Hello! I converted an old laptop with a broken screen into a home server, and it all works well except for one thing: when I reboot it (via ssh), if no screen is connected, it will get stuck and refuse to boot. as soon as I connect an HDMI monitor, the fans will start spinning and it will start booting as usual. Then I can remove the HDMI and it will work flawlessly. I don’t know if this is a linux problem, a GRUB problem, or a firmware problem.
Any idea on how to solve this, or on how to fool it into thinking a screen is connected? The problem is not the lid switch as I removed the magnet from the screen, so it thinks the lid is always open
Thanks in advance!
- gkdeb ( @gkdeb@lemmy.ml ) 67•8 months ago
A HDMI Dummy Plug?
I didn’t think this could actually exist, just ordered one! thanks!
- rambos ( @rambos@lemm.ee ) 10•8 months ago
There is also vga to hdmi adapter that works
- FQQD ( @FQQD@lemmy.ohaa.xyz ) English24•8 months ago
I think there are dummy hdmi plugs that act as a monitor, that might work
- Papamousse ( @Frederic@beehaw.org ) 9•8 months ago
This, EDID dummy plug, $2 on aliexpress
just ordered one XD
If I’ll find a better solution I’ll have wasted 1.67€
- mofongo ( @mofongo@lemm.ee ) 17•8 months ago
On windows I think you need a HDMI dummy plug as others mentioned here before but Linux has to have a way to run headless. You can run Linux in Qemu without a connected display. If you find anything on why it’s not booting please let me know!
- ahto ( @ahto@feddit.de ) 25•8 months ago
Linux supports it, but (some?) motherboards won’t boot without a display connected. I had this issue recently when I converted my old PC to a NAS and I had to buy a dummy plug.
- mbfalzar ( @mbfalzar@lemmy.dbzer0.com ) 10•8 months ago
It’s definitely only some. ASRock motherboards almost always allow headless boot, MSI almost never do iirc, Gigabyte and Asus are really model specific
- kevincox ( @kevincox@lemmy.ml ) 3•8 months ago
I had this issue as well where my mobo wouldn’t boot without a GPU. In my case a BIOS update resolved the issue (it just beeps angrily a few times but continues booting).
- isgleas ( @isgleas@lemmy.ml ) 5•8 months ago
It sounds like the issue is with the lid latch/sensor, not with the graphics. Some laptops may not boot if the lid is closed, and some have options on the firmware to enable to boot when the lid is closed / on a docking station.
I don’t think this is the problem, as it refuses to boot even when the lid is open
- isgleas ( @isgleas@lemmy.ml ) 4•8 months ago
That is why I also mentioned the latch/sensor, it may got stuck.
What do you mean? Like if the lid is open, but it thinks it’s closed?
- kevincox ( @kevincox@lemmy.ml ) 2•8 months ago
This seems unlikely since it boots with a monitor attached. From past experience most laptops that refuse to boot while closed don’t boot even if an HDMI display is connected.
- TheyCallMeHacked ( @TheyCallMeHacked@discuss.tchncs.de ) 4•8 months ago
There are a few ways to investigate, but for that we would need a bit more info. Firstly, what distro do you use ? Try using a different bootloader than GRUB to see if it solves the issue. Otherwise you could also try to use Linux’s UEFI stub.
So you think it’s a grub problem?
I’m running fedora 39
- TheyCallMeHacked ( @TheyCallMeHacked@discuss.tchncs.de ) 2•8 months ago
I don’t know what the problem is. I’m trying to rule things out one after the other.
Maybe try using systemd-boot instead of GRUB?
- 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍 ( @sxan@midwest.social ) 2•8 months ago
Is it getting stuck in the BIOS? If you can’t ssh in, can you even ping it? Network should come up before graphics.
Have you disabled the display manager?
As someone eles mentioned, boot it with a screen and check the BIOS. Since this was a laptop, the BIOS is certainly expecting a display, so you might have to adjust something there.
Yes I can ping it!
Have you disabled the display manager?
yep, I did `systemctl set-default multi-user.target’
As someone eles mentioned, boot it with a screen and check the BIOS. Since this was a laptop, the BIOS is certainly expecting a display, so you might have to adjust something there.
I already looked into the bios but it was pretty empty, just a few options, nothing about displays or graphics card
but now I have a doubts, perhaps there is a “show advanced settings” button somewhere that I didn’t see? I have to look for it
- teawrecks ( @teawrecks@sopuli.xyz ) 2•8 months ago
Most likely it’s hard coded in the firmware and not exposed as a BIOS option because the OEM didn’t ever think anyone would run into this. The dummy plug is your lowest effort workaround. Hope that works, good luck!
Thanks!!
- 𝕽𝖚𝖆𝖎𝖉𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖍 ( @sxan@midwest.social ) 1•8 months ago
It could be Linux, too. Some distros have fancy boot graphics - look for something called “plasma” - not the KDE one, but a different one - and uninstall or disable that. It’s a common thing that hides the boot log behind a logo-and-progress bar. Arch doesn’t use it, so I haven’t seen it in years, but IIRC it can cause problems on headless systems.
- X3I ( @x3i@lemmy.x3i.tech ) 1•8 months ago
Did you take a little journey into the BIOS yet? Is definitely firmware, the question is if you can just change a setting there. Otherwise, somebody already mentioned dummy HDMI plugs.
- pup_atlas ( @pup_atlas@pawb.social ) 1•8 months ago
You can attach a fake one in software via XVFB (X Virtual Frame Buffer). It’s a little involved if you aren’t familiar with X, but it only took me an hour or so to get setup. Then you don’t need any hardware at all, and can set whatever resolution you’d like.