How to run xrandr commands at startup in Ubuntu
Solution 1
Adding complicated commands to Startup Applications
In General, you can add commands to run on start up (log in) by choosing: Dash > Startup Applications > Add. In this case, you have a complicated command to run.
There are two options to do that:
-
write a separate script:
#!/bin/bash cvt 1368 768 # xrandr only works in X11 sessions, not Wayland [ "$XDG_SESSION_TYPE" = x11 ] || exit 0 xrandr --newmode "1368x768_60.00" 85.25 1368 1440 1576 1784 768 771 781 798 -hsync +vsync xrandr --addmode VGA1 1368x768_60.00 xrandr --output VGA1 --mode 1368x768_60.00
Copy the script into an empty file, save it as
set_monitor.sh
and add the following command to startup applications as described above./bin/bash /path/to/set_monitor.sh
-
Chain the commands to one (very long) command:
/bin/bash -c "cvt 1368 768&&xrandr --newmode "1368x768_60.00" 85.25 1368 1440 1576 1784 768 771 781 798 -hsync +vsync&&xrandr --addmode VGA1 1368x768_60.00&&xrandr --output VGA1 --mode 1368x768_60.00"
In this case, using
&&
between the commands will make each command run as soon (and if) the previous one is run succesfully, just like they are on separate lines.Then add the command to Startup Applications, as described above.
Important note: adding xrandr commands to Startup Applications
Adding xrandr
commands to startup can be tricky; sometimes they break if they are run too early, before the desktop is fully loaded. Therefore you might (probably) need to add a little break into the command to (either) run the script or the command, like (in the last case):
/bin/bash -c "sleep 15&&cvt 1368 768&&xrandr --newmode "1368x768_60.00" 85.25 1368 1440 1576 1784 768 771 781 798 -hsync +vsync&&xrandr --addmode VGA1 1368x768_60.00&&xrandr --output VGA1 --mode 1368x768_60.00"
You might need to play a little with the sleep 15
to find the optimal time.
Note
I left out the first line:
xrandr
since it does nothin but display some information on your screen setup :)
Solution 2
According to this at the Now automate it on login section, I have made my own script 45custom_xrandr-settings
and placed it into /etc/X11/Xsession.d/
. It works fine for me under Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. You could place the code below after the case
command described in that section.
PRI_OUTPUT="DVI-0";
# Make and force resolution
myNewMode=$(cvt 1366 768 60 | grep -oP 'Modeline\K.*') && #grep evrything after 'Modline'
myNewModeName=\"$(echo $myNewMode | grep -oP '"\K[^"\047]+(?=["\047])' )\" && #grep everything inside quotes
xrandr --newmode $myNewMode;
sleep 15;
xrandr --addmode $PRI_OUTPUT $myNewModeName;
I believe that the above is what you are looking for. You can see the available outputs simply by running the xrandr
command. The outputs may be VGA
, VGA-0
, DVI-0
, TMDS-1
or DisplayPort-0
.
Here is the complete script that I made.
# To configure xrandr automatically during the first login,
# save this script to your computer as /etc/X11/Xsession.d/45custom_xrandr-settings:
# If an external monitor is connected, place it with xrandr
# External output may be "VGA" or "VGA-0" or "DVI-0" or "TMDS-1"
# More info at http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Xorg_RandR_1.2
PRI_OUTPUT="DVI-0";
SEC_OUTPUT="DisplayPort-0";
SEC_LOCATION="left"; # SEC_LOCATION may be one of: left, right, above, or below
case "$SEC_LOCATION" in
left|LEFT)
SEC_LOCATION="--left-of $PRI_OUTPUT"
;;
right|RIGHT)
SEC_LOCATION="--right-of $PRI_OUTPUT"
;;
top|TOP|above|ABOVE)
SEC_LOCATION="--above $PRI_OUTPUT"
;;
bottom|BOTTOM|below|BELOW)
SEC_LOCATION="--below $PRI_OUTPUT"
;;
*)
SEC_LOCATION="--left-of $PRI_OUTPUT"
;;
esac
# Make and force resolution
myNewMode=$(cvt 1366 768 60 | grep -oP 'Modeline\K.*') && #grep evrything after 'Modline'
myNewModeName=\"$(echo $myNewMode | grep -oP '"\K[^"\047]+(?=["\047])' )\" && #grep everything inside quotes
xrandr --newmode $myNewMode;
sleep 15;
xrandr --addmode $PRI_OUTPUT $myNewModeName;
# Activate secondary out (display port)
xrandr | grep $SEC_OUTPUT | grep " connected "
if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
# xrandr --output $SEC_OUTPUT --auto $SEC_LOCATION
xrandr --output $PRI_OUTPUT --mode $myNewModeName --output $SEC_OUTPUT --auto $SEC_LOCATION
else
xrandr --output $PRI_OUTPUT --mode $myNewModeName --output $SEC_OUTPUT --off
fi
Solution 3
Create the file ~/.xprofile
and put your lines in it. It is ran at the beginning of the X user session.
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Udhaya Kumar
Updated on September 18, 2022Comments
-
Udhaya Kumar over 1 year
How can I run the following
xrandr
command on startup?xrandr
cvt 1368 768 xrandr --newmode "1368x768_60.00" 85.25 1368 1440 1576 1784 768 771 781 798 -hsync +vsync xrandr --addmode VGA1 1368x768_60.00 xrandr --output VGA1 --mode 1368x768_60.00
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Jacob Vlijm almost 9 yearsHi Udhaya Kumar did you notice you have an answer? Please let me know if you manage.
-
-
thethakuri over 7 yearsYou don't need to include the
cvt
command if you already know your modeline. -
Necktwi almost 7 yearsthis didnt work. commands fire up too early.
-
golopot almost 7 years@neckTwi Thanks, I found that
xrandr --output ...
doesn't work but the previous two lines works. All in all this works for me. -
Superole over 6 yearsThe
/bin/bash -c "..."
wrapping did the trick for me :) -
pat-s over 6 yearsOn Kubuntu 17.10, I added the command without the
sleep
part in 'Startup applications' by selecting the "Before Session startup" option. -
WinEunuuchs2Unix over 5 years+1 for writing 3 years ago
# xrandr only works in X11 sessions, not Wayland
. Good future proofing back then. -
f0nzie about 4 yearsThis solution finally worked in my Debian 10 with two monitors: Apple Thunderbolt 27 + LG 27MP59G. Natively, the LG supports only 1920x1080. With
xrandr
I set it up at the same resolution of the Tunderbolt of 2560x1440 with/bin/bash -c "sleep 3&&xrandr --output DP-2 --auto --scale-from 2560x1440"
. -
Duncan about 4 yearsThank you so much - your time and expertise is greatly appreciated. I will execute this later today when the grandchildren have left! Thanks once again. Duncan
-
Duncan about 4 yearsThank you very much - your time and expertise is GREATLY appreciated! Thank you.
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Jacob Vlijm about 4 years@Duncan greatgreat, say hello from the grandchildren from me :)
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robvdl over 3 yearsThis method works perfectly, it just doesn't do it at the login screen but after you login and start a sesssion. I can live with that though.
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RichieHH about 3 years.xsessionrc works for me - but I use xinit and not gdm/lightdm etc