GNOME panel does not extend across dual monitors

This document (7001755) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterpise Desktop (SLED), Server (SLES), or openSUSE with dual monitors setup in xinerama mode.

Situation

With dual monitors setup in xinerama mode the desktop extends properly across both monitors but the GNOME panel at the bottom only shows on one monitor.

Resolution

This is controlled by the nVidia driver. The settings for the driver can be modified by running the following command as the root user:

nvidia-xconfig –no-twinview-xinerama-info

The X server will need to restart to enable the change.

There is an advantage to both settings. When the panel is only on one screen (twinview-xinerama-info enabled) you can maximize a window and it will only maximize on the monitor it was on. If you disable the twinview-xinerama-info the panel will extend across both monitors but if you maximize a window it will also extend across both monitors.

Disclaimer

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