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Monitor Brightness Control
What it is
Monitor Brightness Control is a free Linux utility for adjusting brightness and contrast on external monitors through DDC/CI. It offers command-line and graphical interfaces, plus a background service. The graphical interface includes real-time brightness and contrast sliders, Day, Night, and Gaming presets, and monitor refresh. Users can create custom profiles, apply one at startup, and use customizable global shortcuts to switch profiles or adjust brightness. The tool detects compatible monitors and supports control of individual displays or batch operations across connected screens. It requires a DDC/CI-compatible monitor and I2C communication, with ddcutil listed as a system dependency. DisplayPort and modern HDMI are fully supported, DVI-D is limited, and VGA is unsupported. Installation options include a shell script, pip, or a source checkout. Setup involves granting I2C group access and loading the i2c-dev module. It can run as a user systemd service and is licensed under MIT.
For and against
For
- Command-line, graphical, and background-service interfaces.
- Day, Night, and Gaming profiles are included.
- Customizable shortcuts adjust brightness or switch profiles.
- Supports per-monitor control and batch operations.
- Free and licensed under MIT.
Against
- Requires a DDC/CI-compatible monitor and I2C access.
- VGA is unsupported; DVI-D support is limited.
- ddcutil is a system dependency.
The verdict
Monitor Brightness Control offers several ways to adjust compatible Linux-connected displays, with profiles and multi-monitor controls. Its usefulness depends on monitor and connection compatibility, and setup requires I2C access.
Who it suits
It suits Linux users who want software controls for compatible external monitors, including multi-monitor setups. Users should be comfortable meeting its I2C and DDC/CI requirements.
Plans and prices
Free
MIT-licensed Linux tool · requires DDC/CI-compatible monitor and I2C access
Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Compatibility
- The README lists Ubuntu 20.04+, Linux Mint 20+, Debian 11+, Fedora 35+, Arch Linux/Manjaro, and openSUSE as tested distributions.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Connection limits
- DisplayPort and modern HDMI are listed as fully supported, DVI-D as limited, and VGA as unsupported.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Connections
- The README lists DisplayPort and HDMI as fully supported, DVI-D as limited, and VGA as unsupported.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Controls
- The GUI provides real-time brightness and contrast sliders, Day/Night/Gaming presets, and monitor refresh.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Hotkeys
- Global shortcuts can switch profiles or adjust brightness, and the key combinations are customizable.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The README documents installation through a shell script, pip, or source checkout.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- It uses ddcutil for DDC/CI communication and can run as a user systemd service on Linux.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Interfaces
- It provides a command-line interface, a graphical interface, and a background service.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- License
- The project is licensed under the MIT License.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Multi-monitor
- The tool detects compatible monitors, supports per-monitor control, and can apply batch operations across connected displays.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Multiple monitors
- Detects DDC/CI-compatible monitors and supports individual or batch control across connected displays.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Profiles
- It includes Day, Night, and Gaming profiles, supports custom profiles, and can apply a profile at startup.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Controls brightness and contrast of external monitors through DDC/CI on Linux.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- It requires a DDC/CI-compatible monitor and I2C communication; the README lists ddcutil as a system dependency.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Roadmap
- The roadmap lists a web interface, REST API, time-based profiles, and ambient-light integration as planned items.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Security and privacy
- The README instructs users to grant I2C group access and load the i2c-dev module; it makes no security or compliance certification claim.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- The README invites bug reports, feature requests, and contributions through GitHub.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
