[Gllug] Monitor sensing with Debian

[general_email at technicalbloke.com]

Walter Stanish wrote:
>> A server running Samba is expected to run in an otherwise all 
>> Microsoft environment, often without a monitor but I occasionally
>> need to connect to a monitor. The monitor type is usually detected
>> during booting, but it is not always possible to reboot completely
>> to re-detect the monitor. I assume that there must be another way?
>>     
>
> If you're using X, make it use the VESA driver at a commonly
> implemented resolution (eg: no higher than 1024x768 or 1280x1024
> is probably a good bet).  This should work with any monitor.
> Configuration is typically in /etc/X11/xorg.conf or similar,
> Debian documentation will show you where if you can't find it.
>
> If you're not using X, then it should 'just work' as long as you
> don't manually set any exotic text modes.
>
> Finally, remember that Linux is often configured to blank the 
> screen after idling to save power and monitor burn-in so you may
> need to press a key (shift is a safe bet) before you see anything
> but black.
>
> Hope that helps! :)
>
> - Walter
>   


You can plug the monitor in, record it's 'edid' number and then hardwire
that into your xorg.conf so it overrides the autodetection, if that's
what's causing you a problem...

Section "Device"
    #Identifier    "Configured Video Device"
    Identifier "nVidia"
    Driver    "nvidia"
    Option    "NoLogo"    "True"
    Option "CustomEDID" "CRT-1:/home/user/static/monitor_edid/dgm_raw.raw"
EndSection


You can sniff the edid with
http://john.fremlin.de/programs/linux/read-edid/ on linux, or
http://www.tucows.com/preview/329441 on Windows.

Roger.
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