Working on a single monitor is sometimes not enough especially when you are working on a large project or need to open multiple windows of programs. Although you can open the windows side by side, still the workspace is not big enough to work comfortably.
Here is why the dual monitor setup comes in handy. By adding one more monitor, the workspace area is improving significantly. Opening many windows won’t be a problem anymore, and you can work seamlessly between them.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to configure dual monitors setup on Xfce Desktop Environment and utilize the extra display to work efficiently on your projects.
Requirements
Before we configure dual monitors setup on Xfce, we will need to prepare some requirements:
- Monitor. Of course, we will need this for the second display right?
- HDMI, Display Port, or USB C cables. We will use the cable to connect from your computer or laptop to the second monitor.
Connect the Second Monitor
In order to use the second monitor, you will need to connect it first to the computer or laptop.
- Connect the power adapter to the monitor
- Plug the HDMI, Display Port, or USB C cable into the monitor.
- then, plug the other end of the cable into the computer or laptop.
- Press the power button on the monitor to turn it on.
Your computer or laptop should automatically detect the monitor.
Configure Xfce Display Settings
Now that the second monitor has been connected, you can start configuring the dual monitor setup by going to the Xfce Display Settings.
First open the application menu by pressing the windows button on your keyboard, or by clicking the menu button on the left side of the panel.
Then click the settings button at the top of the application menu.
Under the Hardware section, click on the Display option, which will bring you to the Xfce display settings.
If it is the first time configuring dual screen, chances are the display will be set as Mirror displays. Since you want to setup a dual display, you will need to disable the Mirror display option.
Simply uncheck the Mirror displays option to disable the mirror display, and click the Apply button to apply the changes.
And the pop-up will come up asking whether you want to save the current configuration or restore the previous configuration. Choose the “Keep this configuration” option.
Now the displays are not mirrored anymore, and you can start arranging them in a position you want, which is what we will do in the next section.
Arrange the Monitors
Whether you want them to be side-by-side or stacked setup, you can configure them in the display settings easily.
To arrange the monitors is actually pretty simple. In the display settings, simply drag the display to the desired position. For example, you can stack the display by dragging one of the displays to the top of the other. See the demonstration below:
Once you are satisfied with the positioning of your monitors, you can save the changes by clicking on the Apply button, and choose Keep this configuration when the confirmation pop-up arises.
Adjust the Resolution and Orientation
The other options you can configure in Xfce display settings are Resolution and Orientation. Depending on your monitor’s native resolution, you can set it to a higher or lower resolution.
From the dropdown, choose the display you want to set the resolution or rotation.
And in the resolution options, choose the resolution you want to set. I recommend using the highest resolution if possible because the display will look better.
And in the Rotation options, there are four available options: none, left, right, and invert. Choose the rotation as how your physical monitor is set up. For example, if you rotate your monitor 90 degrees to the left, you should set the Rotation options to “left“.
To apply the changes, click on the Apply button, and choose Keep this configuration in the pop-up.
Set the Primary Monitor
The primary display option can be useful when you mostly work on the main display, while using the other display for complementary works only.
When the primary display option is enabled on a certain monitor, the panel will be attached to that main display.
You can find the Primary Display option in the display dropdown. To change the Primary Display to a different monitor, select that monitor from the dropdown, and then enable the Primary Display option from it.
Click Apply to save the changes.
Enable Panel on Multiple Monitors
By default, the panel will only display in just one screen, this makes the other screen feel empty. but don’t worry, because the Xfce desktop environment provides you the ability to enable the panel on both screens. To enable the panel on multiple screens you can just follow the following steps:
First, go to Settings, then under the personal section, click Panel.
Look for an option called Span monitors, check that option to enable the panel on multiple Monitors.
After the option is checked, the panel should immediately available on both screens.
Please note that the Span monitors option only works if you place your monitor side by side.
Multiple Workspaces with Dual Monitors Setup
Although you have dual monitors setup, you still can use the workspace features that Xfce provides to manage your working area to be more clean and organized. With dual monitors, the workspace is even better because you can work on more applications at the same time without needing to split the screen.
Add a New Workspace
To work on multiple workspaces on Xfce, first, you will need to add a new workspace, as the default setting only has one workspace. Adding a new workspace in Xfce is quite simple:
Look on the right side of the Xfce panel, you will find the Workspace switcher there.
Right-click on the workspace switcher and select Workspace Settings. In the settings menu, you will find the option to configure the number of workspaces.
Add a new workspace by clicking on the + button, or manually entering the desired number in the available field.
Once you are done adding the workspaces, you can close the workspace switcher preferences.
Switch Between Workspaces
Now that you have added new workspaces, you can switch between them using two methods:
Using the workspace switcher menu. With this method, you can simply just click on the workspace switcher and it will instantly switch between workspaces.
Using the Keyboard shortcuts. You can also use the keyboard shortcut to switch between workspaces in Xfce
CTRL + ALT + Right Arrow to switch to the next workspace.
CTRL + ALT + Left Arrow to switch to the previous workspace.
Conclusion
To wrap up, you have learned how to configure dual monitors setup on the Xfce desktop environment. Increasing your productivity and visual experience by extending your desktop with dual monitors setup.
If you encounter any difficulties or have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comment section below.