Ubuntu won't boot without monitor plugged in

[Vakz]

I've been searching all night, and found several topics on the matter, but all were 1-2 years old and none seemed to have a solution, but I'm hoping perhaps a fix has been found with the later versions of Ubuntu.

Here's my problem:
I'm running Ubuntu Server 9.04, and I'm hoping to make it headless. I've installed vnc4server and all that is working just fine, as long as I have a monitor plugged in. Once I remove the monitor however, it won't boot. I read in some other topics that apparently it boots automaticly into low graphics mode, and a window popping up informing about it, but it's hard to "check" it, when i have no monitor/mouse/keyboard plugged in

I suppose this is only a problem when using GUI, and in most other topics the OP simply went using CLI instead, but as I'm still fairly new to Linux, I'd prefer having a graphical interface for now.

I suppose you could also wonder why I don't just boot it and then unplug monitor, considering Ubuntu servers rarely needs rebooting, but as the server will not be in my own home, but at a place where powercuts are pretty common, I need it to be a be all on autostart, as the server will be placed at someone who doesn't know the first thing about computers.

Any help is very much appriciated, thanks

[doug1212]

Hi,
I would check the BIOS for "halt on ***" entries and make sure halt on VGA or similar is set to off.

Doug.

[Vakz]

Hi,
I would check the BIOS for "halt on ***" entries and make sure halt on VGA or similar is set to off.

Doug.

Hmm, like I said i'm pretty new, and tbh i have no idea to do what you just said

[doug1212]

Find the key combination to unlock access the BIOS settings (use Google or handbook) and press them/it while the machine boots then have a look through the entries for something that says halt on VGA or something similar and set it to OFF then save and reboot.
Doug.

[Vakz]

aha, ok. Give me a minute, and i'll see what i can find

Allright, i looked though BIOS (it was probably the most simple BIOS i've ever seen )

EDIT1: Couldn't find any mention of "half on", or anything that mentioned VGA. Barely anything about monitor at all, actaully

EDIT2: Allright. I started the computer without monitor plugged in, and the plugged in when it had already booted. What it says is this:

Ubuntu is running in low-graphics mode.
The following error was encountered. You may need to update your configuration to solve this.

(EE) NV(0): No valid initial configuration found
(EE) Screen(s) found, but none have a useable configuration.


So evidently, Ubuntu boots. But I need to click ok on the window that pops up, which i of course can't when i don't have a monitor plugged in. Pretty ironic, really.

[wojox]

The computer will still load the GUI. Is there an automatic login option on this vnc4server somewhere? Personally I would just set up ssh and log in through the terminal. There's no better time to learn.

[Vakz]

The computer will still load the GUI. Is there an automatic login option on this vnc4server somewhere? Personally I would just set up ssh and log in through the terminal. There's no better time to learn.

My problem is that the vnc4server starts AFTER all this "Ubuntu is running in low-graphics mode" and all.

The reason i don't want to have to SSH is as I said, there might be times when the server has to be started by someone who doesn't know anything about computers (since the internet at my own place sucks, i can only get 8/1, it will be at my parents, who have 24/2.5).

As i see it, I either have to make Ubuntu ignore that there is no monitor plugged in, or trick it to think a monitor is plugged in. Either solution is fine. It doesn't have to be a pretty solution, it just has to work.

[nikgare]

You need to edit your xorg.conf file and change the type to vesa.
This works for me, for my headless server (although I'm still stuggling to get the right resolution) - the vesa bit is the bit that helps

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Device"
Driver "vesa"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
Device "Configured Device"
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768"
EndSubSection
EndSection

[Vakz]

You need to edit your xorg.conf file and change the type to vesa.
This works for me, for my headless server (although I'm still stuggling to get the right resolution) - the vesa bit is the bit that helps

Thank you! Works perfectly.

I changed it to 1280x800 though (too used to widescreen now ), and everything works exactly as i wanted.

[stroyeror]

Thank you! Works perfectly.

I changed it to 1280x800 though (too used to widescreen now ), and everything works exactly as i wanted.

So where do i add 1280x800

here is the thread i have started about this, also did what nikgare said to do. but dont know where to put 1280x800.

http://ohioloco.ubuntuforums.org/sho....php?t=1323120