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brightctrl is a lightweight DDC/CI external monitor brightness controller published by shahriyardx, currently available at version 0.2.5, with two versions published in total. The software falls into the system utilities and display configuration category, providing a terminal-based way to adjust the brightness of external monitors that support the DDC/CI protocol. It offers two complementary interfaces: an interactive text user interface (TUI) suited for hands-on, ad hoc brightness adjustment, and a scriptable command-line interface (CLI) intended for automation, scripting, and integration into custom workflows. This dual-mode design makes brightctrl relevant for use cases ranging from quickly dimming or brightening a display during a terminal session to embedding brightness changes in shell scripts, keyboard shortcuts, or scheduled tasks. The tool is distributed as a single native binary with no runtime dependencies, which simplifies installation and deployment since no additional libraries, interpreters, or frameworks need to be present on the host system. On Windows, brightctrl relies on the Monitor Configuration API to communicate with connected displays, using the operating system's built-in facilities for monitor control rather than vendor-specific software. Because brightness commands are issued over DDC/CI, the software targets external monitors rather than internal laptop panels, addressing a common gap where external displays cannot be adjusted through standard operating system brightness controls. Overall, brightctrl serves users who prefer or require terminal-based workflows, including developers, system administrators, and power users, by combining an approachable interactive interface with an automation-friendly CLI in a compact, dependency-free package. With its 0.2.5 release representing the second published version, the project is in an early stage of development while already delivering its core functionality across its supported environment, namely Windows systems using the Monitor Configuration API for DDC/CI communication with external monitors.
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