macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#1

Post by dwardu » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 9:49 AM UTC

macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements
github.com

Re: macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#2

Post by bryanrasmussen » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:31 AM UTC

I really think this needs some screenshots.

Re: macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#3

Post by Uupis » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:31 AM UTC

There was a two-three year period where macOS would incessantly forget my display arrangement and orientation.

An Alfred action to run the displayplacer command and then after a second to activate my 'default' Moom window layout made for a great workaround.

Re: macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#4

Post by looseyesterday » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:33 AM UTC

The description could be better. Would love this tool with a GUI

Re: macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#5

Post by xvilka » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:38 AM UTC

It reminds of seemingly abandoned "mas"[1] tool that allows using command line to install and update applications without launching AppStore.

[1] https://github.com/mas-cli/mas

Re: macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#6

Post by m4tthumphrey » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:41 AM UTC

Uupis wrote: post #3

There was a two-three year period where macOS would incessantly forget my display arrangement and orientation. An Alfred action to run the displayplacer command and then after a second to activate my 'default' Moom window layout made for a great workaround.

Can you elaborate? I have this problem every day.. macOS just seems incapable of remembering my display arrangement.

Re: macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#7

Post by seatbelts » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:44 AM UTC

I was stoked to see this, unfortunately, this has gone 4 years without a release (last released in 2019)

The issue log has several issues where Ventura users mention it not working at all, on M1 architectures. Can anyone on an M1 or M2 confirm this works for them? I'm still on Intel.

Re: macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#8

Post by fruit2020 » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:51 AM UTC

seatbelts wrote: post #7

I was stoked to see this, unfortunately, this has gone 4 years without a release (last released in 2019) The issue log has several issues where Ventura users mention it not working at all, on M1 architectures. Can anyone on an M1 or M2 confirm this works for them? I'm still on Intel.

Latest code is from 6 months ago. You can probably build it yourself

Re: macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#9

Post by lathiat » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 10:52 AM UTC

m4tthumphrey wrote: post #6

Uupis wrote: post #3

There was a two-three year period where macOS would incessantly forget my display arrangement and orientation. An Alfred action to run the displayplacer command and then after a second to activate my 'default' Moom window layout made for a great workaround.

Can you elaborate? I have this problem every day.. macOS just seems incapable of remembering my display arrangement.

It is typically because you have more than one of the same monitor with identical EDID information.

Documented and explained here: https://spin.atomicobject.com/2018/08/24/macbook-pro-externa...

Possible fix: https://gist.github.com/ejdyksen/8302862?permalink_comment_i...

Re: macOS CLI tool to configure multi-display resolutions and arrangements

#10

Post by alin23 » Mon, Jan 23, 2023, 11:01 AM UTC

I recently launched some macOS Shortcuts in Lunar (https://lunar.fyi/#shortcuts) that can arrange monitors in pre-defined layouts like:

    2 Screens Vertically ■̳̲
    2 Screens Horizontally ⫍⃮݄⫎⃯
    4 Screens in a 3-above-1 configuration ⫍⃮■̳̻⫎⃯
    3 Screens in a 2-above-1 configuration ⫍‗⫎
    3 Screens Horizontally ⫍⃮▬̲⫎⃯

It's not the same as DisplayPlacer but for a lot of people this could be enough. They are free and can be used without a Lunar Pro license.

For those having trouble with monitors being swapped around by the OS, there's also a Swap screen positions action in Shortcuts that you can bind to a hotkey to quickly fix this. It even swaps rotations, which is especially useful for those using portrait monitors (one at 90° and one at 270°).