[gentoo-user] external monitor output during boot

[gentoo-user] external monitor output during boot

[Valmor de Almeida]

Hello,

What controls the screen output to an external monitor connected to a
laptop during boot or when just using a plain console without an X
server running? Before a recent update the output would just
automatically go to an external monitor when one is connected. Now it
does not; not sure it has anything to do with the openrc migration.

I do get output onto the external monitor after startx runs; also the X
server/clients work fine.

Thanks for inputs.

--
Valmor

PS: fn+F8 for switching displays does not work either; but it never did
before.

Re: [gentoo-user] external monitor output during boot

[Mark Shields]

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On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 9:48 PM, Valmor de Almeida <val.gentoo@gmail.com>wrote:

>
> Hello,
>
> What controls the screen output to an external monitor connected to a
> laptop during boot or when just using a plain console without an X
> server running? Before a recent update the output would just
> automatically go to an external monitor when one is connected. Now it
> does not; not sure it has anything to do with the openrc migration.
>
> I do get output onto the external monitor after startx runs; also the X
> server/clients work fine.
>
> Thanks for inputs.
>
> --
> Valmor
>
> PS: fn+F8 for switching displays does not work either; but it never did
> before.
>
>
What's the make/model of your laptop?

Does the F8 key you mention have a monitor/screen icon on it?

The hardware key to switch monitors is independent of software on most
(all?) laptops.  Also, most laptops will output on both (clone) by default.

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Re: [gentoo-user] external monitor output during boot

[Valmor de Almeida]

On 05/17/2011 11:20 PM, Mark Shields wrote:
> On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 9:48 PM, Valmor de Almeida <val.gentoo@gmail.com
> <mailto:val.gentoo@gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
> 
>     Hello,
> 
>     What controls the screen output to an external monitor connected to a
>     laptop during boot or when just using a plain console without an X
>     server running? Before a recent update the output would just
>     automatically go to an external monitor when one is connected. Now it
>     does not; not sure it has anything to do with the openrc migration.
> 
>     I do get output onto the external monitor after startx runs; also the X
>     server/clients work fine.
> 
>     Thanks for inputs.
> 
>     --
>     Valmor
> 
>     PS: fn+F8 for switching displays does not work either; but it never did
>     before.
> 
> 
> What's the make/model of your laptop?

Lenovo X201.

> 
> Does the F8 key you mention have a monitor/screen icon on it?

Sorry. It is the fn-F7 key that has the monitor/screen icon on it; it
does not work either.

> 
> The hardware key to switch monitors is independent of software on most
> (all?) laptops.  Also, most laptops will output on both (clone) by default.

This was the previous behavior; but not now.

Thanks,

--
Valmor

Re: [gentoo-user] external monitor output during boot

[Mark Shields]

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On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 10:56 PM, Valmor de Almeida <val.gentoo@gmail.com>wrote:

> On 05/17/2011 11:20 PM, Mark Shields wrote:
> > On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 9:48 PM, Valmor de Almeida <val.gentoo@gmail.com
> > <mailto:val.gentoo@gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> >
> >     Hello,
> >
> >     What controls the screen output to an external monitor connected to a
> >     laptop during boot or when just using a plain console without an X
> >     server running? Before a recent update the output would just
> >     automatically go to an external monitor when one is connected. Now it
> >     does not; not sure it has anything to do with the openrc migration.
> >
> >     I do get output onto the external monitor after startx runs; also the
> X
> >     server/clients work fine.
> >
> >     Thanks for inputs.
> >
> >     --
> >     Valmor
> >
> >     PS: fn+F8 for switching displays does not work either; but it never
> did
> >     before.
> >
> >
> > What's the make/model of your laptop?
>
> Lenovo X201.
>
> >
> > Does the F8 key you mention have a monitor/screen icon on it?
>
> Sorry. It is the fn-F7 key that has the monitor/screen icon on it; it
> does not work either.
>
> >
> > The hardware key to switch monitors is independent of software on most
> > (all?) laptops.  Also, most laptops will output on both (clone) by
> default.
>
> This was the previous behavior; but not now.
>
> Thanks,
>
> --
> Valmor
>
>
> Does it clone during the BIOS screen?

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Re: [gentoo-user] external monitor output during boot

[Valmor de Almeida]

On 05/17/2011 11:51 PM, Mark Shields wrote:
> On Tue, May 17, 2011 at 10:56 PM, Valmor de Almeida
> <val.gentoo@gmail.com <mailto:val.gentoo@gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
[snip]
>     >
>     >
>     >     Hello,
>     >
>     >     What controls the screen output to an external monitor
>     connected to a
>     >     laptop during boot or when just using a plain console without an X
>     >     server running? Before a recent update the output would just
>     >     automatically go to an external monitor when one is connected.
>     Now it
>     >     does not; not sure it has anything to do with the openrc
>     migration.
>     >
[snip]
> 
> Does it clone during the BIOS screen?

I checked the BIOS and there are the following options for boot display
device:

 ThinkPad LCD
 Analog (VGA)
 Digital on ThinkPad

The first is selected and I have not touched it; ever. It appears that
when the laptop boots with the external LCD connected, a signal is sent
to the external monitor since I see a resolution note and a bit of a
back light on the monitor. However none of the boot messages go to the
external monitor. They stay on the laptop lcd.

Thanks,

--
Valmor

Re: [gentoo-user] external monitor output during boot

[Albert Hopkins]

On Tue, 2011-05-17 at 22:48 -0400, Valmor de Almeida wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> What controls the screen output to an external monitor connected to a
> laptop during boot or when just using a plain console without an X
> server running? Before a recent update the output would just
> automatically go to an external monitor when one is connected. Now it
> does not; not sure it has anything to do with the openrc migration.
> 

I think it largely depends on the particular hardware config.  For my
laptop it's a BIOS option.

If you are using KMS however it seems to want to drive all outputs with
a monitor attached.

Re: [gentoo-user] external monitor output during boot

[Valmor de Almeida]

On 05/18/2011 09:50 AM, Albert Hopkins wrote:
> On Tue, 2011-05-17 at 22:48 -0400, Valmor de Almeida wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> What controls the screen output to an external monitor connected to a
>> laptop during boot or when just using a plain console without an X
>> server running? Before a recent update the output would just
>> automatically go to an external monitor when one is connected. Now it
>> does not; not sure it has anything to do with the openrc migration.
>>
> 
> I think it largely depends on the particular hardware config.  For my
> laptop it's a BIOS option.
> 
> If you are using KMS however it seems to want to drive all outputs with
> a monitor attached.
> 
> 

I neglected to mention that the external monitor is connected through a
dock base. Actually I should test whether the external monitor works as
before by connecting it directly on the vga port on the laptop...

--
Valmor

[SOLVED]Re: [gentoo-user] external monitor output during boot

[Valmor de Almeida]

On 05/19/2011 01:38 AM, Valmor de Almeida wrote:
> On 05/18/2011 09:50 AM, Albert Hopkins wrote:
>> On Tue, 2011-05-17 at 22:48 -0400, Valmor de Almeida wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> What controls the screen output to an external monitor connected to a
>>> laptop during boot or when just using a plain console without an X
>>> server running? Before a recent update the output would just
>>> automatically go to an external monitor when one is connected. Now it
>>> does not; not sure it has anything to do with the openrc migration.
>>>
>>
>> I think it largely depends on the particular hardware config.  For my
>> laptop it's a BIOS option.
>>
>> If you are using KMS however it seems to want to drive all outputs with
>> a monitor attached.
>>
>>
> 
> I neglected to mention that the external monitor is connected through a
> dock base. Actually I should test whether the external monitor works as
> before by connecting it directly on the vga port on the laptop...
> 
> --
> Valmor

The solution was on the BIOS setting. Using the option: Analog (VGA)
shows the boot messages on the external monitor and on the laptop lcd.
Also without the external monitor attached, the boot messages show on
the laptop lcd when the Analog options is selected. I added the KMS
option i915.modeset=1 as a grub boot option but don't know if this helps
or not.

--
Valmor