How To Find Linux Desktop Screen Resolution From CLI And GUI

Curious about your Linux desktop's screen resolution? Want to know how to find it using simple commands? Look no further! In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to find your Linux desktop screen resolution, both from the command line and using a graphical interface.

To check your monitor's resolution, refresh rate and other information on a Linux system, you can use several tools and commands.

First, we will learn how to display the screen resolution in Linux from command line.

Find Desktop Screen Resolution in Linux from Command line

Here, we will use the following tools to find the screen resolution of your Linux desktop from command line:

1. xrandr,
2. xdpyinfo,
3. inxi,
4. edid-decode,
5. dmesg.

1. Check Linux Desktop Screen Resolution using xrandr Command

The xrandr (stands for "X Resize and Rotate") is a command-line tool used in the X Window System, which is the underlying graphical system used by most Unix-like operating systems, including Linux.

The xrandr utility enables users to configure and manipulate various display settings, such as screen resolution, refresh rate, rotation, and more, directly from the command line.

With "xrandr," you can perform tasks like changing the resolution of your monitor, adjusting the orientation of your screen (landscape, portrait, etc.), setting up multi-monitor configurations, and diagnosing display issues.

This command is especially handy for those who prefer working with the command line or need to automate display-related tasks.

xrandr comes pre-installed in most Linux distributions.

To find your screen resolution in Linux using xrandr, simply run:

xrandr

This will output a list of all of the available display settings.

Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
DP-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
HDMI-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DP-3 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 476mm x 268mm
   1920x1080     60.00*+  50.00    59.94  
   1600x900      60.00  
   1280x1024     75.02    60.02  
   1152x864      75.00  
   1280x720      60.00    50.00    59.94  
   1024x768      75.03    60.00  
   800x600       75.00    60.32  
   720x576       50.00  
   720x480       60.00    59.94  
   640x480       75.00    60.00    59.94  
   720x400       70.08  
DP-4 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

As you see in the output above, my current Debian desktop resolution is 1920x1080 pixels.

You can also use xrandr command with the grep command to extract only the resolution and exclude other details.

xrandr | grep '*' | awk '{ print $1 }'
1920x1080

Let's break down what each part of the above command does:

1. xrandr: This command is used to query and configure display settings in the X Window System. When you run this command without any options, it displays information about the connected monitors and their available resolutions.
2. | (Pipe): The pipe symbol (|) is used to take the output from the command on the left side and use it as input for the command on the right side.
3. grep '*': This part of the code uses the "grep" command to search for lines containing an asterisk (*). In the context of "xrandr" output, an asterisk often indicates the currently active screen resolution.
4. awk '{ print $1 }': This part of the code uses the "awk" command to print the first column of text from the lines that were filtered by the previous "grep" command. In the context of "xrandr" output, the first column usually represents the screen resolution.

Putting it all together, this command will filter the output of the "xrandr" command to extract the currently active screen resolution, which is often marked with an asterisk in the "xrandr" output. It uses the "grep" command to find lines with an asterisk and then uses "awk" to print the first column (which contains the resolution).

Related Read: How To Adjust Monitor Brightness From Command Line In Linux

2. Find Linux Desktop Screen Resolution using xdpyinfo Command

The xdpyinfo is a command-line utility in the X Window System that provides information about the display and the X server's capabilities. It stands for "X Display Information" and is used to retrieve various details about the X server and the connected displays.

When you run the xdpyinfo command, it provides a comprehensive set of information about the X server and the display it's running on. This information can include details about the screen size, color depth, available extensions, fonts, and more.

Xdpyinfo is useful for diagnosing display-related issues, checking the capabilities of the X server, and gathering information about the connected monitors.

For example, you can use xdpyinfo to find out the screen resolution, the number of available screens, the current color depth, and other relevant details about the display setup.

In summary, "xdpyinfo" is an useful tool for obtaining detailed technical information about the X server and the connected displays in a Unix-like operating system, including Linux.

To display the desktop screen resolution of your Linux system using the xdpyinfo utility, you'd use:

xdpyinfo | grep dimensions

This command will output information that includes the dimensions of your screen in pixels.

dimensions:    1920x1080 pixels (508x285 millimeters)

You can also use the grep and awk commands with "xdpyinfo" to extract the resolution only:

$ xdpyinfo | grep dimensions | awk '{print $2}'
1920x1080

Let's break down what each part of the command does:

1. xdpyinfo: This command is used to retrieve detailed information about the X server and the connected display(s). When you run this command, it outputs a comprehensive set of information about the display configuration and capabilities of the X server.
2. | (Pipe): The pipe symbol (|) is used to take the output from the command on the left side and use it as input for the command on the right side.
3. grep dimensions: This part of the code uses the "grep" command to search for lines containing the word "dimensions." In the context of "xdpyinfo" output, lines containing "dimensions" typically provide information about the screen dimensions (resolution).
4. awk '{print $2}': This part of the code uses the "awk" command to print the second column of text from the lines that were filtered by the previous "grep" command. In the context of "xdpyinfo" output, the second column usually contains the screen dimensions.

Putting it all together, the above command will filter the output of the "xdpyinfo" command to extract the screen dimensions (resolution) of the current display. It uses "grep" to find lines with the word "dimensions" and then uses "awk" to print the second column (which contains the resolution). The result is the display of the screen resolution of the current display.

The xdpyinfo tool also comes pre-installed in most Linux distributions. If the xdpyinfo command is not found for any reason, you can install it using the package manager for your particular Linux distribution.

For example, on Ubuntu or Debian, you would use:

$ sudo apt-get install x11-utils

And on Fedora, RHEL, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, you would use:

$ sudo dnf install xorg-x11-utils

On older RPM-based systems, use yum instead of dnf as shown below.

$ sudo yum install xorg-x11-utils

Keep in mind that these commands need to be run in a terminal on the Linux desktop itself. They won't return the correct results if run over a remote SSH session, unless you've set up X11 forwarding.

3. Display Monitor Resolution using Inxi

inxi is a powerful system information tool that can display monitor details.

Install inxi if it is not installed already:

sudo apt install inxi

Run the following command to display monitor information:

inxi -G

Look for the "Display" section, which will show the resolution and refresh rate.

Sample Output:

Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Tiger Lake-LP GT2 [UHD Graphics G4] driver: i915 v: kernel
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (TGL GT2)

4. Check Monitor Resolution and Refresh Rate using edid-decode in Linux

If you want detailed information about your monitor’s capabilities, including supported resolutions and refresh rates, you can use edid-decode to read the EDID (Extended Display Identification Data).

Install edid-decode if it’s not already installed:

sudo apt install edid-decode

Run the following command to extract the EDID information:

sudo cat /sys/class/drm/card1-DP-2/edid | edid-decode

Replace card1-DP-2 with the appropriate connector for your setup (e.g., card0-DP-1 for DisplayPort). You can find the correct connector by checking the /sys/class/drm/ directory.

Look for the "Detailed Timing Descriptors" section in the output. It will list all supported resolutions and refresh rates.

edid-decode (hex):

00 ff ff ff ff ff ff 00 10 ac 09 20 01 01 01 01
24 1f 01 03 80 30 1b 78 2a 69 25 a3 5b 50 a3 27
11 50 54 a5 4b 00 71 4f 81 80 a9 c0 d1 c0 01 01
01 01 01 01 01 01 02 3a 80 18 71 38 2d 40 58 2c
45 00 dc 0c 11 00 00 1e 00 00 00 ff 00 30 50 37
34 46 31 38 54 31 33 48 42 0a 00 00 00 fc 00 45
32 32 31 39 48 4e 0a 20 20 20 20 20 00 00 00 fd
00 38 4c 1e 53 11 00 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 01 8f

02 03 1a b1 4f 90 05 04 03 02 07 06 1f 14 13 12
11 16 15 01 65 03 0c 00 10 00 02 3a 80 18 71 38
2d 40 58 2c 45 00 dc 0c 11 00 00 1e 01 1d 80 18
71 1c 16 20 58 2c 25 00 dc 0c 11 00 00 9e 01 1d
00 72 51 d0 1e 20 6e 28 55 00 dc 0c 11 00 00 1e
02 3a 80 d0 72 38 2d 40 10 2c 45 80 dc 0c 11 00
00 1e 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ee

----------------

Block 0, Base EDID:
  EDID Structure Version & Revision: 1.3
  Vendor & Product Identification:
    Manufacturer: DEL
    Model: 8201
    Serial Number: 16843009
    Made in: week 36 of 2021
  Basic Display Parameters & Features:
    Digital display
    Maximum image size: 48 cm x 27 cm
    Gamma: 2.20
    DPMS levels: Off
    RGB color display
    First detailed timing is the preferred timing
  Color Characteristics:
    Red  : 0.6376, 0.3574
    Green: 0.3144, 0.6376
    Blue : 0.1523, 0.0683
    White: 0.3134, 0.3291
  Established Timings I & II:
    IBM     :   720x400    70.081663 Hz   9:5     31.467 kHz     28.320000 MHz
    DMT 0x04:   640x480    59.940476 Hz   4:3     31.469 kHz     25.175000 MHz
    DMT 0x06:   640x480    75.000000 Hz   4:3     37.500 kHz     31.500000 MHz
    DMT 0x09:   800x600    60.316541 Hz   4:3     37.879 kHz     40.000000 MHz
    DMT 0x0b:   800x600    75.000000 Hz   4:3     46.875 kHz     49.500000 MHz
    DMT 0x10:  1024x768    60.003840 Hz   4:3     48.363 kHz     65.000000 MHz
    DMT 0x12:  1024x768    75.028582 Hz   4:3     60.023 kHz     78.750000 MHz
    DMT 0x24:  1280x1024   75.024675 Hz   5:4     79.976 kHz    135.000000 MHz
  Standard Timings:
    DMT 0x15:  1152x864    75.000000 Hz   4:3     67.500 kHz    108.000000 MHz
    DMT 0x23:  1280x1024   60.019740 Hz   5:4     63.981 kHz    108.000000 MHz
    DMT 0x53:  1600x900    60.000000 Hz  16:9     60.000 kHz    108.000000 MHz (RB)
    DMT 0x52:  1920x1080   60.000000 Hz  16:9     67.500 kHz    148.500000 MHz
  Detailed Timing Descriptors:
    DTD 1:  1920x1080   60.000000 Hz  16:9     67.500 kHz    148.500000 MHz (476 mm x 268 mm)
                 Hfront   88 Hsync  44 Hback  148 Hpol P
                 Vfront    4 Vsync   5 Vback   36 Vpol P
    Display Product Serial Number: '0P74F18T13HB'
    Display Product Name: 'E2219HN'
    Display Range Limits:
      Monitor ranges (GTF): 56-76 Hz V, 30-83 kHz H, max dotclock 170 MHz
  Extension blocks: 1
Checksum: 0x8f

----------------

Block 1, CTA-861 Extension Block:
  Revision: 3
  Underscans IT Video Formats by default
  Supports YCbCr 4:4:4
  Supports YCbCr 4:2:2
  Native detailed modes: 1
  Video Data Block:
    VIC  16:  1920x1080   60.000000 Hz  16:9     67.500 kHz    148.500000 MHz (native)
    VIC   5:  1920x1080i  60.000000 Hz  16:9     33.750 kHz     74.250000 MHz
    VIC   4:  1280x720    60.000000 Hz  16:9     45.000 kHz     74.250000 MHz
    VIC   3:   720x480    59.940060 Hz  16:9     31.469 kHz     27.000000 MHz
    VIC   2:   720x480    59.940060 Hz   4:3     31.469 kHz     27.000000 MHz
    VIC   7:  1440x480i   59.940060 Hz  16:9     15.734 kHz     27.000000 MHz
    VIC   6:  1440x480i   59.940060 Hz   4:3     15.734 kHz     27.000000 MHz
    VIC  31:  1920x1080   50.000000 Hz  16:9     56.250 kHz    148.500000 MHz
    VIC  20:  1920x1080i  50.000000 Hz  16:9     28.125 kHz     74.250000 MHz
    VIC  19:  1280x720    50.000000 Hz  16:9     37.500 kHz     74.250000 MHz
    VIC  18:   720x576    50.000000 Hz  16:9     31.250 kHz     27.000000 MHz
    VIC  17:   720x576    50.000000 Hz   4:3     31.250 kHz     27.000000 MHz
    VIC  22:  1440x576i   50.000000 Hz  16:9     15.625 kHz     27.000000 MHz
    VIC  21:  1440x576i   50.000000 Hz   4:3     15.625 kHz     27.000000 MHz
    VIC   1:   640x480    59.940476 Hz   4:3     31.469 kHz     25.175000 MHz
  Vendor-Specific Data Block (HDMI), OUI 00-0C-03:
    Source physical address: 1.0.0.0
  Detailed Timing Descriptors:
    DTD 2:  1920x1080   60.000000 Hz  16:9     67.500 kHz    148.500000 MHz (476 mm x 268 mm)
                 Hfront   88 Hsync  44 Hback  148 Hpol P
                 Vfront    4 Vsync   5 Vback   36 Vpol P
    DTD 3:  1920x1080i  60.000000 Hz  16:9     33.750 kHz     74.250000 MHz (476 mm x 268 mm)
                 Hfront   88 Hsync  44 Hback  148 Hpol P
                 Vfront    2 Vsync   5 Vback   15 Vpol P Vfront +0.5 Odd Field
                 Vfront    2 Vsync   5 Vback   15 Vpol P Vback  +0.5 Even Field
    DTD 4:  1280x720    60.000000 Hz  16:9     45.000 kHz     74.250000 MHz (476 mm x 268 mm)
                 Hfront  110 Hsync  40 Hback  220 Hpol P
                 Vfront    5 Vsync   5 Vback   20 Vpol P
    DTD 5:  1920x1080   50.000000 Hz  16:9     56.250 kHz    148.500000 MHz (476 mm x 268 mm)
                 Hfront  528 Hsync  44 Hback  148 Hpol P
                 Vfront    4 Vsync   5 Vback   36 Vpol P
Checksum: 0xee

5. View Monitor Information using dmesg

You can check the kernel logs for information about your monitor.

To do so, run:

sudo dmesg | grep -i hdmi

Or,

sudo dmesg | grep -i drm

Look for lines that mention the resolution or refresh rate.

Discover Desktop Screen Resolution in Linux from GUI

1. Using gnome-display

If you’re using a GNOME-based desktop environment (e.g., Ubuntu, Fedora), you can use the Settings app to check the resolution and refresh rate.

• Open Settings > Displays.
• The current resolution and refresh rate will be displayed under the monitor’s settings.

2. Using arandr

arandr is a graphical front-end for xrandr that allows you to view and manage display settings.

Install arandr:

sudo apt install arandr

Launch arandr from your application menu or by running:

arandr

The current resolution and refresh rate will be displayed in the window. If not, go to Outputs -> DP1 or DP2 or HDMI -> Resolution from arandr window.

Which Method Should You Use?

If you want to quickly check the current resolution and refresh rate, use xrandr. The xrandr command is the more powerful of the all methods. This is the fastest and simplest way to see the current resolution and refresh rate, as well as all supported modes.

If you want detailed monitor information (e.g., Model, Physical Size, Supported Features), Use edid-decode.

If you want to an easier method, use the xdpyinfo command. Please note that it does not provide as much information.

If you want to check system-wide display information, use Inxi. This provides a summary of your graphics card and monitor details, including resolution and refresh rate.

My Recommendation:

1. Start with xrandr to quickly check the current resolution and refresh rate, as well as supported modes.
2. If you need more details (e.g., monitor model, physical size), use edid-decode.
3. If you prefer a graphical interface, use gnome-display or arandr.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Find your desktop screen resolution from the CLI and GUI in Linux is easy! By using these tools and methods, you can easily check your monitor's current resolution and refresh rate, as well as its supported modes.