XRANDR(1) General Commands Manual XRANDR(1)
NAME
xrandr - primitive command line interface to RandR extension
SYNOPSIS
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[/bor‐
der_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‐out‐
put] [--newmode name mode] [--rmmode name] [--addmode output name]
[--delmode output name] [--output output] [--auto] [--mode mode] [--pre‐
ferred] [--pos xxy] [--rate rate] [--reflect reflection] [--rotate ori‐
entation] [--left-of output] [--right-of output] [--above output] [--be‐
low output] [--same‐as output] [--set property value] [--off] [--crtc
crtc] [--gamma red[:green:blue]] [--brightness brightness] [-o orienta‐
tion] [-s size] [-r rate] [-x] [-y] [--listproviders] [--setproviderout‐
putsource provider source] [--setprovideroffloadsink provider sink]
[--listmonitors] [--listactivemonitors] [--setmonitor name geometry out‐
puts] [--delmonitor name]
DESCRIPTION
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 pre‐
ferred 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 informa‐
tions are only approximations of the complete color profile
stored in the server. When used along with options that reconfig‐
ure 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.
RandR version 1.5 options
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.
RandR version 1.4 options
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 Out‐
put 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.
RandR version 1.3 options
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_widthx‐
track_height+track_x+track_y[/border_left/border_top/border_right/bor‐
der_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 accord‐
ing axis. You typically have to set the screen size with ‐‐fb si‐
multaneously.
--transform a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i
Specifies a transformation matrix to apply on the output. A bi‐
linear filter is selected automatically unless the --filter para‐
meter 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 ma‐
trix 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 mul‐
tiplied 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 co‐
ordinates (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 for‐
mula 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 big‐
ger 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.
RandR version 1.2 options
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 pro‐
vided, 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 configu‐
rations 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‐moni‐
tor 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 us‐
ing 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 com‐
pute 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 out‐
put 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 automati‐
cally 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 ap‐
plied 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 out‐
puts 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 com‐
ponents. Note that you cannot get two different values for
cloned outputs (i.e.: which share the same crtc) and that switch‐
ing an output to another crtc doesn’t change the crtc gamma cor‐
rections 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 modifica‐
tion, if your hardware has support to actually change the bright‐
ness, you will probably prefer to use xbacklight.
RandR version 1.1 options
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 in‐
teract 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.
EXAMPLES
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 physi‐
cally 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 cor‐
rected 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
SEE ALSO
Xrandr(3), cvt(1), xkeystone(1), xbacklight(1)
AUTHORS
Keith Packard, Open Source Technology Center, Intel Corporation. and
Jim Gettys, Cambridge Research Laboratory, HP Labs, HP.
X Version 11 xrandr 1.5.1 XRANDR(1)