[SOLVED] Linuxmint without monitor

[aikku61]

I have been looking for a solution for the following problem for a while to no avail. Neither google nor the search here have offered any relevant solution. Therefore, I would be happy if the community could offer a solution. Is there any way to run the linux mint without a monitor attached (i.e.. headless)? It boots and automatically logs in, however, I could connect only using the command line and ssh. The VNC connection via the Vino-server cannot be established. If I connect the monitor and reboot, I could easily use my VNC connection (or if I reboot with the monitor attached and detach the monitor once the system up and running). It can go to sleep and awake thereafter without any problems. However, a reboot without a monitor kills everthing and once again the monitor needs to be fetched and attached.

I could guess, many might wonder why am I using a desktop without a monitor - just for testing and learning purposes, I would say. Using my laptop / tablets and other desktops, I could easily share the linux's desktop, and therefore I do not want any additional monitor standing there. Ok, many issues could be sorted out by using the command line, however, I mostly find it easier to deal with the desktop.

Nevertheless, I just cannot believe that linux does not allow this. I do it with Win 7, Os X without any problems.

Could you please help if this is doable (without any soldering to fake the computer think that a monitor is attached)?

ps: I tried the solutions offered for earlier Ubuntu versions (like creating a new xorg config file (etc/X11/xorg.conf / disabling KMS for Intel graphics / updating the /etc/default/saned file to say RUN=yes). None of these have worked.

[Orbmiser]

Did you look into Headless installations?
https://www.google.com/search?as_qdr=y& ... no+monitor
Not sure that is what you are wanting?
.

[aikku61]

Thank you Orbmiser for trying to help. I am used to use google, though. There was no solution there, hence I came here.

Maybe I was not able to clarify the problem since this is not my mother tongue. Sorry for that. All I want to do is to run the MINT without monitor, keyboard and mouse. Just with power and the network cable attached. Thereafter, I want to share its desktop remotely via one of the computers already in the same LAN. The mint does not allow any remote desktop connections using VNC if there is not a monitor attached during the boot up. If I connect using the command line (ssh) and try to run the vino-server, I get the ERROR saying the X display cannot be found. If I boot the linuxmint with the monitor attached and thereafter turn off the monitor, I could connect using the remote desktop.

The point is, I do not want any monitor standing there beside the computer, which I keep in the garage.

[DrHu]

That might not be true of all vnc programs (servers: clients)
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VNC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X11vnc
--if that is the vnc you used, it does require a real (physical) monitor on the host system..

remoting..
http://www.mynitor.com/2010/02/07/15-re ... for-linux/

Can't check it , but it may only require edits of the vnc server settings..
http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get- ... ected.html
--I usually don't use vnc, because i find the logout from the vnc clients can kill the host: that probably also depends on the particular vnc server:client application being used

• It is usually a matter of experimentation to find the correct parameters needed for a specific installation..

A vnc server that creates its own internal display mode..
http://linux.about.com/cs/linux101/g/vncserver.htm

• This package provides a fully functional X server, to which a VNC viewer can connect. Note: This server does not support or need a display.

--no need for an X-server:physical monitor
http://www.skullbox.net/vncserver.php

[eanfrid]

Usually, headless machines don't start any X session. X always try to autodetect and configure a working display device and if not, it will fail to start. One workaround may be to create a fake monitor section, forcing X to not detect anything and then to start with what is configured.

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sudo su -
mkdir /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d
cd /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d
nano monitor.conf

and enter in this monitor.conf (check man xorg.conf for params and values)

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Section "Monitor"
  Identifier "fake-monitor"
  Option "DPMS" "false"
  DisplaySize 400 300
  (probably some other params)
EndSection

[aikku61]

DrHu:

There were really plenty of useful info there. Nevertheless, I could not solve my problem "of not being able to boot into linux mint without monitor and still be able to use its remote desktop." The only possibility seems to be the hardware hack by cheating the system to believe having a monitor attached. However, I find it difficult to achieve. A KVM switch is another possibility, but I could not find a cheap one at the local shop, the cheapest costing over 45€. Just for the sake of having remote connection too much.

Eanfrid:

I tried to use your hack, which did not have any affect on booting at all.

Many thanks to both. Headless mint seems to be not doable. I am very surprised to see that linux mint is not capable of this. Even windows, which I really try to stay away from and dislike, allows it. I have an Os X macbook running with the monitor lid closed (software hack) and used as a webdav file server successfully. During the first reboot after the hacks above, I lost the remote desktop connection. The SSH connection and command line functions fine. But that does not help. I need to fetch the monitor and attach it again. It will survive until a reboot then once again the same problem. Probably I will be giving up.

wbw

[aikku61]

After many hours of trying and disappointment and almost being determined to give up, I have just noticed that ALL YOU NEED is to have a simple VGA-VGA cable attached to your motherboard. No monitors, no hardcore hacks, no soldering, no expensive KVM switches. No keyboard and no mouse. Just an ordinary monitor cable. Voilà! I have my linuxmint running happily and easily connected via remote desktop. I can make it sleep, wake it up via W-O-L. I cannot believe that this could be possible

[goog64]

.... ALL YOU NEED is to have a simple VGA-VGA cable attached to your motherboard..........

Well done aikku61!
I am trying to learn how to wake my laptop up (preferably with the lid closed) and access it from overseas with an android tablet.
Is this possible?
Can you please tell me how to attach a VGA cable to my motherboard (or does that just mean plugging it into the VGA outlet)?

[CuXe]

After many hours of trying and disappointment and almost being determined to give up, I have just noticed that ALL YOU NEED is to have a simple VGA-VGA cable attached to your motherboard. No monitors, no hardcore hacks, no soldering, no expensive KVM switches. No keyboard and no mouse. Just an ordinary monitor cable. Voilà! I have my linuxmint running happily and easily connected via remote desktop. I can make it sleep, wake it up via W-O-L. I cannot believe that this could be possible

You Sir just saved me 10 thousand years worth of pain. I have literally spent 4 hours resarching how to turn my desktop into a media server that I could access with vnc or teamviewer .. I went over to FreeNAS. started reading about unix and how to backup my existing files.. OMG.. big headache!

But THIS is such a simple solution.. just a dam cable! lol.. thank you so much!

[furiannn]

An update for those needing a software only solution. On Mint prior to 17, I had a xorg.conf file which was possible to edit to point to a valid edid.bin file, which you obtain from nvidia settings manager (provided you had a monitor to attach to it in the first place!). Once you had this edid.bin, you could successfully start the xserver without the monitor attached.

See here for details on what to write in the xorg.conf:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php? ... st11298499

Now, on mint 17, xorg.conf is no longer in the usual place and I couldn't be bothered to find it, if it even existed still!

Instead I saw what people were doing here with the cable trick and remembered something from my mining days about using a dummy plug and some resistors to prevent cards going to standby. Works a treat in exactly the same way as using a cable, with the benefit of not having a cable trailing all over the place!

See here for making your own dummy plug.
http://www.overclock.net/t/384733/the-3 ... dummy-plug

[mod]

After many hours of trying and disappointment and almost being determined to give up, I have just noticed that ALL YOU NEED is to have a simple VGA-VGA cable attached to your motherboard. No monitors, no hardcore hacks, no soldering, no expensive KVM switches. No keyboard and no mouse. Just an ordinary monitor cable. Voilà! I have my linuxmint running happily and easily connected via remote desktop. I can make it sleep, wake it up via W-O-L. I cannot believe that this could be possible

hi would a vga to dvi work as well????

I'm doing a emby server on mint 18 cin an i have to hard boot then hook up screen
I'll try this and see. I use team viewer to remote in as I didn't want to go through the no machine method again.

[DickCAH]

I ran into this problem as well, installing Linux Mint 19.3. It has taken me hours and hours to figure it out. (I had the same issue with a Linux Mint 18.# installation. The solution works on that version as well, so I assume it should work on pretty much all versions.)

In the end I have solved the issue, without any hardware, but simply by configuration.

This similar question on the Ubuntu forum got me thinking. Although the solution by MAFoElffen did not work for me, it pointed me in the right direction.

For me the answer was in modifying Grub. So step one, locating grub. It is in /etc/default. Use your favorite editor to modify the file. I did this directly from the terminal, since I knew I needed to update grub and as far as I know, this can only be done from terminal, but you could also modify grub from the filebrowser.

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cd /etc/default
sudo cp grub grub_old  -- made a copy, just to be on the safe side.
sudo nano grub

The exact content of grub can be a bit different, depending on the version of Mint/Ubuntu and I think Grub looks different depending on if you use KDE, Cinnamon or another desktop. In version 19 I had to comment out a couple of lines of code in Grub. In 18, I don't remember.

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GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_TIMEOUT_STYLE=hidden
#GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR= something bla bla bla bla -- Do not touch this line!
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

Exit and save grub. Then update settings by compiling grub again. (Instructions are in the Grub file.)

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sudo update-grub