# Virtual Display Driver for Mac



## skumar2011 (Dec 26, 2006)

Hi Guys,

I want to develop a "Virtual Display Driver"  on  Mac OS X which will create a (virtual)mirror image of original desktop on the same local machine i.e. at a time we can see two desktop on a single machine. When we will open the an application in original desktop same application is also mirrored in virtual desktop vice a versa. We can see two desktop in single monitor on a local machine.

I also want to know that is it require driver implementation or we can implement it just like an application?

Please give me any idea how to proceed.
Any helpful link is very much helpful for me.

Thankx.

Sunil


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## fryke (Dec 26, 2006)

I don't exactly understand. You want _one_ display split in half and both the left and right (or top and bottom) half show exactly the same thing?


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## skumar2011 (Dec 27, 2006)

Hi fryke,
First of all thanks to showing your interest in solving my problems.

I don't want to split one display in half.

I want to create a virtual image of the whole desktop on the same local machine. Where we can see two same desktop at a time in  single monitor one will be the original desktop and  second will be the virtually created. It is something like mirroring the monitor of a local machine. An action on any desktop will also be reflected on other desktop.

waiting for reply.


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## fryke (Dec 27, 2006)

So you have _two_ displays connected, then. This already exists. Just select "video mirroring" in the Displays preference pane.


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## DeltaMac (Dec 27, 2006)

OR, you could use something that already exists - VirtueDesktops
http://virtuedesktops.info/index.php/about/


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## skumar2011 (Dec 28, 2006)

Thanks for reply.

The link which u have mentioned there is one application named "VirtueDesktops". This application maintain the different desktop session.
As I have mentioned in my post I want to develop a driver or an application which will create the Virtual Desktop on the same monitor. Its functionality like VNC which works on network or internet where VNCViewer can see the VNCServer Desktop. I don't want to create two application like VNCServer and VNCViewer ,I want to create single driver or application which will show my own desktop in the same monitor where my original desktop is i.e. we can see two desktop at a time on a single monitor,one will be the original and second will be the virtually created. If we pass any event like launching the an application or opening a folder etc. in either of the desktop same thing mirrored in the second desktop on the same monitor.


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## bobw (Dec 28, 2006)

Call me stupid, but what you're saying doesn't make any sense to me.

You want to have a duplicate desktop on top of the original?

Or are you doing this for network use?

Please explain in more detail

As for a VNC Viewer, it doesn't see another desktop, it sees the original/normal desktop when you connect.


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## skumar2011 (Dec 28, 2006)

yes I want to have a duplicate desktop on top or beside of the original desktop.
I want to create a duplicate copy of whole desktop on the local machine not on the network and we can see both the desktop (original and duplicate)  in a single monitor.


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## bobw (Dec 28, 2006)

Just out of curiosity, why do you want to do this?


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## DeltaMac (Dec 28, 2006)

this would be to show 2 desktops (with the same exact image) at the same time on the same computer's display? Am i reading this the same as everyone else?


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## skumar2011 (Dec 30, 2006)

Yes DeltaMac you are thinking write what I want to develop.

I think if I develop a driver to achieve this type of functionality will be better.
Because I want to show 2 desktops (with the same exact image) at the same time on the same computer's display.

But to develop this type of driver I am not getting any help.

Please help me.


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## bobw (Dec 30, 2006)

Why would anyone want something like this. Seems useless to me, but that's just me.

One monitor, two desktops exactly the same, side by side, would give you half the full desktop on each, unless you have a 30" monitor.

You could use two mintors and mirror the desktop.


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## DeltaMac (Dec 30, 2006)

bobw said:


> Just out of curiosity, why do you want to do this?



also, what is your goal in having both images to be identical?
If you want to view two desktops (identical or not) on the same display, then you will have a LOT of blank space, and each desktop will be very small - hard to read text, etc. This is because you will have to allow space for the same proportions twice on a screen designed to show one desktop.

But, a mirrored desktop - on the same screen? This is good to do on a second display, and certainly has good uses, but why do that on the same screen?


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## fryke (Dec 30, 2006)

It doesn't make *ANY* sense at all. If you show the same desktop (exactly the same...) at the same time on the same screen you'll still see *one* desktop.

None of your explanations help. At all. It makes absolutely no sense, skumar2011.

What do you *want* to achieve with this?


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## DeltaMac (Dec 30, 2006)

No driver mod needed to do this, and VirtueDesktop would PROBABLY do it, but is a function that software wouldn't really be set up to do, as it doesn't have any real purpose.
Simply copy one desktop into another desktop, and view both on screen (I suppose).


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## dlloyd (Dec 30, 2006)

I could see there could be a use to having a 'virtual desktop in a window,' sort of like a VNC session to a second desktop on the same computer, but this isn't what he wants, and besides, that's what VirtueDesktops does. As far as I can tell, he either wants two separate, identical images right next to each other in one display, or he wants a duplicate of the original desktop in a window. VNC won't work for this because it will display a copy of the duplicate and so on, forming an infinite loop (I've tried it.)
I have absolutely no idea how one would go about developing a driver to do the sort of thing he's speaking of; my impression was that Apple didn't allow such low-level access to the hardware anyway.


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## skumar2011 (Jan 2, 2007)

Hi Guys,

First of all a Very Happy New year to all

I m a Mac programmer. My client has asked to me to do this as a module. So I also don't know the use of it. But I think it is related to some educational purpose & this module is a part of it.
Client has asked me to develop driver for this.

Thanks


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## fryke (Jan 2, 2007)

Then I'd go and ask the client, really. Do they _know_ what they really want this for? They've requested it as a driver, but are they sure that a driver is needed? ... Sorry for all these questions, it just sounds so amusingly silly the way it is explained so far.


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## tacheles (Aug 11, 2010)

I need a virtual monitor in OSX Monitor Output setup.
Simply to create some space between two monitors which show one picture
over two screens. These screens have of course a plastic border of 3 cm.
Means my screens have 4 cm space in the middle when they stay together.

I am looking for a monitor dummy which is not existing but could be set up in the monitor setup. So it takes like 4cm in between my real 2 monitors.
A ball which rolls from left to right will disappear in the middle of the 4 cm a bit so it looks right.

Any body an idea?


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