EDID Editor

A comprehensive GTK4-based EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) editor for Linux. This application allows you to view, edit, and validate EDID data with a user-friendly graphical interface.

Features

Complete EDID Support

• Base Block Editing: Manufacturer info, display parameters, color characteristics
• CTA-861 Extension Blocks: Audio/video capabilities, VIC codes, data blocks
• DisplayID Extension Blocks: Advanced display capabilities
• Block Map Support: Multi-block EDID structures

Advanced Editing Capabilities

• Hierarchical Tree View: Navigate EDID structure easily
• Field-Specific Editors: Specialized widgets for different data types
• Real-time Validation: Automatic checksum calculation and validation
• Hex Dump View: Live preview of binary data with byte highlighting
• Timing Editor: Advanced detailed timing descriptor editor with calculated refresh rates

File Operations

• Binary I/O: Load/save raw EDID binary files (.edid, .bin)
• Hex Import/Export: Copy/paste hex data for easy sharing
• Multiple Format Support: Works with various EDID file formats

Validation & Tools

• Comprehensive Validation: Check EDID compliance and detect errors
• Checksum Management: Automatic checksum calculation and verification
• Live Updates: Real-time preview of changes

Installation

Prerequisites

• GTK4 development libraries
• GCC with C++17 support
• Make

On Arch Linux / CachyOS:

sudo pacman -S gtk4 gcc make

On Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get install libgtk-4-dev build-essential

On Fedora:

sudo dnf install gtk4-devel gcc-c++ make

Building from Source

# Clone or download the source files
cd pythongtk

# Build the application
make

# Run the application
make run

# Install system-wide (optional)
sudo make install

Usage

Starting the Application

# If installed system-wide
edid_editor

# If running from build directory
./edid_editor

Basic Workflow

1. Load an EDID:

   • File → Open to load a binary EDID file
   • File → Import from Hex to paste hex data

2. Navigate the Structure:

   • Use the tree view on the left to explore EDID blocks and fields
   • Click on any field to see its details and edit it

3. Edit Fields:

   • Select a field in the tree view
   • Use the property editor on the right to modify values
   • Changes are applied immediately with automatic checksum updates

4. Monitor Changes:

   • Watch the hex dump view (bottom right) for live binary representation
   • Selected fields are highlighted in the hex view
   • Validation status is shown in real-time

5. Save Your Work:

   • File → Save to update the current file
   • File → Save As to create a new file
   • File → Export to Hex to get hex representation

Advanced Features

Detailed Timing Editor

When editing timing descriptors, you get a specialized editor with:

• Individual fields for all timing parameters
• Real-time refresh rate calculation
• Proper bit-field encoding/decoding
• Validation of timing values

Validation System

The built-in validator checks for:

• Proper EDID header format
• Correct checksums for all blocks
• Valid field ranges and dependencies
• Standard compliance issues

Field Types

The editor supports various field types:

• Numeric Fields: 8-bit, 16-bit values with hex display
• Enumeration Fields: Predefined value lists with descriptions
• Bitfield Fields: Individual bit editing with labels
• Manufacturer ID: 3-character PNP ID encoding
• Timing Descriptors: Complex 18-byte timing structures

File Formats

Supported Input Formats

• Binary EDID: Raw binary files (_.edid, _.bin)
• Hex Text: Plain text hexadecimal representation
• Any extension: The editor auto-detects format by content

EDID Structure Support

• Base Block: 128-byte EDID base block (always present)
• CTA-861: Consumer Technology Association extension
• DisplayID: VESA DisplayID extension blocks
• Block Maps: Support for >2 extension blocks
• Unknown Extensions: Basic byte-level editing for unsupported blocks

Architecture

Design Pattern

The application uses a Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture:

• Model: EdidData class manages the raw EDID data and structure
• View: GTK4 widgets for tree view, property editor, and hex dump
• Controller: Field-specific editors handle user interactions

Key Components

EdidData

Central data container that:

• Parses EDID binary data into structured blocks
• Manages field definitions and access
• Handles validation and checksum calculation
• Provides serialization to/from various formats

EdidBlock

Represents individual EDID blocks:

• Base block (manufacturer, display parameters)
• CTA-861 extension (audio/video capabilities)
• DisplayID extension (advanced features)

EdidField

Type-safe field accessors:

• Handles different data types (uint8, uint16, enums, etc.)
• Creates appropriate GUI editors
• Manages value validation and encoding

Widget System

Custom GTK4 widgets provide specialized functionality:

• PropertyEditor: Dynamic form generation for field editing
• EdidTreeView: Hierarchical display of EDID structure
• HexDumpView: Live hex representation with highlighting

Development

Building for Debug

make debug

Code Structure

edid_editor.hpp      - Main header with class definitions
edid_parser.cpp      - EDID parsing and field implementations
edid_gui.cpp         - GTK4 widget implementations
timing_editor.cpp    - Specialized timing descriptor editor
edid_main.cpp        - Main application window and entry point

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly with various EDID files
5. Submit a pull request

Testing

# Create sample EDID files for testing
make samples

# Test with the generated samples
./edid_editor samples/sample_1080p.edid

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Application won't start:

• Ensure GTK4 is properly installed
• Check that all dependencies are met
• Run from terminal to see error messages

Can't load EDID file:

• Verify file is valid EDID format (multiple of 128 bytes)
• Check file permissions
• Try importing as hex if binary load fails

Validation errors:

• EDID may have pre-existing issues
• Some fields may be vendor-specific
• Use the validation tool to identify specific problems

Build errors:

• Ensure GTK4 development packages are installed
• Check that C++17 compiler is available
• Verify pkg-config can find GTK4

Performance Notes

• Large EDID files (>4 blocks) may load slower
• Real-time validation can be disabled for better performance
• Hex view updates are optimized for typical EDID sizes

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the license headers in source files for details.

Acknowledgments

• Based on the edid-decode project by Hans Verkuil
• Uses GTK4 for the graphical interface
• Inspired by the need for better EDID editing tools on Linux

Technical Details

EDID Structure Overview

EDID data consists of:

1. Base Block (128 bytes): Essential display information
2. Extension Blocks (128 bytes each): Additional capabilities
3. Checksums: Each block has a checksum for integrity

Supported Extensions

• CTA-861: Audio/video capabilities, VIC codes, speaker allocation
• DisplayID: Tiled displays, color characteristics, timing ranges
• Block Map: Support for >253 extension blocks

Field Types Implemented

• UInt8Field: Single byte values with validation
• UInt16Field: Two-byte values (little/big endian)
• EnumField: Predefined value lists
• BitfieldField: Individual bit control
• ManufacturerIdField: PNP ID encoding/decoding
• TimingField: Complex timing descriptor editing

This comprehensive EDID editor provides professional-grade EDID editing capabilities with an intuitive GTK4 interface, making it suitable for display engineers, system integrators, and anyone working with display technology.