Using autorandr (with examples)

Motivation

The autorandr command is useful for automatically changing screen layouts. This can be particularly helpful in scenarios where you frequently switch between different display configurations, such as when connecting and disconnecting external monitors or projectors. With autorandr, you can easily save and load different screen profiles, allowing you to quickly switch between configurations without manually adjusting the display settings each time.

1: Save the current screen layout

To save the current screen layout as a profile, use the following command:

autorandr --save profile_name

The profile_name is the name you want to give to the saved profile. It can be any string, such as “work”, “presentation”, or “home”.

This command is useful when you have configured your displays in a specific way and want to save that configuration for future use. By saving profiles, you can switch between different screen layouts with ease.

Example output:

Profile "work" saved successfully.

2: Show the saved profiles

To display a list of the saved profiles, simply run the autorandr command without any arguments:

autorandr

This command is useful when you want to see a list of the saved profiles in order to identify the one you want to load or set as the default.

Example output:

Available profiles:
- work
- home
- presentation

3: Load the first detected profile

To load the first detected profile (which can be useful when using autorandr for the first time), use the following command:

autorandr --change

This command will automatically load the first detected profile and apply the associated screen layout.

Example output:

Loading profile "work"...
Screen layout applied successfully.

4: Load a specific profile

To load a specific profile, use the following command:

autorandr --load profile_name

Replace profile_name with the name of the profile you want to load.

This command is useful when you want to switch between saved profiles based on your current needs or preferences.

Example output:

Loading profile "home"...
Screen layout applied successfully.

5: Set the default profile

To set a specific profile as the default, use the following command:

autorandr --default profile_name

Replace profile_name with the name of the profile you want to set as the default.

The default profile will be automatically loaded when autorandr is run without any arguments.

Example output:

Setting profile "presentation" as default...
Default profile updated successfully.

Conclusion

With the autorandr command, you can easily save and load different screen layouts, allowing you to quickly switch between display configurations. This can be particularly helpful in scenarios where you frequently connect and disconnect external monitors or projectors. By leveraging the power of autorandr, you can streamline your workflow and enhance your productivity when working with multiple displays.