Python-RandR

The main screen is divided over two tabs, and three buttons under the tabs.

The Exit- button speaks for itself. The Execute- button will execute the given settings. The last chosen layout will also be saved after pressing the Execute- button. This means that you will see the same layout when you open the program at a later time again (but of course, the screens must be connected). The Reload- button will detect all attached screens again, and refreshes the dropdowns.

First Tab
The first tab, "Layout" contains five dropdowns and two checkboxes. In each of those dropdowns you can select a detected screen. If you choose for "extend" the positions as given will be used. It is also possible to clone, in that case it doesn't mather in which dropdown which screen is. Besides clone/extend you can also just manage one screen. In that case, just fill the center dropdown.

Second Tab
The second tab, "Settings" contains those screens, that has been detected by XRandR. For example, your LVDS (LCD)- screen. Behind that you'll find two dropdowns. The first one contains the detected resolutions with the refresh rate. The second dropdown contains the possible rotations. The possible rotations are the same for each screen.

Based on the information in the plugin ( /usr/share/python-randr/plugins/plugin.plg ), you'll also find a dropdown below the tab. This contains the TV- formats, as been written in the plugin. E.g. PAL or NTSC. Note: only radeon and intel are in that file at the moment.

Program
Under program you can find "Check for updates" and "Exit". Check for updates and Exit should be self-explanatory.

Layout
Under layout you find the buttons to show / save / execute layout 1 / layout 2 / layout 3. You can save in total three layouts to your wishes. For example, you can save your most common situation as layout 1 (only your LVDS- screen, in it's original resolution). This leaves two other save possibilities. You can use this for layouts that you use, but not often. You can execute this action right away via the menu. But you can also just show them in the Interface. But of course, you can also decide that you won't save anything and just use the Interface and Execute- button.

Info
Under Info you can find "About Python-RandR" and "Instructions". About Python-RandR contains concise information about the program. Instructions contains more detailed information about the working of the program.

Python-RandR has multiple shortcuts. These are:

• Check for updates - CTRL-U
• Exit - CTRL-W
• Reload - CTRL-R
• Execute - CTRL-E

• Show Layout 1 - CTRL-1
• Show Layout 2 - CTRL-2
• Show Layout 3 - CTRL-3
• Note: If you have a AZERTY-keyboard, you'll have to use the Shift-key as well.

• Save Layout 1 - CTRL-S
• Save Layout 2 - CTRL-D
• Save Layout 3 - CTRL-F

• Execute Layout 1 - ALT-1
• Execute Layout 2 - ALT-2
• Execute Layout 3 - ALT-3
• Note: If you have a AZERTY-keyboard, you'll have to use the Shift-key as well.

You want to extend, but you'll get a message that your maximum resolution is smaller than your wanted resolution (all the screens together). In this case you have to modify the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

Open a terminal (GNOME: Applications - Accessoires - Terminal | KDE: KMenu - System - Terminal Program (Konsole) | XCFE: Applications menu - System - Terminal) and type the following:

Instead of gedit you can use your favorite text- editor.

In this document you have to find for the section Screen. Add the following to it, but before EndSection.

At the line Virtual you can place the resolution as given in the message of Python-RandR. Although you get a resolution in the message, you don't have to use it. You can choose what you want.

Note that when you type a resolution like "2304 800", where 2304 is the sum of "1280 800" and "1024 768" Compiz possibly won't work anymore. I recommend that you choose to use the same resolution for each screen (like "1024 768").

After you modified the file and pressed restarted your X server (logging out and in again), you can execute your wanted action with Python-RandR.

For more information you can always go to the contactpage of Python-RandR.