Overview
I recently reimaged my machine with a fresh installation of Arch Linux. I found myself having to look up the proper command to set my monitor order since I did not remember all the parameters that needed to be used. I decided to create a quick blog post so I can reference my own content in the future when setting monitor display order. This should work for many different Linux distros and not just Arch Linux.
Setting Display Order
The first thing you need to do is run xrandr which will display your current monitor configuration along with what your monitors are called. I have 1 34” LG monitor using HDMI and a second HP monitor using DVI. Here is my output:
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 4480 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
DVI-D-1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 553mm x 311mm
1920x1080 60.00*+ 59.96 59.93
1680x1050 59.95 59.88
1400x1050 59.98
1600x900 59.95 60.00 59.82
1280x1024 60.02
1440x900 59.90
1400x900 59.96 59.88
1280x960 60.00
1440x810 59.97
1368x768 59.88 59.85
1280x800 59.99 59.97 59.81 59.91
1280x720 60.00 59.99 59.86 60.00 59.74
1024x768 60.04 70.07 60.00
960x720 60.00
928x696 60.05
896x672 60.01
1024x576 59.95 59.96 59.90 59.82
960x600 59.93 60.00
960x540 59.96 59.99 59.63 59.82
800x600 70.00 65.00 60.00 60.32 56.25
840x525 60.01 59.88
864x486 59.92 59.57
700x525 59.98
800x450 59.95 59.82
640x512 60.02
700x450 59.96 59.88
640x480 60.00 59.94
720x405 59.51 58.99
720x400 70.08
684x384 59.88 59.85
640x400 59.88 59.98
640x360 59.86 59.83 59.84 59.32
512x384 70.07 60.00
512x288 60.00 59.92
480x270 59.63 59.82
400x300 60.32 56.34
432x243 59.92 59.57
320x240 60.05
360x202 59.51 59.13
320x180 59.84 59.32
VGA-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI-1 connected 2560x1080+1920+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 798mm x 334mm
2560x1080 59.98*+ 74.99 50.00
3840x2160 30.00 25.00 24.00 29.97 23.98
2560x1600 59.97
2560x1440 59.95
2048x1536 60.00
1920x1440 75.00 60.00
1856x1392 75.00 60.01
1792x1344 75.00 60.01
2048x1152 59.98 59.90 59.91
1920x1200 59.88 59.95
1920x1080 59.97 59.96 60.00 50.00 59.94 59.93
1600x1200 75.00 70.00 65.00 60.00
1680x1050 59.95 59.88
1400x1050 74.76 59.98
1600x900 59.99 59.94 59.95 60.00 59.82
1280x1024 75.02 60.02
1400x900 59.96 59.88
1280x960 60.00
1440x810 60.00 59.97
1368x768 59.88 59.85
1280x800 59.99 59.97 59.81 59.91
1152x864 75.00
1280x720 60.00 59.99 59.86 60.00 50.00 59.94 59.74
1024x768 75.05 60.04 75.03 70.07 60.00
960x720 75.00 60.00
928x696 75.00 60.05
896x672 75.05 60.01
1024x576 59.95 59.96 59.90 59.82
960x600 59.93 60.00
832x624 74.55
960x540 59.96 59.99 59.63 59.82
800x600 75.00 70.00 65.00 60.00 72.19 75.00 60.32 56.25
840x525 60.01 59.88
864x486 59.92 59.57
720x576 50.00
700x525 74.76 59.98
800x450 59.95 59.82
720x480 60.00 59.94
640x512 75.02 60.02
700x450 59.96 59.88
640x480 60.00 75.00 72.81 75.00 60.00 59.94
720x405 59.51 58.99
684x384 59.88 59.85
640x400 59.88 59.98
576x432 75.00
640x360 59.86 59.83 59.84 59.32
512x384 75.03 70.07 60.00
512x288 60.00 59.92
416x312 74.66
480x270 59.63 59.82
400x300 72.19 75.12 60.32 56.34
432x243 59.92 59.57
320x240 72.81 75.00 60.05
360x202 59.51 59.13
320x180 59.84 59.32
There are two issues for me with this output:
- My
HDMI-1 (LG 34”) identifier should be on the left side of DVI-D-1
- The
HDMI-1 monitor should be the primary monitor instead of DVI-D-1
Let’s fix issue #1 first by setting the correct monitor order:
xrandr --output HDMI-1 --left-of DVI-D-1
The monitors should now be in the correct order. Next, let’s set the correct primary monitor:
xrandr --output HDMI-1 --primary
If you had a lot of windows open, you might see the windows move since you changed which monitor was the primary.
If you wanted to run both command in one line, it would look like this:
xrandr --output HDMI-1 --primary --left-of DVI-D-1
Saving the Config
If you were to restart your machine, the xrandr settings you just configured will not be saved. To save these settings, I add the command we built above to my xinitrc file. On my system, my xinitrc file is stored in ~/.config/x11/xinitrc. Here is how I configured it:
Before:
#!/bin/sh
if [ -f "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/x11/xprofile" ]; then
. "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/x11/xprofile"
else
. "$HOME/.xprofile"
fi
ssh-agent dwm
After:
#!/bin/sh
if [ -f "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/x11/xprofile" ]; then
. "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/x11/xprofile"
else
. "$HOME/.xprofile"
fi
xrandr --output HDMI-1 --primary --left-of DVI-D-1
ssh-agent dwm
Since I’m running dwm, it is important that I put the xrandr line above ssh-agent dwm otherwise it will not work.
That is all you need to do to set the monitor order in Arch Linux.