So, I’ve been trying to figure out how to set a keyboard shortcut to rotate my screen on Ubuntu 17.10, and I’m feeling a bit lost. I know it’s possible, but every time I try to dig deeper, I end up more confused. I mean, I get it—Ubuntu is supposed to be user-friendly and all, but this feels like a giant puzzle.
Here’s the thing: sometimes I need to flip my screen, like when I’ve got some vertical stuff to work on or when I’m following tutorials that work better in portrait mode. But the whole manual rotation thing through the settings feels tedious, especially when it’s a task I do often. I saw a few posts online suggesting keyboard shortcuts, but they all seemed too complicated, or they just didn’t work for me.
Has anyone managed to set up a shortcut for this? I tried going into the keyboard settings and looking for the “Shortcuts” tab, but I couldn’t find anything that seemed related to screen rotation. I mean, shouldn’t there be something easily accessible for this? I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here; I just want a quick way to flip my screen when I need it.
Also, are there specific key combinations that work better than others? I’ve read about using Ctrl, Alt, and arrow keys, but I’m not sure how to set that up without accidentally changing other settings or getting into a mess. It would be great if someone could give me a step-by-step or even point me in the right direction for any commands I might have to type in the terminal.
Honestly, I’m just looking for a simple solution. I know I’m probably overcomplicating things, but if you can help me out, that would make my life so much easier—and my screen rotations a breeze! Thanks in advance for any advice or tips!
To set up keyboard shortcuts for screen rotation in Ubuntu 17.10, you’ll first need to access the keyboard settings. Open the “Settings” application, and navigate to the “Devices” section, then click on “Keyboard.” Scroll to the bottom and look for the “Custom Shortcuts” section, where you can create your own shortcuts. To create a new shortcut for rotating the screen, click the ‘+’ button, and you’ll be prompted to enter a name and command. For screen rotation, you can use the following commands: with your actual display output name, which you can find by running
xrandr --output --rotate left for rotating left,xrandr --output --rotate right for rotating right, andxrandr --output --rotate normal to return to normal orientation. Make sure to replacexrandrin the terminal.After entering the command, assign your desired keyboard shortcut (such as Ctrl + Alt + Left for rotating left) by clicking on the shortcut field and pressing the key combination you want to use. Be cautious with key combinations; avoid ones that are already in use by other shortcuts to prevent conflicts. If you’re encountering issues with the command not executing, make sure that your X server supports rotation. Once you have your key combinations set up, test them to ensure they work. This method should make rotating your screen much easier and faster without diving deep into settings each time you need a quick flip.
Setting Up Screen Rotation Shortcuts in Ubuntu 17.10
It sounds like you’re on a quest for the holy grail of screen rotation shortcuts—totally get it! It’s a common struggle, but with a few steps, you can set it up.
Step-by-Step Guide
xrandr --output --rotate normal xrandr --output --rotate right xrandr --output --rotate inverted xrandr --output --rotate left <your_display_name>with your actual display name (you can find this by runningxrandrin the terminal).Tips
Make sure not to set keys that are already assigned to other shortcuts. You can always go back and change them if something goes wrong.
Also, if you’re nervous about messing something up, just copy your original settings before making changes, so you can revert back if needed.
Wrapping Up
Once you get through these steps, you should be flipping your screen like a pro! Good luck, and may the shortcuts be ever in your favor!