Not really a problem, just a question. I recently added a second monitor to my desktop running Fedora 38 with KDE Plasma. Not sure what kind of video card it has, but the PC is at least ten years old. Output from lspci shows “VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller (rev 09)”
The primary monitor is plugged into the DVI port, the secondary into the SVGA port of the same video card. I was amazed when it actually worked, and I could drag windows back and forth between the two monitors. I thought I would get the same image on both monitors.
Previously I couldn’t figure out how to get items in the Desktop folder to actually appear on the screen until I found a desktop widget that displays a window (sort of) with the Desktop folder items displayed in it. But when I added the second monitor, oddly, all the items in the Desktop folder are also displayed on the second monitor, but without the widget window, just straight on the desktop.
So I tried deleting the desktop widget, but the folders stayed on the secondary monitor.
Then I put the widget back again and the items remained on the second monitor.
Like I said, not a problem, just unexpected. Is this normal behaviour? Is there a setting I don’t know about to control what monitor displays what?
Been a Linux user for a while but new to Fedora.
Thanks.
I haven’t used KDE for years (as the majority of my colleagues use Gnome), but I expect there is a “Displays” control/settings tool that offers a choice of “mirrored” displays (both monitors show the same image) or primary+secondary display (what you describe).
@gnwill thanks for the reply.
There is a “display” setting that allows to adjust the relative positions of the monitors, resolution, and a number of other hardware related options (although mirroring doesn’t appear to be one of them) but there is nothing about what gets displayed. I know with Gnome an extension has to be installed to allow icons to be displayed on the desktop, but not sure about KDE.
I should have mentioned in my original post that I use Gnome most of the time, but I’m exploring the idea of changing over to KDE as there are lots of things I like about it. So I’m not very familiar with it yet.
I should probably also have mentioned that I am not looking to mirror the displays, but that is what I was expecting as both outputs are from the same video card. I’m sure there’s a use case for that, but it is not a requirement for me. I want the displays to be separate and working as they are currently working (acting like one big monitor).
My question is about the apparent disparity between how KDE manages the icon display on both monitors; one is through a widget and the other simply places the icons on the desktop. I’m quite happy with either paradigm, although the widget idea does offer greater flexibility. (which seems to be KDE’s forte)
Don’t have multi monitor setup here, so just guessing:
- Settings are per desktop, so adding a widget to a desktop will only display it on that desktop.
- Primary desktop might be treated differently
- Usually, desktop icons are not displayed via the widget, but through Desktop Folder Settings config (right click on desktop > Configure Desktop and Wallpaper > Location > Show: Desktop folder)
Can you check that setting for both desktops? Also: which is you primary desktop?
@kwizzz thanks! That was the clue I needed. I didn’t know each desktop was treated separately, although I should have sussed it given the second monitor had a different background!
Problem solved. Thanks again.