Darktable Crashes When Using Dual Monitor Setup

Some Darktable users report that the application crashes when using a dual monitor setup, especially when switching between the editing window and the lighttable window.

The issue is often related to Darktable’s handling of window management in a multi-monitor environment.

To resolve this, first ensure that your graphics drivers are up to date.

Outdated drivers can cause graphical inconsistencies, especially with complex multi-monitor setups.

On Linux, you can check and update your drivers using your package manager, while on Windows and macOS, you can find driver updates through the device manager or Apple's support website.

Next, check your display settings.

Darktable should be configured to open windows on your primary monitor by default.

If this setting is incorrect or there’s a miscommunication between the software and the system’s display manager, it may result in a crash.

To test this, try disabling one monitor temporarily and check if the crash persists.

If the issue is resolved, this points to a configuration conflict with your dual monitor setup.

Once you’ve identified this, adjust the display settings in your system’s control panel to optimize for multi-monitor use.

On Linux, this might require changing the X11 configuration, while on macOS or Windows, you can adjust the primary display settings in the system preferences.

If the issue remains unresolved, consider resetting Darktable’s preferences to default.

Corrupted preferences or conflicting settings can also lead to crashes, especially in complex setups.

To reset preferences, go to Darktable’s settings folder (usually located in your home directory) and rename the configuration file.

Darktable will create a new, clean preferences file upon restart.

Additionally, disabling or changing the software’s graphics acceleration may help resolve the issue.

If you’re using GPU acceleration (enabled by default), try disabling it in the preferences under OpenCL. This will force Darktable to use CPU-based processing, which may solve stability problems.

Finally, some users find success by ensuring that the application windows are not maximized or in fullscreen mode, as the software can have trouble rendering certain UI elements in dual-monitor configurations when these modes are active.

If these steps don’t work, trying a different window manager or desktop environment might be worth considering for Linux users.

In cases where the crash seems related to specific modules or features, try disabling them one by one to identify which one triggers the crash.