Custom Lid and External Monitor Behavior — Bash Script Solution

[rafadorado]

Hi everyone,

First of all, thanks for Omarchy — after more than 10 years, I’m finally having fun configuring my system again.

I wanted to control the behavior when opening/closing the lid with an external monitor connected, and also detect when monitors are plugged or unplugged.

My Bash is pretty rusty, but with some AI help I got it working. There’s definitely more to improve, like handling workspaces across monitors, but this works for now.

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🎯 Complete Steps for Reliable External Monitor Auto-Switch with Hyprland

✅ 1. System Requirements

• Hyprland installed and working
• External monitors (USB-C, HDMI, DP)
• acpid and udev available for lid/monitor event handling

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✅ 2. System Configurations

A. logind Config (Lid Behavior)

Edit:

sudoedit /etc/systemd/logind.conf

Recommended:

HandleLidSwitch=suspend
HandleLidSwitchDocked=ignore
HandleLidSwitchExternalPower=suspend

Reload:

sudo systemctl restart systemd-logind

Outcome:

• Lid close suspends the system if no external monitor is present
• Lid close does nothing if docked (external monitor connected)

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✅ 3. hyprctl Signature for Root Scripts

In your Hyprland startup config or .profile:

echo $HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE > /tmp/hypr_signature

Purpose:
Allows root-triggered scripts to communicate with Hyprland safely.

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✅ 4. Reliable External Monitor Detection Using /sys/class/drm

We'll use:

/sys/class/drm/*/enabled

Monitors listed here reflect real, kernel-level connection state.

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✅ 5. Create Auto Layout Script

Save as:

sudoedit /usr/local/bin/monitor-auto-layout.sh

Example Working Script:

#!/bin/bash


# Configuration
USERNAME="yourusername"
USER_HOME="/home/$USERNAME"
CONF_PATH="$USER_HOME/.config/hypr/monitors.conf"
LOG_FILE="/var/log/monitor-layout.log"
LAPTOP="eDP-1" #TODO: automatic discovery
# Get user ID
USER_ID=$(id -u "$USERNAME")
USER_RUNTIME_DIR="/run/user/$USER_ID"
# Function to log with timestamp
log_msg() {
  echo "$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') $1" >>"$LOG_FILE"
}

# Create log file
touch "$LOG_FILE" 2>/dev/null || {
  LOG_FILE="/tmp/monitor-layout.log"
  touch "$LOG_FILE"
}
chmod 666 "$LOG_FILE" 2>/dev/null
log_msg "=== SCRIPT STARTED ==="
log_msg "Running as: $(whoami)"
log_msg "UDEV Action: ${ACTION:-not_set}"
log_msg "UDEV Subsystem: ${SUBSYSTEM:-not_set}"
log_msg "UDEV Device: ${DEVNAME:-not_set}"
log_msg "UDEV Hotplug: ${HOTPLUG:-not_set}"

# Function to check what monitors are actually connected at hardware level
check_connected_monitors() {
  local connected=()

  # Check sysfs for connected displays
  for connector in /sys/class/drm/card*/card*-*/status; do
    if [[ -f "$connector" ]]; then
      local status=$(cat "$connector" 2>/dev/null)
      local name=$(basename "$(dirname "$connector")" | sed 's/card[0-9]*-//')

      if [[ "$status" == "connected" ]]; then
        connected+=("$name")
        log_msg "Hardware: $name is connected"
      fi
    fi
  done

  echo "${connected[@]}"
}

# Get hardware state immediately
log_msg "Checking hardware state..."
HW_CONNECTED=($(check_connected_monitors))

# Wait a bit then check again to see if state is stable
sleep 3
HW_CONNECTED_AFTER=($(check_connected_monitors))

# If states differ, wait a bit more
if [[ "${HW_CONNECTED[*]}" != "${HW_CONNECTED_AFTER[*]}" ]]; then
  log_msg "Hardware state changed during wait, checking again..."
  sleep 3
  HW_CONNECTED=($(check_connected_monitors))
fi

# Find external monitors (exclude laptop screen)
EXTERNAL_HW=()
for monitor in "${HW_CONNECTED[@]}"; do
  if [[ "$monitor" != "$LAPTOP" ]]; then
    EXTERNAL_HW+=("$monitor")
  fi
done

log_msg "External monitors detected by hardware: ${EXTERNAL_HW[*]}"

# Get lid state
LID_STATE_FILE=$(find /proc/acpi/button/lid/*/state 2>/dev/null | head -1)
if [[ -f "$LID_STATE_FILE" ]]; then
  LID_STATE=$(cat "$LID_STATE_FILE" | awk '{print $2}')
  log_msg "Lid state: $LID_STATE"
else
  log_msg "ERROR: Could not find lid state file"
  exit 1
fi

# Get Hyprland signature
HYPR_SIGNATURE=""
if [[ -f /tmp/hypr_signature ]]; then
  HYPR_SIGNATURE=$(cat /tmp/hypr_signature 2>/dev/null)
elif [[ -d "$USER_RUNTIME_DIR/hypr" ]]; then
  HYPR_SIGNATURE=$(ls "$USER_RUNTIME_DIR/hypr" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
fi

if [[ -z "$HYPR_SIGNATURE" ]]; then
  log_msg "ERROR: No Hyprland signature found"
  exit 1
fi

log_msg "Using Hyprland signature: $HYPR_SIGNATURE"

# Function to run hyprctl
run_hyprctl() {
  sudo -u "$USERNAME" \
    XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$USER_RUNTIME_DIR" \
    HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE="$HYPR_SIGNATURE" \
    hyprctl "$@"
}

# Test connection
if ! run_hyprctl version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
  log_msg "ERROR: Cannot connect to Hyprland"
  exit 1
fi

# Apply configuration based on hardware state and lid position
FIRST_EXTERNAL=""
if [[ ${#EXTERNAL_HW[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
  FIRST_EXTERNAL="${EXTERNAL_HW[0]}"
fi

# 1) Remember what workspace is currently focused
log_msg "Capturing current workspace…"
CURRENT_WS=$(
  run_hyprctl monitors -j |
    jq -r '.[] | select(.focused == true) | .activeWorkspace.id'
)
log_msg "Current workspace = $CURRENT_WS"

# 2) Decide primary monitor (external if plugged, else laptop)
if [[ -n "$FIRST_EXTERNAL" ]]; then
  PRIMARY_MON="$FIRST_EXTERNAL"
else
  PRIMARY_MON="$LAPTOP"
fi
log_msg "Primary monitor for focus will be $PRIMARY_MON"
log_msg "Decision: LID=$LID_STATE, EXTERNAL=$FIRST_EXTERNAL"

# Build the exact monitor lines you want
monitors=()
reload="0"
if [[ "$LID_STATE" == "closed" ]]; then
  if [[ -n "$FIRST_EXTERNAL" ]]; then
    monitors+=(
      "monitor=$FIRST_EXTERNAL,preferred,0x0,2"
      "monitor=$LAPTOP,disable"
    )
    log_msg "Lid closed → external-only ($FIRST_EXTERNAL)"
  else
    log_msg "Lid closed, no external monitor — suspending"
    exit 0
  fi
else
  # Lid open
  if [[ -n "$FIRST_EXTERNAL" ]]; then
    monitors+=(
      "monitor=$FIRST_EXTERNAL,preferred,0x0,2"
      "monitor=$LAPTOP,preferred,auto,2"
    )
    log_msg "Lid open → dual ($FIRST_EXTERNAL + $LAPTOP)"
  else
    monitors+=(
      "monitor=,preferred,auto,2"
    )
    reload="1"
    log_msg "Lid open → laptop-only"
  fi
fi

# Now overwrite the config file exactly once:
{
  for line in "${monitors[@]}"; do
    echo "$line"
  done
} >"$CONF_PATH"

log_msg "Wrote new monitor configuration to $CONF_PATH"

# Reload Hyprland - try multiple times if needed
if [[ "$reload" == "1" ]]; then
  for i in {1..3}; do
    if run_hyprctl reload 2>/dev/null; then
      log_msg "Hyprland configuration reloaded successfully (attempt $i)"
      break
    else
      log_msg "Failed to reload Hyprland configuration (attempt $i)"
      sleep 1
    fi
  done
fi
# 3) Re-activate the same workspace on the primary monitor
if [[ -n "$CURRENT_WS" ]]; then
  log_msg "Restoring workspace $CURRENT_WS on $PRIMARY_MON"
  # First switch back to that workspace…
  run_hyprctl dispatch workspace "$CURRENT_WS"
  # …then focus the new primary monitor so your cursor & windows land there
  run_hyprctl dispatch focusmonitor "$PRIMARY_MON"
fi
log_msg "=== SCRIPT COMPLETED ==="
exit 0

Make executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/monitor-auto-layout.sh

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✅ 6. Udev Rule for Monitor Hotplug

sudoedit /etc/udev/rules.d/99-monitor-hotplug.rules

Content:

ACTION=="change", SUBSYSTEM=="drm",  ENV{HOTPLUG}=="1", RUN+="/usr/local/bin/monitor-auto-layout.sh"

Reload:

sudo udevadm control --reload
sudo udevadm trigger

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✅ 7. ACPID Rule for Lid Events

Install ACPID if needed:

sudo pacman -S acpid
sudo systemctl enable --now acpid

Create:

sudoedit /etc/acpi/events/lid

Content:

event=button/lid.*
action=/usr/local/bin/monitor-auto-layout.sh

Restart ACPID:

sudo systemctl restart acpid

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🎯 8. Summary of Behavior

✅ Lid closed, no external monitor → suspend (logind handles this)
✅ Lid closed, external monitor → disables laptop screen
✅ Lid open, external monitor → both screens active
✅ Lid open, no external monitor → laptop screen only

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🏁 9. Final Notes

• $USERNAME must match your real user in the script
• Laptop display name (eDP-1) confirmed via hyprctl monitors
• Hyprland signature written to /tmp/hypr_signature on session start

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[luiseduardobatista]

You can use Kanshi to manage the displays and add a lid trigger in the Hyprland configuration. It's a much simpler solution and achieves the same result. Still, great job!

[inffy]

does this need something in hyprland configs to work or does this just work automatically?

[bastnic]

I added this line in .config/hypr/autostart.conf

exec-once = kanshi

[inffy]

I added this line in .config/hypr/autostart.conf

exec-once = kanshi

yes just figured that out that i have to atleast start it, thanks!

wondering if it is better to start it with uwsm app -- kanshi or does it really matter

[luiseduardobatista]

A useful tip is to add a lid trigger to your Hyprland config, which creates an event to enable or disable the laptop screen and calls Kanshi to change the active profile whenever you close or open the lid

[inffy]

A useful tip is to add a lid trigger to your Hyprland config, which creates an event to enable or disable the laptop screen and calls Kanshi to change the active profile whenever you close or open the lid

i was thinking that, so to use kanshictl with the lid switch. But i already have so that once my laptop is docked, the eDP-1 turns off and when i take it out, eDP-1 turns on.

Not sure how would i do it with the lid switch too in this case?