multi-monitor feature - Still cannot use 17.6.x

[JavaScriptDude]

Can someone from VMWare/Broadcom please provide an update on the multi-monitor feature issue that was released with 17.6.0 version of VMware Workstation Pro; which is still an issue over 6 months later.

I purchased a VMware workstation Pro 17.6 license back in October of last year and still cannot use it as my workflows depend on using multiple monitors in an interactive way with my linux host (three monitors: 1 to host and 2 to guest). My only recourse was to downgrade to the last stable 17.5.x release :(

[Tim Barber]

I as well would like an update to this.The feature worked just fine for my 17.5.x installation.

[Grant Gilson]

Can you please attach vmware.log and mksSandbox.log and a description of your current host setup? 

[Tim Barber]

Attached is my vmware.log file, but I do not have a mksSandBox.log file. There are mksSandbox-0.log, mksSandbox-1.log and mksSandbox-2.log files, but they have timestamps from November 2024.

My current setup is 3 monitors of all the manufacture (Asus) and of the same size (23") all running the same resolution. For the log file, I had the main UI running on the center monitor. When I selected Cycle Monitor Monitory, it attempted to stretch to the left-most monitor. The screens flickered a few times and then reported the app was unable to make use of the monitor. I then tried again for which the app in the center monitor tried to make use the the right-most screen and was successful. However, the mouse-click on the right-most monitor does nothing. I also attached the error message I was getting on the screen when I first attempted to cycle the multi-monitor.

Attachment(s)

vmware.log   175 KB 1 version

[Tim Barber]

Sorry, I forgot to give you my software setup. My host OS is openSUSE Leap and the VM guests are all Windows 10.

[JavaScriptDude]

vmware.log is attached. I don't have any mksSandbox.log files as I don't use 3D Graphics settings. 

My Guest OS is windows server but the issue happens with any guest.

My host is Linux Mint on a HP Z840 with dual Xeon and 93 GiB of RAM. Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 66x with 3 Samsung C27R50x monitors.

Attachment(s)

vmware.log   406 KB 1 version

[JavaScriptDude]

@Grant Gilson - Can you confirm if I've sent enough info. I need to downgrade back to 15.x so I can have a functional development environment again but wanted to make sure you have what you need. Thanks.

[Grant Gilson]

The website is having issues with delivering the files to me. https://community.broadcom.com/vmware-cloud-foundation/discussion/test-uploading-log-files 

[test testat]

Hello,

any news on that topic.

At the moment that prevents me from switching to linux (when windows 10 is out of service).

[Tim Barber]

I haven't heard from Grant since I sent him the requested files out of band.

Tim

[Ian Forbes]

Are you using X11 or Wayland on your host?

-------------------------------------------

[JavaScriptDude]

X11

-------------------------------------------

[JavaScriptDude]

X11. I don't use Wayland as it's still a long way to be ready for
production desktop environment; at least with the tools I use.

[goldeneye_007]

I'm going to say it is an issue with your AMD drivers. I am using the nVidia drivers and have none of the issues you have outlined. I am also running on X11. Actually I have an office of 12 people on multi-monitor. OpenSuse is our desktop standard with VMware Workstation 17.6.X running instances of Windows 11. I would start looking at your card drivers both at the host and the guest level. In the old days of nVIdia drivers, you had to manually do some geometry tweaks with X11 inside the nVidia interface so that the output would go to the correct monitors. These days though, it just works. We always had problems with AMD which is why we standardized on nVidia. Not that nVidia did not have problems, they were just more easily sorted.

-------------------------------------------

[JavaScriptDude]

Interesting. I wonder if Broadcom is has systems with AMD cards to test? They definitely need to support both nVidia and AMD IMHO. Funny that nVidia is now the good guy's with drivers. When I bought my AMD card a couple years ago, AMD was the company to definitely not use for linux workstations.

I'm still a bit dubious about nVidia because of the bad experiences of using them on my primary Linux workstations since I switched to Linux 11 years ago. I have no plans on switching my video card.

-------------------------------------------

[goldeneye_007]

I can only relate my personal experience. I have been using Linux since 1995 and VMware since version 1. I've seen a lot of things. I am sorry I am not able to contribute more to solving your issue but I have no familiarity with AMD products. I quit trying to make them work years ago due to drivers. I would definitely look into desktop geometry as it sounds like it is having heartburn flipping between the screens which is why you can see the one screen but the mouse doesn't seem to work on it.  nVidia gets all manner of bad PR because their drivers are not open source. One final question, If you go into your VM and select Edit Virtual Machine Settings, and you click on Display, what are your settings in there?

-------------------------------------------

[goldeneye_007]

Duplicate post

-------------------------------------------

[Tim Barber]

Just as a general post to all of the above. I finally installed/upgraded to 25H2 version, and now the multi-monitor functionality is working 100% for me so I would suggest people upgrade to see if it works for them.

-------------------------------------------

[JavaScriptDude]

Initial smoke tests look like 25H2 has fixed the issue.

------------------------------
Timothy C. Quinn
https://github.com/JavaScriptDude
------------------------------