The problem: docking in to multiple monitors without restart doesn’t use them In both my offices I have a triple-screen setup (my laptop + two externals). However, I change setups regularly; on the commute, it is only my laptop. Then, on either end of that commute, it’s triple two more external monitors (but they are a different dimension of externals in either location). The problem is that the monitors are usually not recognized at plug-in time after a daily change of locations, though my other docked accessories (mostly my keyboard) are recognized.

I have a 3-monitor setup, using a USB3 dock. Plugging in to my windows machine just works; all monitors connect. However, plug in into my exwm machine sometimes fails, where the extra monitors will remain blank. Usually this is easily fixed when I see it; I press C-M- to open up a terminal outside exwm, and all monitors come alive; then C-M- back to exwm and it finds them, and all workspaces are where they should be.

I recently shuffled things with my office and found that I have hardware and ports for a third monitor to connect to my exwm setup. So, without further ado, how to get it going and registered with Linux/EXWM? Edit [2022-01-02 Sun] an easier way with arandr Downloading and installing arandr made this whole configuration much simpler than using the raw randr output. I finally made the jump when I was receiving an error at my attempts to load it manually: xrandr: Configure crtc 2 failed.