How to use OpenRGB for Lighting Control on Linux

Puzzled about how to use OpenRGB for lighting control in Linux?

Ever since the age of computers began, manufacturers have continuously tried to make the whole system aesthetically pleasing. Over time, more and more customizable features have been added, such as wallpapers, themes, desktop colors, and software applications. 

Recently, there has been a boom in having RGB lights attached to different components of your system. RGB lights are LED lights that can be programmed to give out different combinations of colors. The overall effect of these lights is quite a spectacle. The usage of RGB lights can be abundantly found in the gaming and streaming community.

To control these lights, the manufacturers usually provide the relative software themselves. However, if no software is provided, there is a universal software called “OpenRGB” that can be used as an alternative. 

Once you install the software, it detects any RGB components attached to your system and provides an interface that allows you to control those lights. If you want to know how to use OpenRGB for lighting control in Linux, then you are at the right place, as we will guide you through the basic steps.

So, without further ado, let’s get started! 


Installing OpenRGB on Linux.

Before discussing how to use OpenRGB for lighting control in Linux, we will go through the steps you need to take to install it correctly. For the people who have already installed OpenRGB, they can move on to the next heading. As for those who haven’t installed OpenRGB, follow these steps. 

  1. Open the Command Terminal
  2. There is no OpenRGB repository available by default. However, we can add the repository through third-party apps. One of the commands you can run for this purpose is the following. 
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:thopiekar/openrgb
use openrgb for lighting control on linux
  1. Once the repository is added, run the following command to update your system repositories. 
$ sudo apt-get update -y
sudo
  1. After adding the package and updating your repositories, you are good to install OpenRGB on your Linux system. 
$ sudo apt install openrgb -y
terminal
  1. You should see the progress of your application being installed on the terminal screen. 


Controlling OpenRGB on Linux.

After installing OpenRGB on Linux, let’s look at how you can use it to control your LED lights. 

Alternatively, you can also choose to install OpenRGB through your web browser. Follow these steps for installing it in this way.

  1. Open your web browser. 
  2. Search for OpenRGB on your browser. You should see the following results on your screen.
use openrgb for lighting control on linux
  1. Click on the top link, and you will be taken to this page. 
use openrgb for lighting control on linux
  1. Scroll down on the same page, and you will see download links for different operating systems. 
use openrgb for lighting control on linux
  1. Click on the “Linux (Debian Bullseye 32-bit.deb)” link if you have Ubuntu. Since we are installing it on Ubuntu, we will use the same link. 
  2. The download should start, and you can track its progress until it finishes. 


Using OpenRGB on Linux.

After installing OpenRGB, open it on your Linux system. You should see an interface such as this on your screen. If your system has any RGB component attached to it, the application will detect it and give you programming options to customize them according to your will. 

use openrgb for lighting control on linux

As you can see on the interface, you have different options for customizing your RGB lights. You can choose between 8 colors in the “direct” mode. You can give each the color of your choice in the said mode. 

When you click on the “mode” drop-down menu, you can see different options such as “breathing”, “static”, “chase fade”, “fade”, “flashing”, etc. These are the different configurations in which you can switch your lights to blink or act. 

In the static mode, the lights you selected to display won’t do anything and remain “static” continuously. Next, in the flashing mode, the lights will randomly be assigned a color continuously, and the lights will give out a flashing feel. In the “breathing” mode, the lights will ease into different colors, giving a feeling of calmness.

You can also choose to adjust the changing speed of the colors by moving the scroll sideways. There is also the provision of changing the brightness of the lights by moving the brightness scroll sideways. These are the basic ways you can customize your RGB lights. 


Colors and Customizations.

Regarding colors and customization, various users require designing software to create graphics and prototypes for their products. For this purpose, one of the most popular software available right now is “Figma”. 

“Figma” is a web-based application and is by far the most powerful out there. The flexibility of this application allows multiple people to work on the same project at once. Figma also has thousands of pre-built templates for different ideas and topics. 

If you are interested in designing graphics, then Figma can help you make your ideas come to fruition. If you want to install Figma on Linux, you can go to this link. This will lead you to a guide that gives you more information regarding Figma and the steps you need to follow to install it. 

This was an article on how to use OpenRGB to change lighting colors in Linux. We first looked at the steps you need to take to install the applications, and then we explained some of the modes and changes you can make to your RGB lights. 

OpenRGB is a good utility to have if you are really into having RGB lights and are interested in computer aesthetics. The different options available on OpenRGB make it quite powerful, and we hope you have fun using it with your Linux system. 

If this guide helped you, please share it😊

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