[mythtv-users] How can I get my monitorless backend to start up

[Brian Wood]

On Friday 17 April 2009 15:24:27 Yan Seiner wrote:
> On Fri, April 17, 2009 2:16 pm, Steve V wrote:
> > I am trying to set up a backend which will be monitorless and also
> > without keyboard and mouse. I have MythBuntu 8.10 installed.
> >
> > I am planning to use VNC to manage the backend. VNC works fine if I first
> > boot the backend with a monitor attached.
> >
> > Problem is that the backend will not start up completely without a
> > monitor. In this state I can ping the backend and I can connect via
> > Putty, but, Mythfrontend cannot connect to the backend and VNC server has
> > not started.
> >
> > When the the backend is started without a monitor and I then connect a
> > monitor It looks like I am in an X window (newbie on Linux so hopefully
> > that is the correct description) with warnings about no monitor and that
> > resolution has been set to default, pushing Ok or cancel I get an error
> > (from the monitor) that the frequency is out of range. Only choice is to
> > reboot with the monitor connected.
> >
> > I expect there is some setting that I can set which tells system not to
> > check for a monitor (and perhaps to set to last known good
> > reolution/output).
>
> You need to configure your bios to start up on all errors.
>
> If you will be administering your box from another linux box, forget vnc;
> it's a PITA unless you need what it offers, and if it dies you are SOL.
>
> Use gdm; configure it to start up with no local sessions and allow remote
> connections.  Then you can log in from any other terminal as if you were
> local.  Lots faster than VNC, too.  google for gdm and XDMCP.
>
> See
>
> http://www.ltsp.org/twiki/bin/view/Ltsp/XDMCP-GDM
>
> setting it up is a one-line change in /etc/gdm/gdm.conf

(not the OP responding here)

Thanks Yan, I knew there had to be a better answer.

I don't use GDM (I'm a KDE fan). I'm guessing KDM has similar features though.

I agree VNC is probably not needed, could he just forward X over an ssh link. 
I'd think the only time he would need X on a B/E at all would be to run 
setup. Just ssh in and run the setup program (though I think Ubuntu's default 
ssh setup doesn't forward X).

I think if it were me I'd just set things up with a monitor, then remove it 
after things were running, unless he runs into some problem requireing many 
reboots to troubleshoot.

-- 
beww
beww at beww.org