Dual monitor 8.10 : how to move applications ?

The desktop/application user defaults of dual monitors configuration aren't very mature and a number of rework on the GUI technologies are in work (es. XRandr 1.2).

In my dual monitor expirences I can answer you:
1) I move windows from one monitor to the other pressing the Alt key and click-and-drag the windows with the mouse
2) In the most cases the application will open in the screen where the mouse pointer was when we ask to start it

I hope this can be useful to you,
Luca

1) Doing with the alt-key works correctly but is not perfect because if the windows is maximized it reduce the windows.
2) This thing does not work correctly with me!

I think we should post a feature request for the next release because dual screen start to be widely used !!! (Monitors are cheaper and laptop screen are smaller) Looking on the web i've see that we are not the only one to ask this features.

There is a update posted 3 weeks ago from ati/amd driver however I don't understand all there is to know about this issue. I did manage to do a work around. Each time I start 8.1 I open ATI Catalyst Control Center, and extend the desktop to the right or left of monitor #1, DO NOT restart computer "to keep changes" just run it without restart and the two monitor system works just fine. Can drag whatever to the monitor I wish. When the computer is restarted at some point, the monitor config will be in the "clone mode" so you will need to extend the monitor again each time you fire her up. It works for me, at least until there is a better fix

Thank you all. I think I have the answer now.

First, to Luca Greco and neub: using the Alt-key did not work for me.
Second, to george. Although I use an Nvidia chip set and not an ATI, it led me to try something different and IT WORKS now. In a nutshell:

1) I use the NVIDIA X Server Setting program. The NVIDIA driver version is 173.14.12. The Server version nb is 11.0

2) my two screens are set with the same resolution (1440x900) and this may not be relevant.

3) If you enter the NVIDIA X Server Setting program from your normal user session, whatever change you do will not be recorded (no permission to change the critical file /etc/X11/xorg.conf). Hence, open a terminal windows and type "sudo /usr/bin/nvidia-settings". answer pw request. You will get about 20 error messages but, at the end, the NVIDIA X Server Setting will open in graphic mode and allow you to save the configuration file, which is what you want.

4) Select X Server Display Configuration. You should see a mimic of your two screens, side by side, shown with the last used settings.

5) Select the "Display" tab. Select one display as the primary display and select apropriate resolution for each display.

6) On the configuration line, select the Configure button. Three options are offered:
- disabled
- separate X screen (requires X restart)
- TwinView
DO NOT select the seemingly obvious "separate X screen" (That was my error !!!). Select TwinView, which, contrary to its name, WILL NOT display two identical copies of the same desktop, but what you want: an extended continuous single display space.

7) Don't forget the last step : click on the "save to configuration file" button. Use the merge with previous file option.

8) Reboot and enjoy. I now have a 2880x900 two panes screen and I move freely any window to either side or straddling both.

Michel Virard

Ah okay, this was obvious...

I though you were looking for an hotkey to move an application from one screen to another... This is what i'm looking for :)

Another choice would be to install Compiz. Then in the "CompizConfig Settings Manager" I was able to activate the "Put" feature. The option "Put To Next Output" does just this.