so you would have css/custom.css and css/custom2.css, one for each instance

from the doc
https://docs.magicmirror.builders/configuration/introduction.html

customCss	The path of the custom.css stylesheet. The default is css/custom.css.

the MM_CONFIG_FILE problem is mine

the correct stmt would be

export MM_CONFIG_FILE=$(pwd)/config/config2.js

notice I changed the brackets to parens and changed the command name

Here’s how to do it cleanly: (replace <username> with your pi login name., with width of first monitor)

1. create two starting scripts:

First, mm.sh is as follows:

cd /home/<username>/MagicMirror
DISPLAY=:0 npm start

Second, mm2.sh is as follows:

cd /home/<username>/MagicMirror
export MM_CONFIG_FILE=${pwd}/config/config2.js
DISPLAY=:0 npm start

2. Two config files in magicmirror/config next:

First, config.js (this is your second monitor):

       var config = { 
       electronOptions: { x: <width> },
        address: "0.0.0.0",
        port: 8080,
        ipWhitelist: [],
        language: "en",
        timeFormat: 12,
        units: "imperial",
        //logLevel: ["INFO", "LOG", "WARN", "ERROR", "DEBUG"],
        modules: [
...

Second config2.js (this is your first monitor):

       var config = { 
        address: "0.0.0.0",
        port: 8081,
        ipWhitelist: [],
        language: "en",
        timeFormat: 12,
        units: "imperial",
        //logLevel: ["INFO", "LOG", "WARN", "ERROR", "DEBUG"],
        modules: [
...

electronOptions will only work in the file that isn’t redirected to a new config - so use that in the config.js only.

copy the second config.js to the first mm config directory as config2.js

edit the mm2.sh

cd to the first mm directory(instead of the second)
and add a line

export MM_CONFIG_FILE=${cwd}/config/config2.js
npm start

now. make sure all the modules needed by both instances are installed in the modules folder of the 1st instance.

if they aren’t used by a particular instance, no big deal, same as setting disabled:true on a module config

cd /home/bkey1970/MagicMirror
DISPLAY=:0 npm start

and mm2.sh does:

cd /home/bkey1970/MagicMirror2
DISPLAY=:0 npm start

To get the 2nd on the 2nd monitor, I added:

        electronOptions: {
    x: 1920
},

to the 2nd config.js, right below the address line, and changed the port to 8081.

copy, change the name and script name, make a new script mm2.sh
and the env variable

pm2 start pm2_MagicMirror.json(new name)
pm2 save

that give the app pm2 manages a pretty name

you can test w another terminal window
set the env variable, using export variable=
then create the new config.js, w only the modules u want enabled.
then npm start

see the MM_CONFIG_FILE env variable

to get an instance on the other monitor you need to add

electronOptions:{x:????,width:yyyy},

to the config.js before the modules:{} list

??? is the width of the 1st display in pixels
yyyy is the width of the second monitor

note that you can also do the MMM-Pages approach, and only display some on a logical page 1 and some on logical page 2 in rotation…

see my fork for a better way to define that
https://github.com/sdetweil/MMM-pages

I want 1 monitor to just display Google photo and the other monitor showing all the informative stuff like calendar news stock etc. would this be more viable running 2 instances of mm? Or 1 instance of mm portraying Google photo on 1 screen and info on another side?

It feels like the first option is easier?

I’m happy to go either direction.

Of course the easiest solution is to buy 2 pi and call it a day. But where’s the fun in that 😅

• expanding screen with 2 monitors on 1 mm instance
• 2 individual mm on each screen