Managed Monitor Display Settings

[jclark27]

Hey All!

Just a small question, and more like IM wondering if anyone has been able to do this.

In our computer lab, we one of the machines connected to two monitors; the monitors are one standard monitor and one projector. Sometimes when we log into the machine as admin and set it so that the left monitor (standard) is the primary one and the projector is the extended, the projector will sometimes take over.

In short this then requires either to login while looking at the projector screen, but if it's off, we just yoink the cable out and plug it back in. Honestly, the solution to just unplug the cable is fine, but our lab tech/admin is inquiring if there's a way we can make it easier on folks and keep that monitor as the primary. Is this something that can be set via script or config profile?

[jclark27]

Sorry for the oddly phrased first paragraph. It should say

Sometimes even if we set the monitors to be left (standard) and right (projector) they will switch themselves around and wondering if we can lock those monitors in place

[Shyamsundar]

You change the display orders using the arrange button in the display settings 

[jclark27]

Hey there thanks for the reply! but can this be deployed and managed via JAMF? This is what we were interested in.... Our issue was the arrange button configuring isn't "holding" . The settings we put in place don't stay there. So I was wondering if this could be done via JAMF. Could be just an issue with the hardware/monitors. Maybe it's like disconnecting from the projector briefly or something and causing the issue.

[AJPinto]

No, you cannot set the primary display with MDM, and Apple does not provide a CLI utility that you can use to script changing display settings.

There are some third-party tools you can use, but I have never used them, so I won't go into details as its all stuff I don't have experience with.

[sdagley]

@jclark27  I can't make a recommendation from personal experience, but https://github.com/jakehilborn/displayplacer might be of interest to you.

[byrnese]

I bet you could use composer to do some snapshot deltas to figure out which settings holds that information, capture it, and then create a script to set that value that could be deployed via Self Service.

[os-tech_r828]

That’s an interesting thought!

[os-tech_r828]

I’ve experienced somewhat of a similar thing happen with me with an external monitor that I use with my MacBook. It does a thing where the dock will switch from appearing on my main screen to moving on the second screen if I move the cursor across the bottom of second screen.

My fix used to be to do the same thing you’ve done with disconnecting and reconnecting the cable on the laptop. I also used to do what @Shyamsundar @mentioned and go change the display orders in System Settings.

But now, what I’ve come to discover is that if I run the cursor back across the bottom of the screen that I want to be my main screen, the dock comes back to the original main screen. It’s a quirky issue but I haven’t done enough digging myself to see why this is happens and how to keep it from happening. I don’t know if this helps you but if not I’m hoping someone one of previously mentioned suggestions helps you!

[os-tech_r828]

Yikes I’m clearly tired as I reread my comment as see the typing mistakes but hopefully y’all get what I’m saying!