How to start without HDMI monitor?

Hi !

I am very disappointed to read, that there is no analog signal.
Is it possible to:
- connect via serial port
- external usb monitor
I just don't understand it and I must see the
boot process. A HDMI/DVI to VGA [my monitor
has two inputs] is just too expensive.

Thanks so far and
best regards,
++mabra

[texy]

That is not strictly true - there is a composite analogue signal output that is automatically enabled if no HMDI monitor/tv is connected - its the yellow
phono connector. Maybe you have a suitable TV to use?

Texy

I recommend that you try a TV with a composite input.

You can also access the RPi over Ethernet by using SSH, see
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=6553&p=93826

You can get a HDMI to DVI wire for about £2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_nos ... vi&x=0&y=0

Hi !

Thanks for the hints.
There is no TV with this input and no HDMI monitor,
which is enabled.

Does someone know a good HDMI to VGA CONVERTER
[I know, this cannot be done by wiring] or does someone
probably has a recommendation of a usb connectable
display adapter??

Thanks!

br++mabra

http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeriphera ... y_adapters

[mahjongg]

A second hand DVI-D monitor will probably be cheaper, and give a better overall result.

Serial input (either the onboard UART, or a USB RS232 interface) enables remote login, so you can run headless, and any old TV with composite input will also enable you to login.

[liz]

Hi !

Thanks for the hints.
There is no TV with this input and no HDMI monitor,
which is enabled.

Any old CRT (cathode ray) TV should do - do you have access to one of those?

Hi !

Thanks ALL !
"latro666" drive me into the right direction.

best regards,
++mabra

Sorry if i'm exhausting this point guys but i'm a complete noob as the name suggests. So if i get either a cable or adapter that goes from HDMI to VGA then i can use an old monitor ???
Cheers,

What do you intend to do with your Pi?

Converting HDMI to VGA isn't as simple as you would think, and so adapters are expensive.

A better option would be either

-Borrow an HDMI or Component TV/Monitor
-Go to a friends house who has one of the above

And then install VNC so you can remotely connect to your Pi from your existing PC.

Otherwise you might as well buy a cheap DVI/HDMI capable monitor for about £60.

What do you intend to do with your Pi?

Converting HDMI to VGA isn't as simple as you would think, and so adapters are expensive.

A better option would be either

-Borrow an HDMI or Component TV/Monitor
-Go to a friends house who has one of the above

And then install VNC so you can remotely connect to your Pi from your existing PC.

Otherwise you might as well buy a cheap DVI/HDMI capable monitor for about £60.

http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeriphera ... y_adapters -- HDMI-VGA for cheaper than you would expect.

http://elinux.org/RPi_VerifiedPeriphera ... y_adapters -- HDMI-VGA for cheaper than you would expect.

But be aware that some of them do not handle sound (if that is an issue for you - it wasn't an issue for me).

Thanks guys,
Sound isn't really an issue. I can always use the 3.5 port and use headphones. I just want to use an old monitor i purchased for $25. It uses VGA only. So i am going to try and find an HDMI/VGA adapter plug and attach the pi to the monitor. Hopefully it works

Use the yellow socket, I think its called Composite. Still gives a good quality image, once you have it set up, run SSH. Then you don't need a monitor, or keyboard or mouse even

as far as I know, SSH is running already with the standard debian squeeze image.
That means you don't need a monitor at all (provided your Pi gets its IP address via DHCP -- and almost all routers will provide DHCP).
If you're running windows, download "Putty", insert the Pi's IP, login with pi/raspberry and you're done. Just keep in mind that booting up will take the Pi some minutes.

HDMI to VGA is much easier than people think.

It does need a converter to go from digital to analogue, but these can be built into a cable and fairly inexpensive. The one I am using cost £15

http://www.penguintutor.com/blog/viewbl ... g=6354#vga

I've just been down to the electronics shop and theres a Digitech active vga + audio to HDMI converter for $90. An alternative is a vga/HDMI adapter which could work out a bit cheaper. Think the adapters cost about $60.

http://www.amazon.com/HDMI-VGA-Audio-Vi ... B004VJ23PG this should work

If you are in the US then you could try the following from Amazon: http://amzn.to/Q2vXBM

I can't confirm it definitely works, but it looks and sounds the same as mine which does work (although a different colour cable). Costs about $20.

Identical converters are down to $16 on eBay. (Links can be found in my signature...)

I'm surprised more folk haven't suggested this, but another possibility for those seeking a (relatively) cheap, and HD-capable, HDMI display, is a small flat-screen TV.

I've looked around plenty of places at cheap monitors, and I don't think I've seen any with HDMI ports until the price gets into the £100-150 bracket. Beneath that level, you'll be lucky if you find a DVI port on them, and the cheapest only sport a VGA socket. Even if you find a lower-cost DVI monitor, they don't always handle sound.

On the other hand, visit almost any big supermarket (Asda, Tesco, etc.) or electronics store, and you can usually find a 16" or 18" flat-screen TV for as little as £65-70. The quality may not be top-notch (though most that I've seen working don't look too bad), and "label-snobs" might bristle at the typical "A.N.Othercom" badge on the front, but these TVs usually give you at least one HDMI port, and often an extra £20 or so will get you a DVD player built-in.

I don't have one of these TVs myself, but only as my disposable income isn't even that disposable most of the time All the same, it seems to me like another option to consider for Pi-folk seeking a cheap HD display.

I've looked around plenty of places at cheap monitors, and I don't think I've seen any with HDMI ports until the price gets into the £100-150 bracket. Beneath that level, you'll be lucky if you find a DVI port on them, and the cheapest only sport a VGA socket. Even if you find a lower-cost DVI monitor, they don't always handle sound.

viewtopic.php?f=60&t=8931 £10 for a monitor with DVI-D input, internal powered usb-hub and powered speakers, keyboard and a mouse.

I got a proline tv with a blown PSU getting thrown out got a PSU for 30 quid That got me a monitor with an hdmi port the default font was tiny but I'm running wheezy I edited

/etc/default/console_setup

FONTFACE="Terminus"
FONTSIZE="32x16"

Note include speechmarks and rebooted

and the command line font and the raspi-config become eminately readable I had to enable overscan to stop it loosing the start of the line.

However composite makes for incomplete lines where the text vanishes off the right of the screen.

Once started and you have completed your doings with the raspi-config menu one of the last lines on boot gives you the IP it's picked up from DHCP and you can use that with putty ro get a remote login with a laptop/notebook/PC

In fact if you know how to read your router you can get that IP address from there and login with putty and run raspi-config from there.

We have a thread running on starting blind using only putty and a remote login Ok it wont play the startx without a monitor but you can build a LAMP webserver provided you run apt-get update.

The MySQL goes all non install if you have not run the update. The result is a little beast that will run PHP ok your not going to have the Wikipedia on there but it will allow you to play with some basic stuff.