Clamshell don't disable internal display

[NikSudo]

In description it says that the mode should disable internal display when it an external display connected but in realty for me it just grey out internal monitor option to disable the monitor. So Internal monitor still works, External works as well.

[ToRvaLDz]

Hi! Thanks for the report.

Clamshell mode is handled by the daemon (moniqued), not the GUI itself. The GUI only shows visual indicators (the amber highlight and the locked switch) to signal that the internal monitor is managed by clamshell — it does not apply the change directly.

The flow is:

1. Enable clamshell mode in the GUI preferences
2. Make sure moniqued is running (e.g. systemctl --user enable --now moniqued)
3. When you close the lid with an external monitor connected, the daemon detects the lid-close event via UPower and automatically disables the internal display

If moniqued is not running, clamshell will have no effect — the GUI will still grey out the switch (which I agree is a bit misleading), but no monitor will be disabled.

Could you confirm whether moniqued is running on your system?

[EdgardoSchiffer]

Hello, I been using monique for last weeks and I can confirm, clamshell mode doesn't disable internal display. I also tried on fresh install just by enabling clamshell (without creating profiles or any other configuration) and what I can see clamshell does is:

1. The first workspace that hyprland loads will be created/loaded on internal monitor, first workspace can be default (1) or if you have an app that launches on boot in certain workspace (e.g. exec-once teams on workspace 3), this workspace most likely becomes the first one.
2. Any other workspace will be created on external monitor, therefore, you have a clamshell but first workspace won't be usable on external monitor.
3. If you try to navigate to the first workspace (the one loaded on internal monitor) you can interact, launch apps because it is active and internal monitor is on/enabled. If you open laptop lid it does load instantly since it never shut off or become disabled.
4. Not a solution but what I currenty do as a workaround is that I move the mouse to the workspace loaded on internal monitor and I move it to a workspace I don't use on my daily workflow. Also some complementary fact is that I close the lid before logging in, maybe this has something to do with the behaviour of clamshell mode.

I enabled daemon as README suggests and it is running and detects events:

  moniqued --help
2026-04-23 11:26:15,829 [moniqued] INFO Starting Monique daemon
2026-04-23 11:26:15,850 [moniqued] INFO Detected Hyprland compositor
2026-04-23 11:26:15,850 [moniqued] INFO Connected to compositor event socket
2026-04-23 11:26:15,852 [moniqued] INFO Initial lid state: closed
2026-04-23 11:26:15,860 [moniqued] INFO Current fingerprint: ['Samsung Electric Company LC32G5xT HNAR500454', 'Sharp Corporation LQ173M1JW08']
2026-04-23 11:26:15,861 [moniqued] INFO No matching profile found

I tired using profiles in the past but when I have to travel it can be a little bit messy, specially if the external screen don't have a profile. I think clamshell is the best solution when you have access to multiple monitors and don't want to use internal screen.