2x ApplicationServer 6 Beta - Color Depth in Multi Monitor

The multiple monitor support has gotten us all excited here! It seems to be limited to 8-bit color, though - is this a known limitation?.

 

Re: BETA 6 of ApplicationServer now online

The limitation comes from the terminal server itself.

 

Re: BETA 6 of ApplicationServer now online

Really? A limitation in Windows 2003 Terminal Services? Kind of defies the purpose of the new 2x client supporting multiple monitors, then. Who would accept 8-bit color?

 

Hi JMI,

We tried to reproduce this issue in our testing labs but unfortunately we could not manage to reproduce this issue.

We tested using the following scenario:

3 Monitors in a row (horizontal) - with a total res of 3840 * 1024
3 Monitors in an L shape form - with a total res of of 2432 * 2048

In both scenarios it worked fine with Color depth of 24 bit as specified on the Terminal Server.

Can you please give more information about the total amount of resolution in your scenario. Apart from that, also specify the control version of the ocx installed on your client. (you can get this information from 2X ApplicationServer Client -> Hep -> Control Version) This will help us in order to solve this problem.

Another suggestion is to try to connect with the MS RDP client using [mstsc.exe /span] to enable spanning and check whether you experience the same problem.

 

The setup we all use in our company is a laptop and an external LCD display connected to a port replicator or docking station. We then use the "Extend my desktop onto this monitor" feature in Windows XP to provide two desktops for the users while they are in the office.

Their big grief with the 2X client has therefore so far been that they couldn't drag the published applications to the extended display.

The resolution of the internal and external display usually differs - in my case the internal LCD is 1400x1050 pixels, while the external is set to 1680x1050.

Is this not a supported configuration? I tried reducing the external resolution to 1400x1050 to match the laptop, but that didn't seem to help.

mstsc /span didn't span at all. OSX is 6.0.6000 (51).

 

Hi jmi,

I guess this must be a server configuration issue, as spanning on the mstsc is not working in your environment.

Solve the mstsc /span & this should then solve your 2X Client problem.

In the mean time, check that the RDP-TCP settings -> Client Settings-> Limit Maximum Color Depth is disabled.
What is the OS of the server you are connecting with?

Nixu

 

You need to update your MS RDP client, 2X should report (60) or (61).

 

My mstsc.exe is version 6.0.6000.16386 - is there a newer available for Windows XP SP2?

 

you have something wrong registered as 2x still shows (5x), it should show (6x) if you have the latest.
also mstsc is not spanning to both screens.
i suggest you reinstall ms component and make sure you use that latest, there have been more than one version around

 

Sure about this? My Vista 2x client shows (61), but even after a reinstallation of the latest downloadable client (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... layLang=en) my XP client is still at (51).

 

Re: BETA 6 of ApplicationServer now online

This is a limitation of Service Pack 2 in Windows Server 2003. I fought this battle as well and even contacted Microsoft about it. It appears that SP2 lowers the max resolution in terminal services at 16 bit (I believe 1600x1200 is the max). There is no way to change this, and the only solution I found was to NOT install SP2.

 

Re: BETA 6 of ApplicationServer now online

16 bit would be fine - but with our two-screen configuration it's limited to 8 bits. Is this pure arithmetic? 8 bits per display equals the maximum 16?

 

Re: BETA 6 of ApplicationServer now online

I am using the linux client in Xinerama mode (Extended Desktop), and both monitors are at 1680x1050 which gets doubled (3360x1050) on the 2X end, and I get 24 bit (or 16). If I upgrade to SP2 on the 2003 server, it drops to 8 bit. Even Microsoft claims there is no fix. Why they changed it, I have no idea. I just tried looking for the forum I started on MSDN, but it's not there anymore. As far as windows clients, we had the same issue, but it would put it in a window mode. Once we upgraded to RDP 6.0 it was resolved. However, I did not test the SP2 box with RDP 6.

 

Nixu,

I, too, am experiencing the same issue. If I use MSTSC with /span and launch a published desktop I get 3200x1200x8 bit color. If I turn off spanning and/or go single monitor I get 1600x1200x24 bit color.

Per the other poster it looks like 2003 SP2 is somehow limiting to 8 bit color. Not sure if this is an intentional limitation or if it is dependent upon the graphics memory in the graphics card in the term serv. Perhaps the TS session is limited by the physical max potential of the console?? This could explain why it cannot be reproduced on the 2x side OR perhaps your term servers do not have SP2 loaded.

I'd like to keep this issue alive.

Chris

EDIT: Looks like this is a known SP2 issue with a hotfix. I haven't tested it yet but this hotfix will presumably give you up to 16 bit color depth.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942610

Nixu, if you want to be able to support > 16 bit color depth for published applications against a 2003 SP2 server you will need to engineer a method to launch the rdp web control such that it thinks it is not spanning. Of course this would limit the published apps ability to maximize in a spanned mode. I'd prefer to have windows maximize to an individual display at full color depth so for me it's a fair trade.

 

Excellent research, Chris! I applied the hotfix to our test server, and -sure enough - 16-bit color depth is enabled on both displays.

Initial testing shows some problems with 2x windows being placed slightly off-screen on the secondary display - the title bar is hidden, making it impossible to move them (the usual ALT-SPACEBAR trick doesn't work either).

Also, there is the worry that Microsoft is right about the performance issue with the hotfix applied. If it's a question of installing more memory in the terminal server this would be an easy cost/benefit-decision for us.

 

Thanks for testing so quickly, jmi. I am hoping the devs will take a look at my prior suggestion and evaluate the technical feasability. The only reason that the host rdp session would need to be opened at the spanned client display resolution is if the user intended to span a single application window (or desktop) across multiple monitors. I know that in my requirements this is not the case. If the web client can be directed to open the remote session at the resolution of the primary monitor only then, perhaps, they can offer a configuration option where a given server would or would not support spanning for it's apps and desktops. I don't think you could permit this on an application or desktop publication definition level as, with session sharing behind the scenes, you couldn't have the remote session started up snapped to the resolution of the primary monitor and then have a user try to run a desktop or app on the same server/session that wanted to span. Let's see what 2x thinks.

 

Hi cwerfel..

Your requested option is already available in the client of latest beta(409).

In the Client -> Options -> Advanced Settings, you can find 2 settings:
1) Span desktops on all Monitors. This enables/disables spanning of the desktop.

2) Use primary monitor only for published applications. This enables / disables published applications to be moved out of the primary monitor.

Disabling these settings will surly allow connections with the sever with high resolutions.

Nixu

 

Nixu, Thank you. I have tried these options and they do work as advertised however they don't seem to solve the color depth issue. I expect that even with 'use primary monitor' turned on the rdp control is still opening a spanning session. I tested these settings against a term serv with the hotfix applied and get 16-bit color (even though the TS is setup for 24-bit) for the published application. A published desktop at 1280x1024 DOES get 24-bit color so disabling desktop spanning does work as expected here.

I *may* be misinterpreting the color depth but if I publish notepad the title bar of the published application presents as light blue/grey on the client whereas if I look at the same application on a single monitor the title bar is dark blue.

 

Hi there,

Version 6 has been Released..

Enjoy

Nixu

 

Argh! New Linux Client, please!!! :x