Set correct primary monitor for login screen when lightdm greeter starts up on Elementary OS

set-primary-monitor-pantheon-greeter

#!/bin/bash
#
# Created: 2017-07-02 16:20
# Updated: 2018-02-09 12:23
# Creator: Ryan Miller
# Website: http://devopsmachine.com/
# File:    /usr/local/bin/set-primary-monitor-pantheon-greeter
# 
# Set correct primary monitor for login screen when lightdm greeter starts up on Elementary OS.
#
# Make sure to add the following line into /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/40-pantheon-greeter.conf (without the #)
# greeter-setup-script=/usr/local/bin/set-primary-monitor-pantheon-greeter
# 

# Change this variable to your primary display (Run 'xrandr -q' to see available displays)
PRIMARY_DISPLAY='HDMI-0'

# Get list of connected monitors
x_out=$(xrandr -q | grep -e '\( \)connected' | awk -F' ' '{ print $1 }')

# Safety - Check if PRIMARY_DISPLAY is connected; if not, bail out of script
[[ $(grep ${PRIMARY_DISPLAY} <<< ${x_out}) ]] || exit 0
     
# Iterate over x_out and disable all monitors except for PRIMARY_DISPLAY
for monitor in ${x_out[@]} ; do
    if [[ ${monitor} = ${PRIMARY_DISPLAY} ]] ; then
        xrandr --output ${monitor} --primary
    else
        xrandr --output ${monitor} --off
    fi
done

/usr/local/bin/set-primary-monitor-pantheon-greeter

greeter-setup-script=/usr/local/bin/correct-screen-pantheon-greeter

Assume typo?

Exit code in case primary display isn't connected should be "0", otherwise greeter ends up in loop.

doesn't work for me, even after applying fixes from comments. This bug is really annoying
EDIT: Found a solution! Line greeter-setup-script=/usr/local/bin/correct-screen-pantheon-greeter (assuming you saved script from gist in this path) should be placed in /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf (if file doesn't exist, create it)
Final files should look like this:

#!/bin/bash
#
# { 2017-07-02 16:20 }
# { Ryan Miller | [email protected] }
# { /usr/local/bin/correct-screen-pantheon-greeter }
# 
# Set correct primary monitor for login screen when lightdm greeter starts up on Elementary OS.

# Change this variable to your primary display (Run 'xrandr -q' to see available displays)
PRIMARY_DISPLAY='HDMI-0'

# Get list of connected monitors
x_out=$(xrandr -q | grep -e '\( \)connected' | awk -F' ' '{ print $1 }')

# Safety - Check if PRIMARY_DISPLAY is connected; if not, bail out of script
[[ $(grep ${PRIMARY_DISPLAY} <<< ${x_out}) ]] || exit 0
     
# Iterate over x_out and disable all monitors except for PRIMARY_DISPLAY
for monitor in ${x_out[@]} ; do
    if [[ ${monitor} = ${PRIMARY_DISPLAY} ]] ; then
        xrandr --output ${monitor} --primary
    else
        xrandr --output ${monitor} --off
    fi
done

#{ /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf }
[Seat:*]
greeter-setup-script=/usr/local/bin/correct-screen-pantheon-greeter

Fixed typo and exit 1 in code. Not really sure about /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf as opposed to /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/40-pantheon-greeter.conf. Are you using Elementary OS or just lightdm on another distribution? Glad it's working for you though!

after add changes my eOS failed to boot, stucked with the boot logo 'e'.
remove lightdm.conf in recovery mode made system boot normally again.

• have changed PRIMARY_DISPLAY to HDMI-2 according to xrandr results.

Work for me, I do:
Make a archive with name 'correct-screen-pantheon-greeter' in /usr/local/bin/, with 755 permissions
With the content:

#!/bin/bash
#
# { 2017-07-02 16:20 }
# { Ryan Miller | [email protected] }
# { /usr/local/bin/correct-screen-pantheon-greeter }
# 
# Set correct primary monitor for login screen when lightdm greeter starts up on Elementary OS.

# Change this variable to your primary display (Run 'xrandr -q' to see available displays)
PRIMARY_DISPLAY='HDMI-0'

# Get list of connected monitors
x_out=$(xrandr -q | grep -e '\( \)connected' | awk -F' ' '{ print $1 }')

# Safety - Check if PRIMARY_DISPLAY is connected; if not, bail out of script
[[ $(grep ${PRIMARY_DISPLAY} <<< ${x_out}) ]] || exit 0
     
# Iterate over x_out and disable all monitors except for PRIMARY_DISPLAY
for monitor in ${x_out[@]} ; do
    if [[ ${monitor} = ${PRIMARY_DISPLAY} ]] ; then
        xrandr --output ${monitor} --primary
    else
        xrandr --output ${monitor} --off
    fi
done

after
Make a archive with name 'lightdm.conf' in /etc/lightdm/, with 755 permissions
With the content:

#{ /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf }
[Seat:*]
greeter-setup-script=/usr/local/bin/correct-screen-pantheon-greeter

I did what @pawamej said and I added the permissions, before this (without writing permission) too my eOS failed to boot, stucked with the boot logo 'e' @kt1024

If anyone ends up with a black screen or the elementary logo: you need to make the script executable! So start up in recovery mode and then (as root):

chmod +x /usr/local/bin/set-primary-monitor-pantheon-greeter

Took me a few hours to find this and wanted to share (though it's actually quite obvious why it didn't work before).

works! it's been annoying for years until I ran into this solution.
The file /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf doesn't exist, I created it.

Just a note: there is no need to create a /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf file. It's enough to append /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/40-pantheon-greeter.conf with the line. If you create a lightdm.conf file make sure you do not add a greeter-setup-script line to both files as this will result in an endless loop.

Also make sure you chmod +x /usr/local/bin/set-primary-monitor-pantheon-greeter as mentioned in the above comment.

this worked for login, but on juno locking the screen would result in both monitors being blank and what looked like and endless cycle of the primary display attempting to sync. adding the --auto option seemed to fix that

xrandr --output ${monitor} --primary --auto

Caveat, this worked:

#  cat /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/40-pantheon-greeter.conf
[Seat:*]
greeter-setup-script=/usr/local/bin/set-primary-monitor-pantheon-greeter

You might want to include that in the doc head as the current documentation doesn't work for me on Juno 5.0.

Caveat, this worked:

#  cat /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/40-pantheon-greeter.conf
[Seat:*]
greeter-setup-script=/usr/local/bin/set-primary-monitor-pantheon-greeter

You might want to include that in the doc head as the current documentation doesn't work for me on Juno 5.0.

I was able to get it to work on Juno by also copying the monitors.xml file:

sudo cp /home/<_user_>/.config/monitors.xml /var/lib/lightdm/.config/

Reboot and it worked like a charm.

Yes, it works like all other similar 'solutions' - until the next shutdown, or plug-in/plug-out the external monitor..

I was able to get it to work on Juno by also copying the monitors.xml file:

sudo cp /home/<_user_>/.config/monitors.xml /var/lib/lightdm/.config/

Reboot and it worked like a charm.

if the screen turn to black. Just make sure the computer boot failed several time you will get into Grub2 and enter to recovery mode after that remove 2 file above /usr/local/bin/set-primary-monitor-pantheon-greeter and /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/40-pantheon-greeter.conf now black screen gone. Also all solution doesn't work for me.