Arch Linux

Snip

Member

Registered: 2010-10-07

Posts: 3

Auto detect external monitor

Is it possible to have a script executed when I connect/disconnect my external monitor to my laptop (using a VGA cable)? I want to automatically execute xrandr to enable the external monitor and disable my laptop screen as soon as the cable is plugged in, and the other way around when it's unplugged. I can do it manually using the hotkey, but I'm just wondering wether this is possible as well.

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,356

Re: Auto detect external monitor

Latest xrandr has support from this (I've heard). Means you're out of luck if you're an nvidia user. Don't know whether the support has actually be implemented in the Intel driver (more likely) or radeon (less likely).

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karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Auto detect external monitor

@ ngoonee
How about nouveau?

ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,356

Re: Auto detect external monitor

@ ngoonee
How about nouveau?

No idea, never got it to work well on my machine. This would be driver specific, the support (or otherwise) for xrandr's latest (probably 1.3).

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Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

Mektub

Member

From: Lisbon /Portugal

Registered: 2008-01-02

Posts: 647

Re: Auto detect external monitor

Is it possible to have a script executed when I connect/disconnect my external monitor to my laptop (using a VGA cable)? I want to automatically execute xrandr to enable the external monitor and disable my laptop screen as soon as the cable is plugged in, and the other way around when it's unplugged. I can do it manually using the hotkey, but I'm just wondering wether this is possible as well.

On a EEEpc I have:

CRT=`xrandr | grep "VGA1 connected"`
if [ "x${CRT}x" != "xx" ]; then
   xrandr --output LVDS1 --off --output VGA1 --mode 1680x1050 --pos 0x0 --rotate normal
fi

This has to be calibrated to the particular case, the value is not necessarily 'VGA1'.

And it will probably not work with the proprietary nvidia drivers.

Mektub

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mgzpac

Member

Registered: 2010-07-31

Posts: 18

Re: Auto detect external monitor

Are there any solutions for nvidia users?

R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: Auto detect external monitor

Bad idea unless you have tons of checks and fallbacks, otherwise you may get into a state where you end up with no image everywhere

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R00KIE
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BurntSushi

Member

From: Massachusetts

Registered: 2009-06-28

Posts: 362

Website

Re: Auto detect external monitor

Are there any solutions for nvidia users?

Not particularly; at least, not one that I've found.

However, I think a combination of disper (in the AUR) and assigning it to some keyboard shortcut(s) is a perfectly suitable alternative for most uses.

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ngoonee

Forum Fellow

From: Between Thailand and Singapore

Registered: 2009-03-17

Posts: 7,356

Re: Auto detect external monitor

Also auto-disper-git for reloading saved configs. There's no way I've found to automatically run the script though, I just bind it to a keyboard shortcut.

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Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.