Add Support For `orientation: [vh]-mirrored`

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Mirroring Displays: Adding Support for orientation: [vh]-mirrored

When working with multiple displays, it's not uncommon to need to mirror one display onto another. This can be particularly useful in applications where a duplicate screen is required, but with a mirrored orientation on the second display. However, the current display mirroring options in Ubuntu may not provide the flexibility needed to achieve this. In this article, we'll explore the possibility of adding support for orientation: [vh]-mirrored to Ubuntu's display mirroring feature.

Display mirroring is a feature that allows you to duplicate the content of one display onto another. This can be useful in various scenarios, such as:

  • Presenting a presentation on a second screen while still being able to see the presentation on the primary screen
  • Creating a duplicate screen for a second user or for a training session
  • Mirroring a screen for a presentation or a demonstration

However, the current display mirroring options in Ubuntu may not provide the flexibility needed to achieve a mirrored orientation on the second display.

The need for orientation: [vh]-mirrored support arises from the requirement to mirror the second display horizontally. This can be particularly useful in applications where a duplicate screen is required, but with a mirrored orientation on the second display.

For example, in a training session, you may want to mirror the primary screen onto a second screen, but with a horizontal mirror. This would allow the trainees to see the presentation on the second screen, while still being able to see the presentation on the primary screen.

While there are no built-in options in Ubuntu to achieve a mirrored orientation on the second display, there are some workarounds that can be used:

  • Using a third-party display manager: Some third-party display managers, such as DisplayFusion, provide the option to mirror displays with a horizontal mirror.
  • Using a script: You can write a script to mirror the second display horizontally using the xrandr command.
  • Using a virtual display: You can create a virtual display using the xrandr command and then mirror the second display onto the virtual display.

However, these workarounds may not provide the flexibility and ease of use that a built-in option would provide.

To add support for orientation: [vh]-mirrored, you would need to modify the display mirroring code in Ubuntu. This would involve adding a new option to the xrandr command to specify the orientation of the mirrored display.

Here's an example of how the modified xrandr command could look:

xrandr --output Display2 --mode 1920x1080 --orientation vh-mirrored

This command would mirror the second display horizontally, with a resolution of 1920x1080.

To implement the orientation: [vh]-mirrored option, you would need to modify the display mirroring code in Ubuntu. This would involve adding a new option to the xrandr command and modifying the display mirroring logic to handle the new option.

Here's an example of how the modified display mirroring code could look:

static int
xrandr_mirror_display(struct xrandr_output *output, struct xrandr_output *mirror,
                       struct xrandr_mode *mode, int orientation)
{
    if (orientation == XRANDR_ORIENTATION_VH_MIRRORED) {
        /* Mirror the display horizontally */
        mirror->x = output->x + output->width;
        mirror->y = output->y;
        mirror->width = output->width;
        mirror->height = output->height;
    } else {
        /* Mirror the display vertically */
        mirror->x = output->x;
        mirror->y = output->y + output->height;
        mirror->width = output->width;
        mirror->height = output->height;
    }

    return 0;
}

This code would mirror the display horizontally if the orientation parameter is set to XRANDR_ORIENTATION_VH_MIRRORED.

Adding support for orientation: [vh]-mirrored would provide the flexibility needed to achieve a mirrored orientation on the second display. While there are some workarounds available, a built-in option would provide ease of use and flexibility.

By modifying the display mirroring code in Ubuntu, you can add support for orientation: [vh]-mirrored. This would involve adding a new option to the xrandr command and modifying the display mirroring logic to handle the new option.

In the future, it would be beneficial to add more options to the xrandr command to provide more flexibility in display mirroring. Some possible options could include:

  • orientation: [vh]-rotated: This option would rotate the mirrored display by 90 degrees.
  • orientation: [vh]-flipped: This option would flip the mirrored display horizontally or vertically.
  • orientation: [vh]-scaled: This option would scale the mirrored display to a specified resolution.

By adding these options, you can provide more flexibility in display mirroring and make it easier to achieve the desired display configuration.