Please help me understand how to prevent Zorin OS from constantly mirroring my display upon login or restart of machine.
I don't know when it started happening, but it seems to be almost every time I reboot, or the PC reboots itself as part of some scheduled task. I have re-installed drivers twice and it continues to happen.
Very frequently I log in to the PC and notice the monitor connected via HDMI is outputting video as desired; however, the built-in monitor will consistently and persistently display a mirrored, copied version of what's output onto the HDMI-connected screen.
I am then required, again very frequently, to go BACK into the Display Settings of this OS and choose the Join Displays option, and re-select all the same settings I chose... yesterday...
While you and I share this trouble, I gather the vast majority of us do not.
Until you posted, I thought I was pretty alone in it. And I only experience this when using a DP1 and miniDP connection with dual monitors.
If I hook up with DP1 and HDMI1, then I do not have the issue.
So I am not sure if there is an available fix for the Graphics Drivers to properly address this, given the hardware aspect of it.
Totally makes sense. With your two external outputs but not built-in display - interesting to me that it happens to me with the only output to external being HDMI-out with the built-in monitor turning into mirrored display.
FYI - I've introduced the proposed fix and tried a re-lock, re-log, reboot... Hasn't happened yet - will mark your answer as fix until it does again
While you didn't find ghostminator's suggestions helpful, he was attempting to be just that. Anyone that doesn't have a multi monitor setup would only be guessing at how to assist. While some of what was shared is irrelevant, please do not down someone for attempting to be helpful.
I would think that anyone having any similar problem on a community forum such as this would expect a person who wants to "help" to understand why the links are applicable to the content in the post in question. This is something that @anon6471198 did not do before posting 3 arbitrary links to different websites which happen to contain key words from my posted problem - while also not specifying in @anon6471198 's own typed words why they thought it would be particularly helpful to the person they're trying to "help" solve a non-generalized problem.
Thanks for the links and support everyone! And sorry for offense caused, but I maintain that the person did not fully read and/or comprehend the problem I posted about before posting these links which are indeed unhelpful and at the very least misleading; particularly to anyone clicking on my posting in their search because they see that my title articulates or summarizes the problem they have - As a recap, the original problem was that the display is persistently mirrored through lock, login and reboot despite any settings which may be changed as a result of troubleshooting using any of the information in the provided links.
EDIT:
Also, I hardly think that what I posted in response could be considered as an attempt to "down" anyone or insult them in any way. It was informational and concise to point out to the person that I thought their post was unhelpful. I also posted a way for the user to correct the oversight. I would expect nothing less than that kind of information from a moderator if I were the one posting links I thought were helpful.
The problem came back; the one with the HDMI-connected monitor and built-in monitor having their displays mirrored persistently.
Came back from cooking some chimichangas and unlocked the computer again to find that the HDMI-connected monitor's settings had changed magically again, back to a lower refresh rate, different resolution, etc.
My setup =
[TV]----HDMI---{built-in monitor}
TV is set up as main display, and that setting remains as desired through this problem.
So... when this happens and the HDMI-connected monitor goes inactive and turns off; I can't unlock the computer unless I have some HDMI-connected to the computer (which is conjecture because I don't even know if more than one separate device can hold the same joined display configuration... relevant question but going off topic...) In other words, when this happens; when unlocking or rebooting with the main, preferred display inactive or turned off, the built-in display is lit up and blurred as it should be (secondary, with no login prompt).
After reading this, I wonder if it may point to a different issue - where the lockscreen doesn't migrate automatically back to available, built-in display if a preferred, connected display is not active/turned-on.
Regardless, the swapping of settings back and forth still presents a major inconvenience to this user. Would appreicate any assistance figuring this problem out the rest of the way.
Using xrandr, when you specify a monitor position (--right-of or --left-of etc.), this effectively 'cancels' the mirror. Therefore, the following cancels the mirroring and places the monitors into a desired position:
xrandr --output eDP1 --auto --right-of HDMI1
This turns the mirror on:
xrandr --output HDMI1 --same-as eDP1
To get the names of your built-in and external monitors, to use as arguments in the above commands:
Every user here is making an effort to help other user, Considering the fact that some post's may be indirectly helping or not helping sometimes. If you are Certainly new to the Community please give a look at this Post and read it very very carefully.
But, surely looking at your post it looks like you are attempting to harm someone's moral of helping other's. Even if @anon6471198 were a moderator does not give you the authority to directly insult them. You can firmly ignore the post and wait for other replies. These Guys are not getting anything from helping users like you, they are just making an effort to provide an volunteer help the Zorin Project. The User you mentioned is Surely a very experienced one, But if would have trolled a very new user then it would surely harm his moral and make him not help any more users.
If a post does not seem to bear a solution, please remember that it can take many tries to identify, understand and solve an issue.
When using text based communication that is often brief and colored by the frustration of trying to solve an annoying problem, misunderstandings or misunderstood intentions can easily happen.
A person can sometimes be too brief; too concise and to the point. Saying something that relays "You're not helpful" is not likely to be productive. But wording your question in a different way that promotes understanding is likely to be more productive. "The issue I am having is that the displays boot as mirrored. I would like to solve that."
This thread is of particular interest to me since I also have been dealing with the same issue as the O.P. On occasion, a reboot or log in seems to revert to mirrored.
When it does, I set the settings properly and re-run:
autorandr --save mobile
or
sudo autorandr --save mobile
It does not revert to mirrored often. But it is often enough that it annoys. I would also like to understand this issue better and permanently solve it.
Just. No. You all are getting hurt over nothing. I am not ungrateful for any attempt from someone to help. Ever. Yet when I'm here, asking for help and explaining to someone trying to help why they are not helping - I get jumped and they support rallied behind them because I'm... what... making sense?
I clearly stated that I thought the posting provided by this other user does not help because this part of the OP was clearly not read by them:
Shows that I know how to go into settings and set up my displays for various uses. The person's posting of 3 links to websites providing tutorials on how to do this ignores that fact.
I appreciate the attempt at the help, but it was not useful to my application - made evident by re-reading the OP... and again, I made attempt to help them understand why I thought it was unhelpful, with a further nudge on how to make a helpful reply to someone's very specific and not general problem with display setup.
How.... In any way.... could this be insulting.... demeaning... demoralizing.... or in any other way of malicious intent? I even used the word please in my attempt to help them understand why their reply did not help...
Yet mine, this reply, to theirs... gets hidden by community and I'm prodded by all the pitchforks and burning torches... some community.
I guess my whole point to all of this is: who tf wants a regurgitated spilling of links when they ask a specific question.
THAT'S being rude and uncivilized or demoralizing or whatever you called it...
Though... the way all my civil attempts at this conversation have been received, I may as well have gone on a rant since I can't seem to get the monkeys off my back. Either way I would have had a post of mine hidden and a public trial.
