I recently acquired a second monitor, which i just couldn’t get to talk to me. Because my work station is also the Sunray server for the demo Sunray clients in the office the /etc/dt/config/Xservers file reverts after reboot or dtlogin restart. After stopping the Sunray server with # /etc/init.d/utsvc stop the changes stayed.

Let’s look at the changes required to add a 2nd monitor, whether you’re on a Sunray server or not. If /etc/dt/config directory does not exist you will have to manually create it first.

# cp /usr/dt/config/Xservers /etc/dt/config/Xservers

#cp /usr/dt/config/Xconfig /etc/dt/config/Xconfig

Then you will have to change /etc/dt/config/Xservers line from:

:0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/X11/bin/Xserver :0 -nobanner

to (in my case at least - check your framebuffer type with fbconfig -list):

:0 Local local_uid@console root /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun +xinerama -dev /dev/fbs/pfb0a -dev /dev/fbs/pfb0b

To make the changes take effect you can either reboot or restart dtlogin using the following method. Logout, and at the welcome screen click on ‘command line logon’. Login, stop and start dtlogin using /etc/init.d/dtlogin stop then /etc/init.d/dtlogin start. Exit the command line session and wait for the welcome screen again. You should now have both monitors running in xinerama mode. If you don’t want xinerama mode just remove the +xinerama bit.

Don’t forget to restart your Sunray if you have one. # /etc/init.d/utsvc start.

GOTCHA: If you reboot your system you will have to stop Sunray services again, or the Xservers file will be replaced with the default.  Also, xinerama is a cpu hog, at times more than doubling the amount of cpu resources required if you ran dual monitor without xinerama.  Unfortunately my ex-manager that arranged this system was cheap and only put 1 cpu in.