Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop

  • Posts: 1957
  • Thank you received: 420

Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop was created by Wouter van Reeven


Rendering Error in layout Message/Item: array_keys(): Argument #1 ($array) must be of type array, null given. Please enable debug mode for more information.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop - INDI Forum
  • Posts: 300
  • Thank you received: 57

Replied by Scott Denning on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop


Rendering Error in layout Message/Item: array_keys(): Argument #1 ($array) must be of type array, null given. Please enable debug mode for more information.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.


×

INDI Library v2.0.7 is Released (01 Apr 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Read More...
  • Posts: 300
  • Thank you received: 57

Replied by Scott Denning on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop


Rendering Error in layout Message/Item: array_keys(): Argument #1 ($array) must be of type array, null given. Please enable debug mode for more information.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1067
  • Thank you received: 140

Replied by AstroNerd on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop

Not sure if I have got this correct as all this is new to me, but here goes...
I run an RPI with stellarmate installed, and connect to it from my laptop via a network cable, or via WiFi, and when I log onto the rpi using VNC in my web browser, I get the desktop up but it’s smaller than I would like and no way to enlarge to my native laptop screen size, so would this method work for that...??
If not any other ideas....
Thanks :)
5 years 10 months ago #30962

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1957
  • Thank you received: 420

Replied by Wouter van Reeven on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop

Scott, good to see that my tutorial helped you get started. The xorg.conf that I posted here was found on the Odroid wiki:

wiki.odroid.com/odroid-xu4/application_n...tware/headless_setup

You are right that you need to use an appropriate driver for your system. As a matter of fact, I use the same xorg.conf on an N34 mini pc and there the config file works so I assumed it would work everywhere. However, when I look at the Xorg logs (/var/log/Xorg.0.log) then I see that I shouldn't use the armsoc driver but the glamoregl instead on the N34. So it looks like indeed my tutorial needs some improvement!

Please have a look at the Xorg log file. Lines containing (EE) indicate an error and they should tell you why the resolution is so low.


Clear skies, Wouter
5 years 10 months ago #30970

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1957
  • Thank you received: 420

Replied by Wouter van Reeven on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop

@AstroNerd Can you do a

grep ^hdmi /boot/config.txt

and post the output here? It will help us determine if you have setup that file correctly or not.


Wouter
5 years 10 months ago #30971

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 407
  • Thank you received: 74

Replied by Clive Stachon on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop

a simple get around ,until you find a final solution (if you want too ) is to use a "Dummy HDMI" plug then you dont have to modify any files if your system works when you plug in an HDMI display - assuming you have a HDMI port.

Note for RPI's users - you dont need this if you use REALVNC server even under Ubuntu Mate OS - REALVNC is fully licensed for Raspberry PI's and works flawlessly :-)
RPI3 Ubuntu 16.04 / AMD desktop Kstars under Ubuntu 16.04 Mounts :azeq6 ,SWAZGoTo

RPI3 Fedora testing out on AMD desktop Fedpra 28 - running kstars 2.9.4 , Indilib 1.7.4 ?????
5 years 10 months ago #30973

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1067
  • Thank you received: 140

Replied by AstroNerd on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop

I haven’t done anything to the file yet...just wondered if your technique would work for me and whether it’s worth even trying... :)
5 years 10 months ago #30998

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1957
  • Thank you received: 420

Replied by Wouter van Reeven on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop

Yes it works for you if you follow the steps in the Raspberry Pi and similar systems section.
5 years 10 months ago #31015

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 1
  • Thank you received: 0

Replied by Carlos Delfino on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop


Rendering Error in layout Message/Item: array_keys(): Argument #1 ($array) must be of type array, null given. Please enable debug mode for more information.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 19
  • Thank you received: 1

Replied by Ian Sullivan on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop

Hi Wouter,

I have an odroid N2 that I'm sure I had working when I tried this last time, but this time I reboot and I can neither connect via VNC nor do I get a login, just a flashin underscore.

The only difference between this time and last time is that I am not 100% sure sure I was following this instruction, though it is very likely I was using the odroid one, and the N2 was using Ubuntu 18.04.

Any tips to resolving beyond removing the xorg.conf file I created and buying an HDMI emulator dongle?

I can get in using Ctrl-Alt-F4, so can probably answer questions that can be got to from the cli, but I am very green with Linux so I'd probably need it spelled out if there is anything complex to do - the last time I was usign commands like ls and rm the century started with 19 and I was a lot slimmer...

UPDATE - I'm renaming xorg.conf for now so I can get back into gnome to carry on configuring things

All the best,

Ian
Last edit: 3 years 1 month ago by Ian Sullivan.
3 years 1 month ago #74734

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Posts: 19
  • Thank you received: 1

Replied by Ian Sullivan on topic Tutorial: How to make sure your headless device shows a desktop

ok, so depending on how you look at this it's either good news or bad news...

I renamed xorg.conf so I could carry on configuring the device, but out of sheer curiosity I unplugged the HDMI rebooted and tried to connect via VNC and it worked.

I think I potentially know why though, and digging back into the memory banks I seemed to remember from using tightvnc to support racked servers that it launched its own desktop rather than the one seen at the vga port on the kvm in the server room.

From what I read here it seems that the xorg.conf is only needed if using x11vnc as it expects to ride on an open desktop, whereas tigervnc (or indeed any vnc server) will launch its own desktop:

www.reddit.com/r/ODroid/comments/ak858t/...rk_off_boot_with_no/

The last post is the relevant one:"You want vncserver, not x11vnc. Vncserver will start a virtual desktop (headless xserver with desktop manager, not virtual machine).Here are some instructions:  www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials...-vnc-on-ubuntu-18-04 "

Anyhow, all sorted, so now all I need to do is connect it to the scope, learn all of the necessary software, connect it to the relays controlling my roll-off roof,make a weather station to close the roof if it rains as its a remote-ish obsy, learn how to focus the scope and learn about astronomy.

So that's the next 10 years sorted...

Thanks for helping to wake my brain up Wouter, people like you are helping me keep sane in these very odd times.

Ian
The following user(s) said Thank You: Wouter van Reeven
Last edit: 3 years 1 month ago by Ian Sullivan.
3 years 1 month ago #74741

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Time to create page: 0.578 seconds