Method "ApplyConfiguration" with signature "" on interface "org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.XRANDR" doesn't exist

today I wanted todo nothing else than the change the primaery output of my laptop to the 40" display attached over DVI to watch movies on it.

Sadly since ubuntu 8.something I kept getting the following error message


Method "ApplyConfiguration" with signature "" on interface "org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.XRANDR" doesn't exist


So I upgraded to the newest ubuntu version. Didn't make it much better. So I could had given up here and start shouting all kinds off stuff about linux or trying to make it work.

So here is the solution:

the gui is basically broken and you need to execute the commands to adjust everything your self. Using 'xandr'

for example to turn off a monitor:


xandr --output LVDS --off


or to change the resolution


xandr --output DVI-0 --mode 1360x768 --pos 0x0


2 minutes later I had my configuration up and running.