (3way) SLI Intel Motherboard
--- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model HH80562PH0568M
--- ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler
--- 3x (yes thats 3 of these monsters) - XFX PVT80FSHF9 GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
--- Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
--- 8 GIGABYTES OF RAM - OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR800C44GK
--- (Memory above is not what is pictured in the build pics - we received wrong set originally - but replaced shortly after)
--- COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro RS-C50-EMBA-D2 ATX Form Factor 12V V2.3 / SSI standard EPS 12V V2.92 1250W Power Supply
---- ALSO USING 4x 10K RPM 36.6GB RAPTOR DRIVES IN RAID 0+1 CONFIGURATION (Most of our storage is on network server so we just need storage on the workstation for apps).
---- External USB 2.0 LG SLIM DVD WRITER
---- 6x DELL Ultrasharp 2009W 20" LCD Monitors
---- 3x Ergotron DS100 Vertical Stands
Pic's of the build can be found here: http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstation/
UPDATE ( 11/02/2008 ) : Added the following pictures for the 3x Ergotron DS100 Vertical Stands used to mount the monitors in this configuration.
(pardon the dust! I don't have to go back there much!)
http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstati...ergotron_1.jpg
http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstati...ergotron_2.jpg
http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstati...ergotron_3.jpg
http://www.d2global.com/d2gworkstati...ergotron_4.jpg
UPDATE ( 11/02/2008 ) : So there is no confusion - these NVIDIA graphics cards are setup in NON-SLI mode. SLI mode at this time only allows you to power a single DVI output. In order to power all 6 monitors using all of the DVI outputs from the cards - the setup is configured in NON-SLI mode - with a single graphics card dedicated to two monitors each.
UPDATE ( 12/11/2008 ) : ADDED IMAGE - Showing windows apps (Adobe CS4 Flash, Fireworks, Word 2003, Excel 2003, IE, Firefox for Windows) w/ Ubuntu Apps (Swiftweasel, etc)
UPDATE ( 04/14/2009 ) : ADDED LINK TO NEW VIDEO OF THIS SYSTEM WITH JAUNTY JACKALOPE 64Bit w/ KDE 4.2.2, XGL, AND COMPIZ FUSION EFFECTS! NEW THREAD WITH COMPLETE HOWTO COMING SOON!
Thanks!
Shane Menshik
D2 GLOBAL INC
http://www.d2global.com
"You see things; and you say Why?? But I dream things that never were; and I say Why not?!" - George Bernard Shaw
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