extBrightness 1.0.4

Extended brightness and gamma control for (external) screens on X11 systems

Copyright Jörg Mäder - 2016-05-05 - Version 1.0.4 - http://www.toolcase.org/app/linux/extBrightness

This tool allows to control brightness and gamma for all connected screens on a X11 system (which is the case for the most linux systems). extBrightness can be used using the terminal or the implemented GUI.

HINT: This tool is a software solution and works additional to the hardware settings of your screens. The hardware settings will not be changed! (I simply don’t know how)

Command line options

-h, --help

show this help message and exit

-b NUM

set brightness (float between 0.0 - 1.999 or integer between 2 - 200)

-B NUM

set brightness by increment. Hint: To small changes may not work

-c, --count

count the connected screens

-d DISPLAY

Limit action to this Screen. Use ‘a’ for all, ‘p’ for primary and ‘np’ for non-primary

-g GAMMA

set gamma correction. Either one or three float values between 0 and 10 separated by ‘:’

-l

list screens, together with ‘-v’ the current values are shown.

-p

show key of primary screen, use -v for more details

-r

reset (set brightness to 100% and gamma to 1)

-t TEMP

set gamma using a temperature in Kelvin

-u

undo last changes (saved in profile [last])

-D

set the brightness to 0 or to the last value if it is already 0

-v

verbose output including the xrandr command which was used to set the new values.

--gui

show user interface after processing the other options (default if no option is present)

--version

show current version

--hard

Apply changes using xrandr even nothing has changed

--virtual

do not apply changes but show potential results

--file FILE

file used for saving profiles and other settings (default: ~/.extBrightness.xml)

-P NAME, --profile-load NAME

load profile

--profile-save NAME

save current values as profile. If option –gui is used too, the final values of it will be saved!

--profile-delete NAME

delete profile

--profile-show NAME

show profile

--profile-list

list all profiles. Use ‘-v’ too for displaying the saved values.

Tips

This program may set all your screens to complete darkness (brightness = 0). For such a situation it is a good idea to have a key binding on your system to the gui of extBrightness. After it is started you just have to hit [r] and all screens are set to 100% brightness and gamma 1.

If you use option --profile-save NAME and --gui together, the final values from the gui are saved to the profile NAME.

With extBrightness -d np -D you can switch all external screens off and on again. Please check before, if one of your screens is set as primary! If you are not sure use extBrightness -p. If the output is empty, you have to define a screen as primary first (typically using your OS settings > screens > select one > set primary).

The values applied (by xrandr) to your system are not necessary exactly the same as you use in the options. Therefore small changes may not have always an effect. Of course, you can bidn this command to a key using your OS to make it even more easy.