1XRANDR(1) General Commands Manual XRANDR(1)
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6 xrandr - primitive command line interface to RandR extension
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9 xrandr [-help] [-display display] [-q] [-v] [--verbose] [--dryrun]
10 [--screen snum] [--q1] [--q12]
11 RandR version 1.3 options
12 [--current] [--noprimary]
13 Per-output options
14 [--panning widthxheight[+x+y[/track_widthx‐
15 track_height+track_x+track_y[/border_left/border_top/border_right/bor‐
16 der_bottom]]]] [--scale xxy] [--transform a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i] [--pri‐
17 mary]
18 RandR version 1.2 options
19 [--prop] [--fb widthxheight] [--fbmm widthxheight] [--dpi dpi] [--new‐
20 mode name mode] [--rmmode name] [--addmode output name] [--delmode out‐
21 put name]
22 Per-output options
23 [--output output] [--auto] [--mode mode] [--preferred] [--pos xxy]
24 [--rate rate] [--reflect reflection] [--rotate orientation] [--left-of
25 output] [--right-of output] [--above output] [--below output] [--same-
26 as output] [--set property value] [--off] [--crtc crtc] [--gamma
27 red:green:blue] [--brightness brightness]
28 RandR version 1.0 and version 1.1 options
30 [-o orientation] [-s size] [-r rate] [-x] [-y]
31
33 Xrandr is used to set the size, orientation and/or reflection of the
34 outputs for a screen. It can also set the screen size.
35 If invoked without any option, it will dump the state of the outputs,
37 showing the existing modes for each of them, with a '+' after the pre‐
38 ferred mode and a '*' after the current mode.
39 There are a few global options. Other options modify the last output
41 that is specified in earlier parameters in the command line. Multiple
42 outputs may be modified at the same time by passing multiple --output
43 options followed immediately by their corresponding modifying options.
44 -help Print out a summary of the usage and exit.
46 -v, --version
48 Print out the RandR version reported by the X server and exit.
49 --verbose
51 Causes xrandr to be more verbose. When used with -q (or without
52 other options), xrandr will display more information about the
53 server state. Please note that the gamma and brightness informa‐
54 tions are only approximations of the complete color profile
55 stored in the server. When used along with options that recon‐
56 figure the system, progress will be reported while executing the
57 configuration changes.
58 -q, --query
60 When this option is present, or when no configuration changes
61 are requested, xrandr will display the current state of the sys‐
62 tem.
63 --dryrun
65 Performs all the actions specified except that no changes are
66 made.
67 --nograb
69 Apply the modifications without grabbing the screen. It avoids
70 to block other applications during the update but it might also
71 cause some applications that detect screen resize to receive old
72 values.
73 -d, -display name
75 This option selects the X display to use. Note this refers to
76 the X screen abstraction, not the monitor (or output).
77 --screen snum
79 This option selects which screen to manipulate. Note this refers
80 to the X screen abstraction, not the monitor (or output).
81 --q1 Forces the usage of the RandR version 1.1 protocol, even if a
83 higher version is available.
84 --q12 Forces the usage of the RandR version 1.2 protocol, even if the
86 display does not report it as supported or a higher version is
87 available.
88
90 Options for RandR 1.3 are used as a superset of the options for RandR
91 1.2.
92 --current
94 Return the current screen configuration, without polling for
95 hardware changes.
96 --noprimary
98 Don't define a primary output.
99 Per-output options
101 --panning widthxheight[+x+y[/track_widthx‐
103 track_height+track_x+track_y[/border_left/border_top/border_right/bor‐
104 der_bottom]]]
105 This option sets the panning parameters. As soon as panning is
106 enabled, the CRTC position can change with every pointer move.
107 The first four parameters specify the total panning area, the
108 next four the pointer tracking area (which defaults to the same
109 area). The last four parameters specify the border and default
110 to 0. A width or height set to zero disables panning on the
111 according axis. You typically have to set the screen size with
112 --fb simultaneously.
113 --transform a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i
115 Specifies a transformation matrix to apply on the output. Auto‐
116 matically a bilinear filter is selected. The mathematical form
117 corresponds to:
118 a b c
119 d e f
120 g h i
121 The transformation is based on homogeneous coordinates. The
122 matrix multiplied by the coordinate vector of a pixel of the
123 output gives the transformed coordinate vector of a pixel in the
124 graphic buffer. More precisely, the vector (x y) of the output
125 pixel is extended to 3 values (x y w), with 1 as the w coordi‐
126 nate and multiplied against the matrix. The final device coordi‐
127 nates of the pixel are then calculated with the so-called
128 homogenic division by the transformed w coordinate. In other
129 words, the device coordinates (x' y') of the transformed pixel
130 are:
131 x' = (ax + by + c) / w' and
132 y' = (dx + ey + f) / w' ,
133 with w' = (gx + hy + i) .
134 Typically, a and e corresponds to the scaling on the X and Y
135 axes, c and f corresponds to the translation on those axes, and
136 g, h, and i are respectively 0, 0 and 1. The matrix can also be
137 used to express more complex transformations such as keystone
138 correction, or rotation. For a rotation of an angle T, this
139 formula can be used:
140 cos T -sin T 0
141 sin T cos T 0
142 0 0 1
143 As a special argument, instead of passing a matrix, one can pass
144 the string none, in which case the default values are used (a
145 unit matrix without filter).
146 --scale xxy
148 Changes the dimensions of the output picture. Values superior to
149 1 will lead to a compressed screen (screen dimension bigger than
150 the dimension of the output mode), and values below 1 leads to a
151 zoom in on the output. This option is actually a shortcut ver‐
152 sion of the --transform option.
153 --primary
155 Set the output as primary. It will be sorted first in Xinerama
156 and RANDR geometry requests.
157
159 These options are only available for X server supporting RandR version
160 1.2 or newer.
161 --prop, --properties
163 This option causes xrandr to display the contents of properties
164 for each output. --verbose also enables --prop.
165 --fb widthxheight
167 Reconfigures the screen to the specified size. All configured
168 monitors must fit within this size. When this option is not pro‐
169 vided, xrandr computes the smallest screen size that will hold
170 the set of configured outputs; this option provides a way to
171 override that behaviour.
172 --fbmm widthxheight
174 Sets the reported values for the physical size of the screen.
175 Normally, xrandr resets the reported physical size values to
176 keep the DPI constant. This overrides that computation.
177 --dpi dpi
179 This also sets the reported physical size values of the screen,
180 it uses the specified DPI value to compute an appropriate physi‐
181 cal size using whatever pixel size will be set.
182 --newmode name mode
184 New modelines can be added to the server and then associated
185 with outputs. This option does the former. The mode is speci‐
186 fied using the ModeLine syntax for xorg.conf: clock hdisp hsync‐
187 start hsyncend htotal vdisp vsyncstart vsyncend vtotal flags.
188 flags can be zero or more of +HSync, -HSync, +VSync, -VSync,
189 Interlace, DoubleScan, CSync, +CSync, -CSync. Several tools per‐
190 mit to compute the usual modeline from a height, width, and
191 refresh rate, for instance you can use cvt.
192 --rmmode name
194 This removes a mode from the server if it is otherwise unused.
195 --addmode output name
197 Add a mode to the set of valid modes for an output.
198 --delmode output name
200 Remove a mode from the set of valid modes for an output.
201 Per-output options
203 --output output
205 Selects an output to reconfigure. Use either the name of the
206 output or the XID.
207 --auto For connected but disabled outputs, this will enable them using
209 their preferred mode (or, something close to 96dpi if they have
210 no preferred mode). For disconnected but enabled outputs, this
211 will disable them.
212 --mode mode
214 This selects a mode. Use either the name or the XID for mode
215 --preferred
217 This selects the same mode as --auto, but it doesn't automati‐
218 cally enable or disable the output.
219 --pos xxy
221 Position the output within the screen using pixel coordinates.
222 In case reflection or rotation is applied, the translation is
223 applied after the effects.
224 --rate rate
226 This marks a preference for refresh rates close to the specified
227 value, when multiple modes have the same name, this will select
228 the one with the nearest refresh rate.
229 --reflect reflection
231 Reflection can be one of 'normal' 'x', 'y' or 'xy'. This causes
232 the output contents to be reflected across the specified axes.
233 --rotate rotation
235 Rotation can be one of 'normal', 'left', 'right' or 'inverted'.
236 This causes the output contents to be rotated in the specified
237 direction. 'right' specifies a clockwise rotation of the picture
238 and 'left' specifies a counter-clockwise rotation.
239 --left-of, --right-of, --above, --below, --same-as another-output
241 Use one of these options to position the output relative to the
242 position of another output. This allows convenient tiling of
243 outputs within the screen. The position is always computed rel‐
244 ative to the new position of the other output, so it is not
245 valid to say --output a --left-of b --output b --left-of a.
246 --set property value
248 Sets an output property. Integer properties may be specified as
249 a valid (see --prop) decimal or hexadecimal (with a leading 0x)
250 value. Atom properties may be set to any of the valid atoms (see
251 --prop). String properties may be set to any value.
252 --off Disables the output.
254 --crtc crtc
256 Uses the specified crtc (either as an index in the list of CRTCs
257 or XID). In normal usage, this option is not required as xrandr
258 tries to make sensible choices about which crtc to use with each
259 output. When that fails for some reason, this option can over‐
260 ride the normal selection.
261 --gamma red:green:blue
263 Set the specified floating point values as gamma correction on
264 the crtc currently attached to this output. Note that you cannot
265 get two different values for cloned outputs (i.e.: which share
266 the same crtc) and that switching an output to another crtc
267 doesn't change the crtc gamma corrections at all.
268 --brightness brightness
270 Multiply the gamma values on the crtc currently attached to the
271 output to specified floating value. Useful for overly bright or
272 overly dim outputs. However, this is a software only modifica‐
273 tion, if your hardware has support to actually change the
274 brightness, you will probably prefer to use xbacklight.
275
277 These options are available for X servers supporting RandR version 1.1
278 or older. They are still valid for newer X servers, but they don't
279 interact sensibly with version 1.2 options on the same command line.
280 -s, --size size-index or --size widthxheight
282 This sets the screen size, either matching by size or using the
283 index into the list of available sizes.
284 -r, --rate, --refresh rate
286 This sets the refresh rate closest to the specified value.
287 -o, --orientation rotation
289 This specifies the orientation of the screen, and can be one of
290 normal, inverted, left or right.
291 -x Reflect across the X axis.
293 -y Reflect across the Y axis.
295
297 Sets an output called LVDS to its preferred mode, and on its right put
298 an output called VGA to preferred mode of a screen which has been phys‐
299 ically rotated clockwise:
300 xrandr --output LVDS --auto --rotate normal --pos 0x0 --output
301 VGA --auto --rotate left --right-of LVDS
302 Forces to use a 1024x768 mode on an output called VGA:
304 xrandr --newmode "1024x768" 63.50 1024 1072 1176 1328 768 771
305 775 798 -hsync +vsync
306 xrandr --addmode VGA 1024x768
307 xrandr --output VGA --mode 1024x768
308 Enables panning on a 1600x768 desktop while displaying 1024x768 mode on
310 an output called VGA:
311 xrandr --fb 1600x768 --output VGA --mode 1024x768 --panning
312 1600x0
313 Have one small 1280x800 LVDS screen showing a small version of a huge
315 3200x2000 desktop, and have a big VGA screen display the surrounding of
316 the mouse at normal size.
317 xrandr --fb 3200x2000 --output LVDS --scale 2.5x2.5 --output VGA
318 --pos 0x0 --panning 3200x2000+0+0/3200x2000+0+0/64/64/64/64
319 Displays the VGA output in trapezoid shape so that it is keystone cor‐
321 rected when the projector is slightly above the screen:
322 xrandr --fb 1024x768 --output VGA --transform
323 1.24,0.16,-124,0,1.24,0,0,0.000316,1
324
326 Xrandr(3), cvt(1), xkeystone(1), xbacklight(1)
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329 Keith Packard, Open Source Technology Center, Intel Corporation. and
330 Jim Gettys, Cambridge Research Laboratory, HP Labs, HP.
331X Version 11 xrandr 1.3.4 XRANDR(1)