LXDE Forums

Hello fellow lxde-users,

when using a external monitor there are 2 similar desktops blend together (the attached screen shot should help you understand).
I'm using a Lenovo T400 and a 1680x1050 monitor. The internal resolution is 1400x900. I don't want to use them simultaneously or be able to switch on the fly - internal on the go, external at home would work just fine.

I already tried to get rid of the problem by using arandr, which sadly doesn't help at all.


Thanks for any suggestions

How did you get it to do that?
I have never seen that before. Are you using one OS (i.e. not dual or multipbooting)? Not sure why that is relevent because they don't bleed over. Does the problem remain if you change the theme (under Preferences->Openbox Configuration->Theme)? What theme are you using anyway?

Hello Rex Bouwense,

I'm using Lubuntu 12.10, freshly installed, no dual boot at all. Changing the theme (my default is Clearlooks-3.4) doesn't take any effect on the desktop.
it really seems to be a weird problem. I already consulted the German ubuntuuser-forums but nobody had a clue what to do.

Best regards


E: Well, I found a little workaround but it isn't practical at all:
First I have to set the external monitor's resolution to 1440x900, then I have to tweak around with the wallpaper (-> centring -> scaling). Now I can set the resolution back to the monitors native an everything works just fine - one desktop and the wallpaper is scaled properly. After rebooting the wallpaper isn't scaled properly but I still got one functioning desktop, works for me. Running without dock, internal monitor only, works perfectly, too. But after putting it back into the docking-station and using the external monitor everything is messed up again...

seppalta wrote:http://lxlinux.com/#14

Pugmaster wrote: I already tried to get rid of the problem by using arandr, which sadly doesn't help at all.

Tried it one more time, doesn't make any difference. After rebooting with the external monitor there are two desktops in one.

Did you try the second option that seppalta's web site talks about, Grandr?

Unfortunately Grandr isn't provided via official libraries in Lubuntu 12.10 anymore. Is there any possibility to get it anyway? I'm really not too deep into the linux-world ...

OK. I just shot my mouth off and didn't check it with Synaptic Package Manager. When I put a search in there, all that I got was lxrandr. Is that the one that you have already tried?

I already checked Arandr. Lxrandr is just the default monitor configurator provided with Lubuntu.

there are two desktops in one

What does this mean? After using arandr to get the configuration that you want, you have to save it, default is to .screenlayout. Then you add that shell script (~.screenlayout/name.sh) to lxde autostart to get the same setting to repeat each boot. It's all inhttp://lxlinux.com .