I thought I would share some details about the setup I have in my office. I’ve found that this configuration gives me the most flexibility while allowing me to be very productive.
My main computer is a Thinkpad T43 notebook. It runs Kubuntu Fiesty Fawn (Kubuntu is a version of Ubuntu that uses the KDE environment instead of Gnome). I can run XP inside of VMware Player or boot into Vista on a separate partition. The Thinkpad T series is great for running Linux. Everything just works.
When I’m at the office, my laptop is docked to the screen in the upper-right of the photo. I have Kubuntu configured to stretch my desktop across the laptop’s screen and the external one. I usually run my web browser (Firefox) on the external screen and put all other windows on the laptop’s screen. Windows can be dragged across both screens as needed.
The screen on the upper-left is attached to an older laptop running XP. I use this system mainly for email (Thunderbird). I can also quickly run other applications that require Windows. I don’t use the XP system’s built-in keyboard or mouse. Instead, I use an open source utility called Synergy to connect the XP laptop to my Kubuntu laptop over the network. Synergy acts like a software-based keyboard/mouse switch. It allows me to use one keyboard and mouse to control both computers. When my mouse hits the left edge of the main laptop’s screen, Synergy automatically switches input to the XP laptop. It’s all seamless and works flawlessly. It feels like I’m using just one computer with three screens. Synergy even allows me to cut and paste text across the two systems. Matt Cutts has a good post on his site on how to set up Synergy.
Having three screens really helps me get things done. On a typical day, I keep email up on one screen, web pages up on another, and then anything else I need to run on the third screen. I can see all applications without having to alt-tab or use the task bar. When I’m building web pages or applications, I put my code and mark-up on one screen, the output of web pages on another, and display error logs on the third. Having three screens for web development is wonderful. Highly recommended.
Outside of Firefox and Thunderbird, the applications I tend to run most often are Pidgin/Skype (instant messaging), Amarok (music), VLC (video), OpenOffice.org, and Quanta Plus (web development). All of those except for Amarok and Quanta can run under Linux or Windows. I also alway have Superkaramba running widgets on my desktop for things like weather, time, CPU/RAM usage, etc. I do a lot on the command line and have found that Yakuake is the best console application. With a single keystroke I can unroll a console window over my desktop and then roll it back up to get it out of the way. When I need to print, I use the Bright Q driver for Linux that lets me access all of the functions on our Canon copier.
So this setup lets me use an environment that’s best for me, while staying connected to the resources and data that other people in the office are using.
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