Featured Articles
Announcing Pi
Technical Specifications
Raspberry Pi FAQs
Win a Pi
Raspberry Pi Wishlist
Actions
Forum Thread Details
  • Replies 20 replies
  • Subscribers 679 subscribers
  • Views 3565 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Related

Local Pi Display

Former Member

I have a model A Raspberry Pi and have been using it via a USB wireless adapter and Mint's Remote Desktop Protocol. 

 

I also have a Motorola Atrix docking station.  After I replaced my original cheap eBay HDMI cable with another cheap eBay HDMI cable, the Pi displays its boot messages and gets to the text log-in screen.  Unfortunately, the Pi doesn't see the Atrix keyboard/mouse so I can't log on.  I'm trying to fix this but because I am happy controlling the Pi remotely, I am more interested in using the Atrix display with RDP control.  So using the Atrix keyboard/touch pad isn't important.

 

Using RDP and the Pi terminal, I can get the Pi to display an X Desktop on its display by entering "sudo init 3".  While this is a step in the right direction now the Pi waits at a GUI log-in screen. 

 

I've tried multiple searches but it seems that any combination of "remote" "display" "local" "servel display" etc. just gives me results about using RDP (or SSH or VNC - all of which work for me).  I guess I'm not articulate enough to specify what I want.

 

Does any one know how to do this or at least can help me write a useful search question? 

 

One application is to use a Python program to monitor GPIO inputs and display them on the Pi.  A text display is acceptable but I prefer X Windows.

Parents

  • I've played around with this and have gotten a solution that works for me.  Elegant it ain't but it's pretty straightforward, at least it is if you're using a Debian based desktop.  That's the only configuration I've tested.  I'm using an Atrix but I think this will work for any display local to the Pi.

     

    "Mint" is my Mint 14 Desktop.  "Pi" is my 2012 model A Raspberry Pi.  I'm not sure of all the software requirements because I've installed so many in trying to solve this.  I think as a minimum, you'll need the Linux "screen" program on both computers, synergy on the Pi, QuickSynergy on the Mint and Remmina on the Mint.  I haven't tried to connect using a Windows desktop.

     

    Note 1:  In my messing around, I have screwed up the Pi's ability to boot into XWindows.  So these instructions start from the Pi's text login screen.

     

    NOTE 2: IN MY EXPLANATION THE TEXT ":0" (colon zero with NO SPACE) HAS BEEN CHANGED TO AN EMOTICON CONTRARY TO MY WISHES.  In step 3, replace the happy face with the colon symbol followed by the number zero.  The Happy Face isn't really appropriate until you successfully complete step 8.

     

    1.  From Mint, use Remmina to connect to Pi.  I used RDP protocol.
    2.  Open an LXTerminal and type:
        startx
    to start an X WIndows session on the Pi.
    3.  Open a new LXTerminal tab or window and type:
        xterm -display image -e "screen -S mPi" &
    to open the 'screen' program in an xterminal on the Pi.  You should see this on the Pi's display.  "mPi" is just a name I gave my session.  You can pick your own.  [In all my tests, the local Pi display has been image and the remote has been :10. ]  The "&" at the end just lets the xterm run in the background.
    4.  To get a list of available screen sockets type:
        screen -ls
    The name of your session (for me "mPi") should be there.  [Unless you've started other screen sessions, it will be the only one]
    5. Connect to that screen using:
        screen -x mPi
    Now when you type of your desktop, you should see text in the Pi.  As a test, enter:
        ls
    and you should see a directory listing on both screens.
    6.  Now to get the mouse to appear on the Pi using Synergy. First, get your desktop's IP.  Mine is 192.168.1.134.  To start Synergy on the Pi:
        synergyc -- daemon 192.168.1.134
    This tells the Pi that the mouse is coming from Mint.
    7.  Get an identifier for your Pi.  Mine uses Avahi to announce itself as raspberrypi.  If you don't have a name for your Pi, get its IP.
    Start the QuickSynergy GUI on Mint.  In the directional box you want to use, type the Pi identifier.  I type raspberrypi into the left box.  Hit the EXECUTE button.
    8.  If QuickSynergy is working properly, when you push your mouse beyond the end of the Mint display in the QuickSynergy direction (left for me) the mouse appears on the Pi display. 

     

    When I use the GPIO using Python, now the prints to the standard output appear on both displays.  That was my original intent.  The use of the mouse and keyboard has additional benefits.

Reply

  • I've played around with this and have gotten a solution that works for me.  Elegant it ain't but it's pretty straightforward, at least it is if you're using a Debian based desktop.  That's the only configuration I've tested.  I'm using an Atrix but I think this will work for any display local to the Pi.

     

    "Mint" is my Mint 14 Desktop.  "Pi" is my 2012 model A Raspberry Pi.  I'm not sure of all the software requirements because I've installed so many in trying to solve this.  I think as a minimum, you'll need the Linux "screen" program on both computers, synergy on the Pi, QuickSynergy on the Mint and Remmina on the Mint.  I haven't tried to connect using a Windows desktop.

     

    Note 1:  In my messing around, I have screwed up the Pi's ability to boot into XWindows.  So these instructions start from the Pi's text login screen.

     

    NOTE 2: IN MY EXPLANATION THE TEXT ":0" (colon zero with NO SPACE) HAS BEEN CHANGED TO AN EMOTICON CONTRARY TO MY WISHES.  In step 3, replace the happy face with the colon symbol followed by the number zero.  The Happy Face isn't really appropriate until you successfully complete step 8.

     

    1.  From Mint, use Remmina to connect to Pi.  I used RDP protocol.
    2.  Open an LXTerminal and type:
        startx
    to start an X WIndows session on the Pi.
    3.  Open a new LXTerminal tab or window and type:
        xterm -display image -e "screen -S mPi" &
    to open the 'screen' program in an xterminal on the Pi.  You should see this on the Pi's display.  "mPi" is just a name I gave my session.  You can pick your own.  [In all my tests, the local Pi display has been image and the remote has been :10. ]  The "&" at the end just lets the xterm run in the background.
    4.  To get a list of available screen sockets type:
        screen -ls
    The name of your session (for me "mPi") should be there.  [Unless you've started other screen sessions, it will be the only one]
    5. Connect to that screen using:
        screen -x mPi
    Now when you type of your desktop, you should see text in the Pi.  As a test, enter:
        ls
    and you should see a directory listing on both screens.
    6.  Now to get the mouse to appear on the Pi using Synergy. First, get your desktop's IP.  Mine is 192.168.1.134.  To start Synergy on the Pi:
        synergyc -- daemon 192.168.1.134
    This tells the Pi that the mouse is coming from Mint.
    7.  Get an identifier for your Pi.  Mine uses Avahi to announce itself as raspberrypi.  If you don't have a name for your Pi, get its IP.
    Start the QuickSynergy GUI on Mint.  In the directional box you want to use, type the Pi identifier.  I type raspberrypi into the left box.  Hit the EXECUTE button.
    8.  If QuickSynergy is working properly, when you push your mouse beyond the end of the Mint display in the QuickSynergy direction (left for me) the mouse appears on the Pi display. 

     

    When I use the GPIO using Python, now the prints to the standard output appear on both displays.  That was my original intent.  The use of the mouse and keyboard has additional benefits.

Children
No Data