[SOLVED] Possible to switch monitor on pluging in of cable?

akamikeym · 05-11-2013, 06:20 AM

I've a netbook running mint which I would like to use with my TV via the netbook's VGA cable. The problem is that when I plug in the cable it extends my desktop by default which causes my limitted GPU to grind to a halt for quite a while.

It would be nice to be able to plug in the TV to my VGA and have linux switch my primary display to that monitor, turning off the internal monitor. Then restore to the internal when I unplug the cable.

I assume this is possible since it automatically extends my desktop at the moment. Does anyone have any ideas how to set this up?

akamikeym · 05-11-2013, 06:44 AM

OK, well I found a page that looks promising:

http://www.danilopianini.org/index.p...cles&Itemid=23

It uses udev to run a script on monitor plugging and unplugging that checks the setup and runs xrandr to switch monitors.

However somehow in the gnome displays settings which I was struggling with when I last had the TV plugged in I've apparently stumbled across the setting that does exactly what I want.

I tried plugging in the TV when monitoring udev as instructed in the linked page (above) but when I did so it did exactly what I wanted; it turned off the internal screen and switched the primary display to the TV, and when I unplugged it, it turned off the TV and switched back to the internal screen.

akamikeym · 05-11-2013, 02:52 PM

Hi,

Tried following the guide for another Netbook I have which I'm running openbox on and I decided I'd like the same behaviour for.

It didn't work off the bat; it initially refused to run my script and the script didn't do what I really wanted (i.e. only one monitor at a time, using the VGA one if connected over the internal one.)

/etc/udev/rules.d/80-vga.rules

Code:

ACTION=="change", SUBSYSTEM=="drm", RUN+="/etc/udev/scripts/hotplug.sh"

/etc/udev/scripts/hotplug.sh

Code:

#!/bin/bash - 
set -o nounset
read STATUS < /sys/class/drm/card0-VGA-1/status 
export DISPLAY=:0
export XAUTHORITY=/home/mikey/.Xauthority
if [ "$STATUS" = "connected" ]; then
  /usr/bin/xrandr --output LVDS1 --off --output VGA1 --auto --screen 0
else
  /usr/bin/xrandr --output VGA1 --off --output LVDS1 --auto --screen 0
fi

For some reason the HOTPLUG selection from the Udev rule in the linked page didn't work; I'm not sure what exactly it was doing, so I'm not sure now if it's being too selective and running for other events beyond the monitor being plugged and unplugged. Guess it wont do too much harm.