xrandr - primitive command line interface to RandR extension
xrandr [--help] [--display display] [-q] [-v]
[--verbose] [--dryrun] [--screen snum] [--q1] [--q12] [--current]
[--noprimary] [--panning
widthxheight[+x+y[/track_widthxtrack_height+track_x+track_y[/border_left/border_top/border_right/border_bottom]]]]
[--scale x[xy]] [--scale-from wxh] [--transform
a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i]
[--primary] [--prop] [--fb widthxheight] [--fbmm
widthxheight] [--dpi dpi] [--dpi from-output]
[--newmode name mode] [--rmmode name] [--addmode
output name] [--delmode output name] [--output
output] [--auto] [--mode mode] [--preferred] [--pos
xxy] [--rate rate] [--reflect reflection]
[--rotate orientation] [--left-of output] [--right-of
output] [--above output] [--below output] [--same-as
output] [--set property value] [--off] [--crtc
crtc] [--gamma red[:green:blue]] [--brightness
brightness] [-o orientation] [-s size] [-r rate]
[-x] [-y] [--listproviders] [--setprovideroutputsource provider
source] [--setprovideroffloadsink provider sink]
[--listmonitors] [--listactivemonitors] [--setmonitor name
geometry outputs] [--delmonitor name]
Xrandr is used to set the size, orientation and/or
reflection of the outputs for a screen. It can also set the screen size.
If invoked without any option, it will dump the state of the
outputs, showing the existing modes for each of them, with a '+' after the
preferred modes and a '*' after the current mode.
There are a few global options. Other options modify the last
output that is specified in earlier parameters in the command line. Multiple
outputs may be modified at the same time by passing multiple --output
options followed immediately by their corresponding modifying options.
- --help
- Print out a summary of the usage and exit.
- -v, --version
- Print out the RandR version reported by the X server and exit.
- --verbose
- Causes xrandr to be more verbose. When used with -q (or without other
options), xrandr will display more information about the server state.
Please note that the gamma and brightness informations are only
approximations of the complete color profile stored in the server. When
used along with options that reconfigure the system, progress will be
reported while executing the configuration changes.
- -q, --query
- When this option is present, or when no configuration changes are
requested, xrandr will display the current state of the system.
- --dryrun
- Performs all the actions specified except that no changes are made.
- --nograb
- Apply the modifications without grabbing the screen. It avoids to block
other applications during the update but it might also cause some
applications that detect screen resize to receive old values.
- -d, --display name
- This option selects the X display to use. Note this refers to the X screen
abstraction, not the monitor (or output).
- --screen
snum
- This option selects which screen to manipulate. Note this refers to the X
screen abstraction, not the monitor (or output).
- --q1
- Forces the usage of the RandR version 1.1 protocol, even if a higher
version is available.
- --q12
- Forces the usage of the RandR version 1.2 protocol, even if the display
does not report it as supported or a higher version is available.
Options for RandR 1.5 are used as a superset of the options for
RandR 1.4.
- --listmonitors
- Report information about all defined monitors.
- --listactivemonitors
- Report information about currently active monitors.
- --setmonitor
name geometry outputs
- Define a new monitor with the given geometry and associated to the given
outputs. The output list is either the keyword none or a
comma-separated list of outputs. The geometry is either the keyword
auto, in which case the monitor will automatically track the
geometry of the associated outputs, or a manual specification in the form
w/mmwxh/mmh+x+y where w, h, x, y
are in pixels and mmw, mmh are the physical dimensions of the
monitor.
- --delmonitor
name
- Delete the given user-defined monitor.
Options for RandR 1.4 are used as a superset of the options for
RandR 1.3.
- --listproviders
- Report information about the providers available.
- --setprovideroutputsource
provider source
- Set source as the source of display output images for
provider. This is only possible if source and
provider have the Source Output and Sink
Output capabilities, respectively. If source is 0x0,
then provider is disconnected from its current output source.
- --setprovideroffloadsink
provider sink
- Set provider as a render offload device for sink. This is
only possible if provider and sink have the Source
Offload and Sink Offload capabilities, respectively. If
sink is 0x0, then provider is disconnected from its
current render offload sink.
Options for RandR 1.3 are used as a superset of the options for
RandR 1.2.
- --current
- Return the current screen configuration, without polling for hardware
changes.
- --noprimary
- Don't define a primary output.
Per-output options
- --panning
widthxheight[+x+y[/track_widthxtrack_height+track_x+track_y[/border_left/border_top/border_right/border_bottom]]]
- This option sets the panning parameters. As soon as panning is enabled,
the CRTC position can change with every pointer move. The first four
parameters specify the total panning area, the next four the pointer
tracking area (which defaults to the same area). The last four parameters
specify the border and default to 0. A width or height set to zero
disables panning on the according axis. You typically have to set the
screen size with --fb simultaneously.
- --transform
a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i
- Specifies a transformation matrix to apply on the output. A bilinear
filter is selected automatically unless the --filter parameter is also
specified. The mathematical form corresponds to:
a b c
d e f
g h i
The transformation is based on homogeneous coordinates. The matrix multiplied by
the coordinate vector of a pixel of the output gives the transformed
coordinate vector of a pixel in the graphic buffer. More precisely, the vector
(x y) of the output pixel is extended to 3 values (x y w), with 1 as the w
coordinate and multiplied against the matrix. The final device coordinates of
the pixel are then calculated with the so-called homogenic division by the
transformed w coordinate. In other words, the device coordinates (x' y') of
the transformed pixel are:
x' = (ax + by + c) / w' and
y' = (dx + ey + f) / w' ,
with w' = (gx + hy + i) .
Typically,
a and
e corresponds to the scaling on the X and Y axes,
c and
f corresponds to the translation on those axes, and
g,
h, and
i are respectively 0, 0 and 1. The matrix can
also be used to express more complex transformations such as keystone
correction, or rotation. For a rotation of an angle T, this formula can be
used:
cos T -sin T 0
sin T cos T 0
0 0 1
As a special argument, instead of passing a matrix, one can pass the string
none, in which case the default values are used (a unit matrix without
filter).
- --filter
filtermode
- Chooses the scaling filter method to be applied when the screen is scaled
or transformed. Can be either 'bilinear' or 'nearest'.
- --scale
x[xy]
- Changes the dimensions of the output picture. If the y value is
omitted, the x value will be used for both dimensions. Values
larger than 1 lead to a compressed screen (screen dimension bigger than
the dimension of the output mode), and values less than 1 lead to a zoom
in on the output. This option is actually a shortcut version of the
--transform option.
- --scale-from
wxh
- Specifies the size in pixels of the area of the framebuffer to be
displayed on this output. This option is actually a shortcut version of
the --transform option.
- --primary
- Set the output as primary. It will be sorted first in Xinerama and RANDR
geometry requests.
These options are only available for X server supporting RandR
version 1.2 or newer.
- --prop,
--properties
- This option causes xrandr to display the contents of properties for each
output. --verbose also enables --prop.
- --fb
widthxheight
- Reconfigures the screen to the specified size. All configured monitors
must fit within this size. When this option is not provided, xrandr
computes the smallest screen size that will hold the set of configured
outputs; this option provides a way to override that behaviour.
- --fbmm
widthxheight
- Sets the value reported as physical size of the X screen as a whole (union
of all configured monitors). In configurations with multiple monitors with
different DPIs, the value has no physical meaning, but it may be used by
some legacy clients which do not support RandR version 1.2 to compute a
reference font scaling. Normally, xrandr resets the reported physical size
values to keep the DPI constant. This overrides that computation. Default
DPI value is 96.
- --dpi dpi
- --dpi
from-output
- This also sets the value reported as physical size of the X screen as a
whole (union of all configured monitors). In configurations with multiple
monitors with different DPIs, the value has no physical meaning, but it
may be used by some legacy clients which do not support RandR version 1.2
to compute a reference font scaling. This option uses either the specified
DPI value, or the DPI of the given output, to compute an appropriate
physical size using whatever pixel size will be set. Typical values are
the default (96 DPI), the DPI of the only monitor in single-monitor
configurations, or the DPI of the primary monitor in multi-monitor
configurations.
- --newmode name
mode
- New modelines can be added to the server and then associated with outputs.
This option does the former. The mode is specified using the
ModeLine syntax for xorg.conf: clock hdisp hsyncstart hsyncend htotal
vdisp vsyncstart vsyncend vtotal flags. flags can be zero or
more of +HSync, -HSync, +VSync, -VSync, Interlace, DoubleScan, CSync,
+CSync, -CSync. Several tools permit to compute the usual modeline from a
height, width, and refresh rate, for instance you can use cvt.
- --rmmode
name
- This removes a mode from the server if it is otherwise unused.
- --addmode output
name
- Add a mode to the set of valid modes for an output.
- --delmode output
name
- Remove a mode from the set of valid modes for an output.
Per-output options
- --output
output
- Selects an output to reconfigure. Use either the name of the output or the
XID.
- --auto
- For connected but disabled outputs, this will enable them using their
first preferred mode (or, something close to 96dpi if they have no
preferred mode). For disconnected but enabled outputs, this will disable
them.
- --mode mode
- This selects a mode. Use either the name or the XID for mode
- --preferred
- This selects the same mode as --auto, but it doesn't automatically enable
or disable the output.
- --pos xxy
- Position the output within the screen using pixel coordinates. In case
reflection or rotation is applied, the translation is applied after the
effects.
- --rate rate
- This marks a preference for refresh rates close to the specified value,
when multiple modes have the same name, this will select the one with the
nearest refresh rate.
- --reflect
reflection
- Reflection can be one of 'normal' 'x', 'y' or 'xy'. This causes the output
contents to be reflected across the specified axes.
- --rotate
rotation
- Rotation can be one of 'normal', 'left', 'right' or 'inverted'. This
causes the output contents to be rotated in the specified direction.
'right' specifies a clockwise rotation of the picture and 'left' specifies
a counter-clockwise rotation.
- --left-of, --right-of,
--above, --below, --same-as another-output
- Use one of these options to position the output relative to the position
of another output. This allows convenient tiling of outputs within the
screen. The position is always computed relative to the new position of
the other output, so it is not valid to say --output a --left-of b
--output b --left-of a.
- --set property
value
- Sets an output property. Integer properties may be specified as a valid
(see --prop) comma-separated list of decimal or hexadecimal (with a
leading 0x) values. Atom properties may be set to any of the valid atoms
(see --prop). String properties may be set to any value.
- --off
- Disables the output.
- --crtc crtc
- Uses the specified crtc (either as an index in the list of CRTCs or XID).
In normal usage, this option is not required as xrandr tries to make
sensible choices about which crtc to use with each output. When that fails
for some reason, this option can override the normal selection.
- --gamma
red[:green:blue]
- Set the specified floating point values as gamma correction on the crtc
currently attached to this output. If green and blue are not specified,
the red value will be used for all three components. Note that you cannot
get two different values for cloned outputs (i.e.: which share the same
crtc) and that switching an output to another crtc doesn't change the crtc
gamma corrections at all.
- --brightness
brightness
- Multiply the gamma values on the crtc currently attached to the output to
specified floating value. Useful for overly bright or overly dim outputs.
However, this is a software only modification, if your hardware has
support to actually change the brightness, you will probably prefer to use
xbacklight.
These options are available for X servers supporting RandR version
1.1 or older. They are still valid for newer X servers, but they don't
interact sensibly with version 1.2 options on the same command line.
- -s, --size size-index or
--size widthxheight
- This sets the screen size, either matching by size or using the index into
the list of available sizes.
- -r, --rate, --refresh
rate
- This sets the refresh rate closest to the specified value.
- -o, --orientation
rotation
- This specifies the orientation of the screen, and can be one of normal,
inverted, left or right.
- -x
- Reflect across the X axis.
- -y
- Reflect across the Y axis.
Sets an output called LVDS to its preferred mode, and on its right
put an output called VGA to preferred mode of a screen which has been
physically rotated clockwise:
xrandr --output LVDS --auto --rotate normal --pos 0x0
--output VGA --auto --rotate left --right-of LVDS
Forces to use a 1024x768 mode on an output called VGA:
xrandr --newmode "1024x768" 63.50 1024 1072
1176 1328 768 771 775 798 -hsync +vsync
xrandr --addmode VGA 1024x768
xrandr --output VGA --mode 1024x768
Enables panning on a 1600x768 desktop while displaying 1024x768
mode on an output called VGA:
xrandr --fb 1600x768 --output VGA --mode 1024x768
--panning 1600x0
Have one small 1280x800 LVDS screen showing a small version of a
huge 3200x2000 desktop, and have a big VGA screen display the surrounding of
the mouse at normal size.
xrandr --fb 3200x2000 --output LVDS --scale 2.5x2.5
--output VGA --pos 0x0 --panning 3200x2000+0+0/3200x2000+0+0/64/64/64/64
Displays the VGA output in trapezoid shape so that it is keystone
corrected when the projector is slightly above the screen:
xrandr --fb 1024x768 --output VGA --transform
1.24,0.16,-124,0,1.24,0,0,0.000316,1
Keith Packard, Open Source Technology Center, Intel Corporation.
and Jim Gettys, Cambridge Research Laboratory, HP Labs, HP.