Auto-config of External Monitor on Linux

It is so strange that Windows and Mac OS X both have the ability to auto config the external monitor on plugging in, but not in Linux. It should not be hard to implement it. And it is so convenient to have this kind of service.

In my environment, I use a Lenovo T410 notebook with NVidia display card. This card only supports the nvidia-settings to configure the external monitor instead of Screen Resolution. I don't know if Screen Resolution has the ability to auto config it, but I do know the nvidia driver doesn't support it.

The nvidia-settings coming with Ubuntu restricted driver has the good interface for configuring external monitor. After investigation, it is released with GPL license. So, it is possible to add addition button to dump the setting of the combination of LCD and external monitor and to auto config it while the same external monitor is plugged in.

The auto config service can use the code of "Apply" button and the restored screen settings to change the monitor settings while the same monitor is plugged in. The screen settings should use the name of LCD and the external monitor, ie LEN + Philips 47PFL5609D, as the key. Once a monitor with the same name is plugged in, the auto config should know it and auto apply the screen settings for them.

If I have free time, I can modify the nvidia-settings app to add the "Auto-Apply it" button and write the program to auto detect the change of external monitor.