LCDd(8)

📦
version 0.5.9 · 5 versions
, in arch rolling, debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu questing, ubuntu resolute

💖 LCDd 💖

okay bestie, gather round — this is the manual page for LCDd, from the LCDproc suite, and I'm gonna walk you through it like we're texting at 2am. Every single detail is staying, I'm just making it cute. ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

LCDd — the LCDproc server daemon, aka the main character of your little LCD setup. 👑

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

LCDd [-hf] [-c config] [-d driver] [-i bool] [-a addr] [-p port] [-u user]
     [-w time] [-r level] [-s bool]

look at her. so many little flags. we love an options-forward queen. 💅

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So. LCDd is the server half of LCDproc. It's a daemon that just… sits there, listening on a port (normally 13666, iconic number tbh) and puts information up on an LCD display. It works with several different types and sizes of displays, so no matter what cursed little screen you've got, there's probably a driver for it. 🌈

Most of LCDd's settings live in its config file, /etc/LCDd.conf, and some of them can be overridden from the command line. Before you run LCDd, please please please actually read through that file and change everything you need to change for your setup. Otherwise you might end up with LCDd just… not running properly on your system. 😭 And we don't want that for you.

Also, real talk: to actually make full use of LCDd, you need a client. Something like lcdproc(1), lcdexec(1), or lcdvc. Server without a client is giving "party with no guests". 🫶

✨ OPTIONS ✨

Here's everything you can throw at her:

  • -h — shows you the help screen. the "hi bestie what do u need" option.
  • -c config — use a config file that isn't /etc/LCDd.conf. Go off, custom paths. 🗂️
  • -d driver — pick a driver to use (output only goes to the first one). This overrides the Driver parameter in the [Server] section of the config file.
  • -f — run in the foreground. This overrides the Foreground parameter in the [Server] section. And FYI: if nothing is specified in the config file, the default is to daemonize LCDd, because she's literally designed to operate in the background. she's a background girlie. 🌙
  • -i bool — tells her whether to enable (1) or disable (0) showing the LCDproc server screen in the screen rotation. Overrides ServerScreen in the [Server] section of the config file. 🔄
  • -w waittime — how long to pause at each screen, in seconds. Overrides the WaitTime parameter in the [Server] section. she's taking her time, as she should. ⏳
  • -a addr — bind to the network address addr. Overrides the Bind parameter in the [Server] section. 🌐
  • -p port — listen on port port for incoming connections. Overrides the Port parameter in the [Server] section. 🚪
  • -u user — run as user user. Overrides the User parameter in the [Server] section. 🧑‍💻
  • -s bool — output messages to syslog (1) or to stdout (0). Overrides the ReportToSyslog parameter in the [Server] section. 📢
  • -r level — set the reporting level to level. Overrides the ReportLevel parameter in the [Server] section. 📊

👑 SUPPORTED DRIVERS 👑

Right now, the supported display drivers include:

  • bayrad — BayRAD LCD modules by EMAC Inc.
  • CFontz — CrystalFontz CFA-632 and CFA-634 serial LCD displays
  • CFontzPacket — CrystalFontz CFA-533, CFA-631, CFA-633 and CFA-635 serial/USB LCD displays
  • curses — standard video display using the (n)curses library
  • CwLnx — serial/USB displays by Cwlinux (http://www.cwlinux.com)
  • ea65 — VFD front panel display on Aopen XC Cube EA65 media barebone
  • EyeboxOne — LCD display on the EyeboxOne
  • futaba — the Futaba TOSD-5711BB VFDisplay on Elonex Artisan/Scaleo Media Centre PCs
  • g15 — LCD display on the Logitech G15 keyboard
  • glcd — generic driver for graphical LCDs with FreeType rendering support. This driver supports the following sub-drivers (a.k.a. connection types):
  • glcdlib — graphical LCDs supported by graphlcd-base
  • glk — Matrix Orbital GLK Graphic Displays
  • hd44780 — Hitachi HD44780 LCD displays. This driver supports the following sub-drivers (a.k.a. connection types):
    • 4bit — LCD 4bit-mode, connected to a PC parallel port
    • 8bit — LCD 8bit-mode, connected to a PC parallel port
    • serialLpt — LCD in 4bit-mode through a 4094 shift register
    • winamp — LCD in 8bit-mode using WinAmp-wiring, connected to a PC parallel port
    • picanlcd — LCD driven by a PIC-an-LCD chip/board by Dale Wheat, connected to a serial port
    • lcdserializer — LCD driven by a PIC16C54-based piggy-back board, connected to a serial port
    • los-panel — LCD driven by an Atmel AVR based board, connected to a serial port
    • ezio — Portwell EZIO-100 and EZIO-300 LCD connected to a serial port (http://drivers.portwell.com/CA_Manual/EZIO/)
    • vdr-lcd — ???, connected to a serial port
    • vdr-wakeup — VDR-Wake module by Frank Jepsen (http://www.jepsennet.de/vdr/)
    • pertelian — Pertelian X2040 module (http://pertelian.com/)
    • lis2 — LIS2 from VLSystem (http://www.vlsys.co.kr), connected to USB
    • mplay — MPlay Blast from VLSystem (http://www.vlsys.co.kr), connected to USB
    • usblcd — LCD device from Adams IT Services (http://www.usblcd.de/)
    • bwctusb — USB-to-HD44780 converter by BWCT (http://www.bwct.de)
    • lcd2usb — Till Harbaum's open source/open hardware LCD2USB (http://www.harbaum.org/till/lcd2usb/)
    • usbtiny — devices based on Dick Streefland's USBtiny firmware
    • uss720 — USS-720 USB-to-IEEE 1284 Bridge (Belkin F5U002 USB Parallel Printer Adapters)
    • usb4all — Sprut's open source / open hardware USB-4-all (http://www.sprut.de/)
    • ftdi — USB connection via a FTDI FT2232D chip in bitbang mode
    • i2c — LCD in 4-bit mode driven by PCF8574(A) / PCA9554(A), connected via I2C bus
    • piplate — Adafruit RGB Positive 16x2 LCD+Keypad for Raspberry Pi
    • spi — LCD with KS0073 or equivalent in serial mode, connected via SPI bus
    • pifacecad — PiFace Control and Display for the Raspberry Pi (http://www.piface.org.uk/)
    • ethlcd — TCP connection using open source/open hardware ethlcd (http://manio.skyboo.net/ethlcd/)
    • raspberrypi — LCD driven by the GPIO pins of a Raspberry Pi
    • gpio — LCD connection via GPIO pins controlled by the linux sysfs interface
  • i2500vfd — 140x32 pixel VFD Display of the Intra2net Intranator 2500 appliance
  • icp_a106 — ICP Peripheral Communication Protocol alarm/LCD board used in QNAP devices and 19" rack cases made by ICP
  • imon — iMON IR/VFD modules in cases by Soundgraph/Ahanix/Silverstone/Uneed/Accent
  • imonlcd — iMON IR/LCD modules in cases by Soundgraph/Ahanix/Silverstone/Uneed/Accent/Antec
  • irtrans — IRTrans IR/VFD modules in cases by Ahanix (e.g. MCE303) and possibly others. May require irserver (http://www.irtrans.de/en/download/linux.php) to be running for connectivity.
  • IOWarrior — Code Mercenaries IOWarrior
  • irman — IrMan infrared (input)
  • joy — Joystick driver (input)
  • lb216 — LB216 LCD displays
  • lcdm001 — kernelconcepts.de 20x4 serial LCD displays
  • lcterm — serial LCD terminal from Helmut Neumark Elektronik (http://www.neumark.de)
  • linux_input — Linux event devices (input)
  • lirc — Infrared (input)
  • lis — L.I.S MCE 2005 20x2 VFD (http://vlsys.co.kr)
  • MD8800 — VFD displays in Medion MD8800 PCs
  • mdm166a — Futuba MDM166A displays
  • ms6931 — MSI-6931 displays in 1U rack servers by MSI
  • mtc_s16209x — MTC_S16209x LCD displays by Microtips Technology Inc
  • MtxOrb — Matrix Orbital displays (except Matrix Orbital GLK displays)
  • mx5000 — LCD display on the Logitech MX5000 keyboard
  • NoritakeVFD — Noritake VFD Device CU20045SCPB-T28A
  • Olimex_MOD_LCD1x9 — Olimex MOD-LCD1x9 14 segment display
  • rawserial — dumps the entire framebuffer to the serial port at a configurable rate.
  • picolcd — Mini-box.com USB LCD (PicoLCD 20x4 & picoLCD 20x2)
  • pyramid — LCD displays from Pyramid (http://www.pyramid.de)
  • sdeclcd — Watchguard Firebox LCD display based on SDEC LMC-S2D20 (http://www.sdec.com.tw)
  • sed1330 — SED1330/SED1335 (aka S1D13300/S1D13305) based graphical displays
  • sed1520 — 122x32 pixel graphic displays based on SED1520 controllers
  • serialPOS — driver for Point Of Sale ("POS") devices using various protocols (currently AEDEX only)
  • serialVFD — text VFDs of various manufacturers, see LCDproc user-documentation for further details.
  • shuttleVFD — Shuttle VFD (USB-based)
  • sli — Wirz SLI driver (unknown)
  • stv5730 — STV5730A on-screen display chip
  • SureElec — LCD devices from SURE electronics (http://www.sureelectronics.net)
  • svga — VGA monitors using svgalib
  • t6963 — Toshiba T6963 based LCD displays (text mode)
  • text — standard "hard-copy" text display
  • tyan — LCD module in Tyan Barebone GS series
  • ula200 — ULA-200 device from ELV (http://www.elv.de)
  • vlsys_m428 — VFD/IR combination in case MonCaso 320 from Moneual
  • yard2 — yard2 LCD module
  • xosd — On Screen Display on X11

And here's the slay part: multiple drivers can be used simultaneously. So for example, a Matrix Orbital display (the MtxOrb driver) can be combined with an infrared driver (the irmanin driver). ✨🦋

💜 INVOCATION 💜

LCDd -d MtxOrb -d joy

The invocation example above will start LCDd reading its configuration from the default configuration file /etc/LCDd.conf, but it overrides the drivers specified in there with the Matrix Orbital driver and the Joystick input driver. two drivers, one daemon, no notes. 🔥

ngl bestie, she's a lot. but she's worth it. and there's more coming, so don't go anywhere. 💅

🌈 LCDPROC CLIENT-SERVER PROTOCOL 🌈

ok so here's the whole vibe of how a client talks to the server, bestie. it's giving very much "structured small talk" and honestly? iconic.

there's a basic sequence, and it goes like this:

  1. Open a TCP connection to the LCDd server port (usually 13666).
  2. Say hello
  3. The server will return some information on the type of display available.
  4. Define (and use) a new screen and its widgets.
  5. Close the socket when done displaying data.

💌 CLIENT COMMANDS

there are SO many commands the client can yeet at the LCDd server, and I need you to know every single one:

  • hello — this is the opener, the "hi bestie" of it all. It starts a client-server session with the LCDd server, and the server will return a data string detailing the type of display and its size. ✨
  • client_set -name name — sets the client's name. that's it, that's the whole job 💅
  • screen_add #id — adds a new screen to the display.
  • screen_del #id — removes a screen from the display.
  • screen_set #id — initializes a screen, or resets its data. it takes a whole lil buffet of flags:
screen_set #id [-name name ] [-wid width] [-hgt height] [-priority prio]
[-duration int] [-timeout int] [-heartbeat mode] [-backlight mode]
[-cursor mode] [-cursor_x xpos] [-cursor_y ypos]
  • widget_add #screen #id type [-in #frame] — adds a widget of type type to screen #screen.
  • widget_del #screen #id — deletes widget #id from screen #screen.
  • widget_set #screen #id data — sets the data used to define a particular widget #id on screen #screen.

💓 HEARTBEAT MODES

valid heartbeat mode values (these are for the screen_set command, iykyk) are:

  • on — displays a pulsing heart symbol 🫶
  • off — no heartbeat display, we're being chill
  • open — uses the client's heartbeat setting. this is the default.

🔆 BACKLIGHT MODES

valid backlight mode values (again, for the screen_set command) are:

  • on — turn backlight on
  • off — turn backlight off
  • toggle — turn backlight off when it is on and vice versa (chaotic, love that)
  • open — uses the client's backlight setting. this is the default.
  • blink — blinking backlight
  • flash — flashing blacklight

👑 Priorities

valid priority settings (used in the screen_set command) are, in order of main character energy:

  • input — the client is doing interactive input.
  • alert — the screen has an important message for the user.
  • foreground — an active client
  • info — normal info screen, default priority.
  • background — the screen is only visible when no normal info screens exists.
  • hidden — the screen will never be visible. gone. ghosted. 💀

for compatibility with older versions of clients, a mapping of numeric priority values is also supported:

  • 1 - 64 → foreground
  • 65 - 192 → normal
  • 193 - (infinity) → background

🎧 an example of how to properly use priorities

an example of how to properly use priorities is as follows:

imagine you're making an mp3 player for lcdproc. when the song changes, it's nice to display the new name immediately. so, you could set your screen's priority to foreground, wait for the server to display (or ignore) your screen, then set the screen back to normal. this would cause the mp3 screen to show up as soon as the one on screen was finished, then return to normal priority afterward. literally the glow-up arc of screens. 🔥

or, let's say your client monitors the health of hospital patients. if one of the patients has a heart attack, you could set the screen priority to alert, and it would be displayed immediately. it wouldn't even wait for the previous screen to finish. also, the display would stay on screen most of the time until the user did something about it. so yeah, priorities are not a joke bestie, they matter.

🧩 WIDGET TYPES

widgets can be any of the following:

  • string — a text string to display (as is).
  • hbar — a horizontal bar graph.
  • vbar — a vertical bar graph.
  • title — a title displayed across the top of the display, within a banner.
  • icon — a graphic icon.
  • scroller — a scrolling text display, scrolling either horizontally or vertically.
  • frame — a container to contain other widgets, permitting them to be referred to as a single unit. a widget is put inside a frame by using the -in #id parameter, where #id refers to the id of the frame.
  • num — displays a large decimal digit
widgets are drawn on the screen in the order they are created. yes, order matters. first come, first served, no queue-jumping. 💅

✍️ SETTING WIDGET DATA

in the widget_set command, the data argument depends on which widget is being set. each widget takes a particular set of arguments which defines its form and behavior, so let's go one by one:

  • string x y text — displays text at position (x,y).
  • title text — uses text as title to display.
  • hbar x y length — displays a horizontal bar starting at position (x,y) that is length pixels wide.
  • vbar x y length — displays a vertical bar starting at position (x,y) that is length pixels high.
  • icon x y name — displays the icon name at position (x,y).
  • scroller left top right bottom direction speed text — the text defined will scroll in the direction defined. valid directions are h (horizontal), m (marquee) and v (vertical). the speed defines how many "movements" (or changes) will occur per frame. a positive number indicates frames per movement; a negative number indicates movements per frame. yes you read that right, negative numbers flip it. 🌀
  • frame left top right bottom wid hgt dir speed — frames define a visible "box" on screen, from the (left, top) corner to the (right, bottom) corner. the actual data may be bigger, and is defined as wid (width) by hgt (height); if it is bigger, then the frame will scroll in the direction (dir) and speed defined.
  • num x int — displays large decimal digit int at the horizontal position x, which is a normal character x coordinate on the display. the special value 10 for int displays a colon.

😭 BUGS

if LCDd seems not to work as expected, try to run it in the foreground with reporting level set to maximum and reporting to stderr. this can be achieved without changes to the config file by using the command line:

LCDd -f -r 5 -s 0

ngl, that one line has saved so many people. screenshot it. 🫶

📁 FILES

  • /etc/LCDd.conf — LCDd's default configuration file

🔗 SEE ALSO

lcdproc-config(5), lcdproc(1), lcdexec(1)

💖 AUTHOR

many people have contributed to LCDd. see the CREDITS file for more details.

all questions should be sent to the lcdproc mailing list. the mailing list, and the newest version of LCDproc, should be available from here:

http://www.lcdproc.org/

the lcdproc package is released as "WorksForMe-Ware". in other words, it is free, kinda neat, and we don't guarantee that it will do anything in particular on any machine except the ones it was developed on. honestly? real.

it is technically released under the GNU GPL license (you should have received the file, COPYING, with LCDproc) (also, look on http://www.fsf.org/ for more information), so you can distribute and use it for free -- but you must make the source code freely available to anyone who wants it.

for any sort of real legal information, read the GNU GPL (GNU General Public License). it's worth reading. fr fr.

ok that's the whole page bestie, you ate that 🎀 this was the LCDproc manual, dated February 10, 2014, and if you're wondering about the version, it's whatever LCDproc was shipping back then — go check the CREDITS file like a good lil main character. bye 💜

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