View source for Sample Fn-F7 script

This guide will let you use Fn-F7 key combination to toggle between internal, mirror, external, or both screens.  This was tested on ThinkPad X60s running Fedora 8, please comment if it works or does not work for you.

Add a "Virtual" statement to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf, the total resolution should be large enough to fit all your screens in the configuration you want, for example I have 1600x1200 monitor to the left of my internal 1024x768 monitor for a total max resolution of 2624x1200:

<code>
 Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Videocard0"
        DefaultDepth     24
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     24
                <b>Virtual   2624 1200</b>
        EndSubSection
 EndSection
</code>

Restart X server at this point (i.e. logout and login).

Create /etc/acpi/events/thinkpad.conf:

<code>
 # fn-F7
 event=ibm/hotkey HKEY 00000080 00001007
 action=/usr/local/sbin/thinkpad-fn-f7
</code>

Create /usr/local/sbin/thinkpad-fn-f7:

Note: you will have change EXTERNAL_OUTPUT and INTERNAL_OUTPUT to what xrandr shows, for example VGA and LVDS in this case:

<code>
 xrandr | grep connected
 <b>VGA</b> connected 1600x1200+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 432mm x 324mm
 <b>LVDS</b> connected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
</code>

<code>
 #!/bin/sh
 #@ seva sevatech.com
 
 EXTERNAL_OUTPUT="VGA"
 INTERNAL_OUTPUT="LVDS"
 EXTERNAL_LOCATION="left"
 
 # This is to figure out which user and X11 display to work on
 # TODO there has to be a better way to do this?
 SU="su $(w -h -s | grep ":[0-9]" | head -1 | awk '{print $1}') -c"
 export DISPLAY=$(w -h -s | grep ":[0-9]" | head -1 | awk '{print $3}')
 
 case "$EXTERNAL_LOCATION" in
        left|LEFT)
                EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--left-of $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
                ;;
        right|RIGHT)
                EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--right-of $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
                ;;
        top|TOP|above|ABOVE)
                EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--above $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
                ;;
        bottom|BOTTOM|below|BELOW)
                EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--below $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
                ;;
        *)
                EXTERNAL_LOCATION="--left-of $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
                ;;
 esac
 
 # Save the state to the file until we can figure it out by running xrandr
 STATE_FILE=/var/lib/thinkpad/screen.state;
 if [ ! -e $STATE_FILE ]; then
        echo "internal" > $STATE_FILE
 fi
 
 STATE=$(cat $STATE_FILE)
 
 function screen_external(){
        $SU "xrandr --output $INTERNAL_OUTPUT --off"
        $SU "xrandr --output $EXTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto"
        echo "external" > $STATE_FILE
 }
 
 function screen_internal(){
        $SU "xrandr --output $EXTERNAL_OUTPUT --off"
        $SU "xrandr --output $INTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto"
        echo "internal" > $STATE_FILE
 }
 
 function screen_mirror(){
        $SU "xrandr --output $INTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto"
        $SU "xrandr --output $EXTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto --same-as $INTERNAL_OUTPUT"
        echo "mirror" > $STATE_FILE
 }
 
 function screen_both(){
        $SU "xrandr --output $INTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto"
        $SU "xrandr --output $EXTERNAL_OUTPUT --auto $EXTERNAL_LOCATION"
        echo "both" > $STATE_FILE
 }
 
 function screen_toggle(){
        case "$STATE" in
                internal)
                        screen_mirror
                        ;;
                mirror)
                        screen_external
                        ;;
                external)
                        screen_both
                        ;;
                both)
                        screen_internal
                        ;;
                *)
                        screen_internal
                        ;;
        esac
 }
 
 # What should we do?
 DO="$1"
 if [ -z "$DO" ]; then
        DO=$(basename $0)
 fi
 if [ -z "$DO" ]; then
        DO="internal"
 fi
 
 case "$DO" in
        toggle|thinkpad-fn-f7)
                screen_toggle
                ;;
        internal)
                screen_internal
                ;;
        external)
                screen_external
                ;;
        mirror)
                screen_mirror
                ;;
        both)
                screen_both
                ;;
        status)
                echo "Current Fn-F7 state is: $STATE"
                echo
                echo "Attached monitors:"
                xrandr | grep connected | sed "s/^/ /"
                ;;
        *)
                echo "usage: $0 <command>" >&2
                echo >&2
                echo "  commands:" >&2
                echo "          status" >&2
                echo "          internal" >&2
                echo "          external" >&2
                echo "          mirror" >&2
                echo "          both" >&2
                echo "          toggle" >&2
                echo >&2
                echo "  If no command is given default is internal" >&2
                ;;
 esac

</code>

As root, run the following commands,

<code>
 mkdir -p /var/lib/thinkpad
 echo "internal" > /var/lib/thinkpad/screen.state
 chmod 755 /usr/local/sbin/thinkpad-fn-f7
 service acpid restart
</code>

You should be ready to go, just press Fn-F7 to try.