External Screen – horrible experience

Support Xfce
1

I gathered some really bad eperiences while using an external HDMI screen with my XFCE manjaro (its my first try with XFCE).

It does not recognize my old setting when I reconnect the screen (since I use it “above” as main screen, its quite a few clicks away). Then, when hibernating, unplugging the screen and waking my system, it still thinks, the main screen “above” is still connected. Programs starting there, so I can’t use the terminal to fix this the old way.

Is this a XFCE or Manjaro XFCE issue? Since its working perfectly in MJ Gnome3 and KDE I wonder, why this is not implemented everywhere?!

2

Hi @HansD :wink:

I use XFCE on my laptop also and have the same issue as i tested it some weeks a go. I guess XFCE can handle permanent screens quite good, but when if it comes to temporary external screens there is extra work to add on top to let it work perfectly.

I guess it is just a XFCE+xrandr Problem, not a Manjaro XFCE Problem.

3

TY :slight_smile:

Yes, but sometimes MJ has some own configs. I really like the XFCE Performance but this “issue” is too much hassle for my workflow.

4

Hello @HansD :slight_smile:

Update

It worked for me this way:

  1. I unplugged the VGA cable and created a profile and named it: noVGA
  2. I plugged in the VGA cable, configure the second screen and created a profile and named it: extVGA_screen-name
  3. I turned on:
    Configure new displays when connected
    and
    Automatically enable profiles when new display is connected

Now everything works perfectly. It applies now the saved profile where the screen has been saved and it automatically detects if the screen is the correct one. If the screen does not match the profile, it will fallback to default.

Even after hibernation: it just works.

Hope that helps. :wink:

5

TY (again). Does it also remember the “position” above Screen 1?

6

@HansD If the external screen has been working before hibernation and there were windows on that screen, it will change to profile “noVGA” if no external screen is plugged in and therefore it will reset the window positions of the external screen to the internal screen.

Wouldn’t it be a bad idea, if XFCE displays windows on a second screen which is no longer available? How would you move these windows? :slight_smile:

7

In Gnome (as well as with Win10 and macOS) they appear after closing/disconnecting the second screen resized on the other screen. So this should not be witchcraft and is my workflow for many years.

8

Did i write something else? It works for me with profiles… However, use Gnome or whatever you want, if that’s your workflow.

Cheers :beers: