How can I get a computer setup like this?

Post Reply New Topic

I want to get one of those computer setups with the multiple monitors and the split screens with command lines in each one, like hackers have in movies. I'm talking about this kind of setup: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/73 ... 230240.jpg (can't post URLs because I'm a new user, so you'll have to copy and paste it). Obviously I can't get it now because I don't have the money for it or the space for it in my current home, but in the future I'd like to have a setup like that. That would be awesome. How do you set up something like this?

https://www.displayfusion.com/Compare/

I have a setup like that at home (I'd take a picture but I'm in a hotel on a laptop now).

If you like a lot of terminal windows, the key is not a lot of monitors, but turning them vertical, like the picture you linked. Even one vertical monitor is really cool. You might be able to pick up a used one for cheap. Resolution, refresh rate, color reproduction, none of that stuff is very important for a vertical terminal monitor.

I use these things:
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Sing ... azonBasics

For a terminal program, I use Terminator, which makes it easy to manage lots of terminals.

With Linux it's actually pretty trivial, hardware-wise with many ATI & nVidea cards. It's setting up X that's the tricky part...

With Windows, you have to do your research to find the right card(s) and making sure that the drivers will actually drive all three monitors at once.

So...it's the sort of thing that techies do for fun, IT depts do for pay, and everyone who does it ends up making at least one or two expensive or time-consuming mistakes the first time with a new setup. In my opinion, of course.

A tilling window manager is needed:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiling_window_manager

Hey that's pretty cool. I never new it was compiz that was taking care of all that stuff. I just plug the monitors in and it works.

I've been afraid to touch compiz settings for years. I messed up a computer to the point where I reinstalled the OS once after I got too crazy with compiz settings. But the defaults seem to work fine for me.

Linux + A dynamic tiling windows manager + Multiple Monitors = Desired Results

Might I recommend the Ubuntu or Debian minimal install and install just a command line environment and go from there. While Arch Linux might seem like a good choice due to its customization, I'd avoid it until you get very comfortable with bash. Also I'd avoid Gentoo, while I respect what Gentoo is trying to do, it isn't very practical to compile everything unless you are playing with LFS.

Now that Hard Drives are so cheap, you might consider installing a new system on a new HD--if you screw up you can just go back to the old HD by unplugging the new one and plugging the old one back in.

I have reached that setup too. I basically have a permanent recovery hard drive installed now, due to a KDE experiment gone awry. And I carry an Ubuntu live USB everywhere, because whenever I really need one, I'm always too frustrated to make one, or I can't remember where I put it.

Like everyone said, all 3 OS flavors will handle multiple monitors nicely - just look to see if your computer has multiple plugs for monitors. You don't have to go all-out like that d00d in the picture has it; just 2-3 monitors is way enough.

My brain doesn't do well with those setups. You experiment check if yours does or not. I get distracted by crap in other screens that is more fun, but not on task. I'm not ADD, but a moving twitter feed or email or logs flying by just make me nuts. I use one physical screen (linux, i3 window manager) with 2-3 virtual screens. Then I can go to the flashy places if I want to check email or twitter, but it can stay out of my visual cortex until I want it there. Also I use tmux a lot to have multiple terminals; you can set it up to notify you if something moves while you are not watching. Watching-all-the-things should be done by computers, not my eyes.

It's not as sexy or l33t but I get much more work done.

This is true for me, too but in a different way. My coworker loves multiple monitors, one for whatever their current task & a secondary for communications. I thought I'd prefer that since I'm not big on context-sensitive / modal menus & the like (looking at you, vi...). Instead I found that if I was buried in someone else's code from years ago when things were done different, I had to make the mental switch anyway and so alt-tab / switch workspace or virtual term was "cleaner" in my head somehow?

I find that for me, the more screen space, the better. I have tried to use different workspaces, virtual desktops, but I just forget about when the time comes. I'd end up with 10 different terminals open, each of which had one command executed.

By having more monitors, everything is right there. I use focus follows mouse, and then I don't open up ten windows all running the same app anymore.

I don't run things that move though. Nothing that can catch my peripheral vision and distract me. But terminals and Sublime windows galore, each with it's own purpose.

Edenthiel, you have some similarities to me, FWIW. Though we're probably still quite different. For example, VIM rocks.

Oh, it's still my go-to editor much of the time because, well...it was my first and it's always there. I just get annoyed when *I* get confused due to modal systems...

Dude looks like he's running Linux with a tiling window manager. Honestly, I couldn't see myself using a set up like that, waaaay too much s**t going on to process. I like a nice mouse-driven GUI with stacking windows, thanks. Although I do find the command line to be convenient, and faster for a number of things.

I usually just have one window maximized with my tiling wm at a time and switch between those.