Xfce Forum

MessedUpHare

Member

Registered: 2011-03-29

Posts: 2

Multiple Displays

Hi All,

I am struggling a bit to find decent information on how to properly configure an external display for my laptop.

xfce-settings -> Display, doesn't seem to support anything other than mirroring so I am looking at trying to position my monitors using the xmls within ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/displays.xml

At the moment I have:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<channel name="displays" version="1.0">
  <property name="Default" type="empty">
    <property name="LVDS1" type="string" value="Laptop">
      <property name="Active" type="bool" value="true"/>
      <property name="Resolution" type="string" value="1366x768"/>
      <property name="RefreshRate" type="double" value="59.975153"/>
      <property name="Rotation" type="int" value="0"/>
      <property name="Reflection" type="string" value="0"/>
      <property name="Primary" type="bool" value="false"/>
      <property name="Position" type="empty">
        <property name="X" type="int" value="1280"/>
        <property name="Y" type="int" value="256"/>
      </property>
    </property>
    <property name="VGA1" type="string" value="SHP 17&quot;">
      <property name="Active" type="bool" value="true"/>
      <property name="Resolution" type="string" value="1280x1024"/>
      <property name="RefreshRate" type="double" value="60.019740"/>
      <property name="Rotation" type="int" value="0"/>
      <property name="Reflection" type="string" value="0"/>
      <property name="Primary" type="bool" value="false"/>
      <property name="Position" type="empty">
        <property name="X" type="int" value="0"/>
        <property name="Y" type="int" value="0"/>
      </property>
    </property>
  </property>
</channel>

I am assuming the property i am after is "Position", "X" and "Y" but can't find any documentation anywhere on syntax.

So here are my questions:
What is the purpose of "Position" and what types can I issue?
What are the values for X and Y?

Thanks for anyone who can either tell me or post a url...

Stewart

MessedUpHare

Member

Registered: 2011-03-29

Posts: 2

Re: Multiple Displays

I figured out that I have separated the displays using the X and Y settings.

I'd still like to know the possible values for "Position" though...

kiran.majer

Member

Registered: 2011-11-04

Posts: 11

Re: Multiple Displays

Have you tried xrandr (or arandr)?

efx

Member

Registered: 2011-12-05

Posts: 5

Re: Multiple Displays

MessedUpHare,

I haven't tweaked the display settings XML file for my external monitor, and I agree with kiran.majer; using xrandr can make adding an external display quick and easy.
I have written a shell script that toggles my external monitor. So far it works pretty well with xfce4.6 on Debian Squeeze.

here is my script:

#!/bin/sh
# Provide a simple switch for turning the 2nd monitor on or off. 
        
#executes a command to test if the monitor is on or not and to provide booleans for the switch. 
# 1600x900+1440+0 refers to the highest available monitor resolution. Test your external monitor resolution by turning in on, plugging it in and running xrandr.
monitor=`xrandr -q | grep 1600x900+1440+0`
#$? reads the exit status or return value of the last executed command. 0 is true, anything else is an error. 

if [ $? -gt 0 ]
then    
    echo "Your external monitor is on..."
    
    xrandr --newmode  "1600x900_75.00"  152.28  1600 1704 1880 2160  900 901 904 940  -HSync +Vsync
        xrandr --addmode DVI-0 1600x900_75.00
        xrandr --output DVI-0 --mode 1600x900_75.00 --right-of LVDS
        
else
        echo "Turning external monitor off..."
        xrandr --output VGA1 --off

fi

UPDATE:
Please note that this script does not account for what monitor your panel is linked to. You may have to manually adjust which monitors  your panels display on by going to Settings->Panel.

Last edited by efx (2011-12-21 00:17:21)

sandikaxp

Member

Registered: 2012-05-30

Posts: 1

Re: Multiple Displays

This will fix the problem easily

xrandr --output VGA1 --right-of LVDS1