PiTFT: boot to desktop problem

[LukeM]

Hi All,

I picked up the awesome PiTFT Touch Screen and got it working by following the tutorial here. I set it up to display the console on the touch screen and I can launch the desktop by logging in and executing startx. It even works if I execute startx from a remote SSH session. However, if I use raspi-config to configure it to boot to desktop automatically and reboot I just end up with a blank screen with an underscore in the top left corner.

I tried one other thing... I put startx in rc.local and it appears to execute but it just shows the output on the console and never actually displays the desktop.

In either case, if I log in using SSH and execute startx the desktop will display and everything works as expected.

I'm a linux novice so I'm out of ideas and I haven't found many other discussions about this device. Any thoughts on a possible solution?

Thanks,
Luke M

[AndyD]

The problem is that the tutorial expects you to use startx, rather than letting lightdm start the X server (as it does when you select boot to desktop). When you select boot to desktop the greeter is started to allow you to log in. The solution is to follow this tutorial (X11 on your Display). Boils down to:-

Install xserver-xorg-video-fbdev

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-fbdev

Create a config file with following contents in /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-fbdev.conf containing the following:

Code: Select all

Section "Device"  
  Identifier "myfb"
  Driver "fbdev"
  Option "fbdev" "/dev/fb1"
EndSection

The select boot to desktop in raspi-config.

[LukeM]

That did the trick! Thanks!

[sirkope]

Hi all,

I have the same problem, and some other.
How can I see the boot process on the TFT?
When I close the X windows with CTLR+C, the TFT still hold the last image.
When I shutdown the RPI trough SSH, the last image also remain on the TFT

[mazternhell]

@LukeM Im having the same problems. How did you manage to get out of the blinking cursor into a terminal. Sorry im also new at this stuff. Thanks!

[LukeM]

mazternhell: I'm no expert either so but I followed AndyD's instructions and it worked fine. Have you tried that? What else have to done to get to where you are now?

[LukeM]

Hi all,

I have the same problem, and some other.
How can I see the boot process on the TFT?
When I close the X windows with CTLR+C, the TFT still hold the last image.
When I shutdown the RPI trough SSH, the last image also remain on the TFT

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by see the boot process, but if you mean showing the main console to the PiTFT rather than the HDMI or composite out, I followed the instructions in this tutorial under Using the Console.

I'm not sure how to solve your other two problems. Mine does the same thing and I'd be curious if you find anything.

[mazternhell]

okay so i just did a reinstall of everything and followed the tutorial and now its displaying on the tft on bootup. Now I need to switch back to the monitor as its a little difficult coding from TFT screen. I tried switching using the FRAMEBUFFER=/dev/fb0 line and it won't work. Anyone know what could be the problem?

[LukeM]

okay so i just did a reinstall of everything and followed the tutorial and now its displaying on the tft on bootup. Now I need to switch back to the monitor as its a little difficult coding from TFT screen. I tried switching using the FRAMEBUFFER=/dev/fb0 line and it won't work. Anyone know what could be the problem?

I typically just use an SSH terminal or a VNC viewer if I need the desktop.
But to answer your question, I was able to go back to normal by removing /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-fbdev.conf that I added per AndyD's suggestion, and reverting /boot/cmdline.txt to it's original state (removed the line added per the Adafruit tutorial).

I hope this helps.

[Digitalkinfolk]

Followed your directions and now I can no longer access the desktop or the PiTFT, the touchscreen just boots up, showing the boot script, and then goes black with a cursor blinking in the left corner? Not sure what to do now because I can't even access the screen to change it back through terminal or access the files when I plug the SD card into my computer, they must be hidden or something A little frustrated took forever to get here and I was almost done and added this code to get the screen to boot directly to the PiTFT instead of the desktop and now I'm stuck, any suggestions on how to force the screen to the PiTFT or a way I can access those files to delete them?

[LukeM]

It's been a while since I messed with this I'm not an expert but I had a similar problem at one point and I have a couple ideas.

Can you SSH in or use a console cable? If you can manage one of those you should be able to tweak or reverse your settings.

Otherwise, do you have another linux machine you could plug the SD card into? You're right, a windows machine won't be able to easily access anything but the boot partition. If not, you could use an SD card with a fresh install to boot the Pi, then plug your current SD card into the Pi using a USB adapter. Either way, you should then be able to access the files on the SD card that you're looking for.

I hope this helps...

[technocity]

Hello everyone

I was reading your thread LukeM and still stuck with the blinking cursor. What did you do to solve this?

Thanks in advance

I m also new to linux

[azrith]

I just wanted to say thanks for the post. I was stuck on this for a while. This method worked for me.

[LukeM]

Hello everyone

I was reading your thread LukeM and still stuck with the blinking cursor. What did you do to solve this?

Thanks in advance

I m also new to linux

Not knowing where you are in the process, it is difficult to answer your question in detail. All I can say is, I followed the tutorial and when I encounter the problem I asked about in the original post, the instructions provided by AndyD above solved my problem.

[bd3k]

If you get the black screen on the piTFT and a blinking cursor hit CTRL ALT F1 that will get you back to console

[sch0sch]

Hi
I am also trying to boot directly on the desktop with my piTFT.

Using startx works for me as I followed the tutorial on Adafruit.

If I create the configfile like AndyD, it doesnt work anymore.

But its possible to make these steps retrogressive! Just delete the file you created while connected via ssh with "sudo rm /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-fbdev.conf"
Now startx works again.

Still the problem booting to the desktop on piTFT is not solved, does anybody have a new idea?

[yeonghuei]

The problem is that the tutorial expects you to use startx, rather than letting lightdm start the X server (as it does when you select boot to desktop). When you select boot to desktop the greeter is started to allow you to log in. The solution is to follow this tutorial (X11 on your Display). Boils down to:-

Install xserver-xorg-video-fbdev

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-fbdev

Create a config file with following contents in /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-fbdev.conf containing the following:

Code: Select all

Section "Device"  
  Identifier "myfb"
  Driver "fbdev"
  Option "fbdev" "/dev/fb1"
EndSection

The select boot to desktop in raspi-config.

Hi,

Thank for the fix. I had the same problem and it was resolved by adding the suggested config file.

But I have another issue here. I am currently trying to have the pi to auto boot up and launch chromium into kiosk mode. Previously without this, when using "startx", chromium kiosk mode launched automatically. But after fixing the screen, it just boots into the GUI but chromium does not launch.

I have added the following line in /etc/xsd/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart to get chromium kiosk as the startup program:

@chromium --kiosk "http://192.168.1.25"

Any advice would be great!

[Syndave]

Create a config file with following contents in /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-fbdev.conf containing the following:

Code: Select all
Section "Device"
Identifier "myfb"
Driver "fbdev"
Option "fbdev" "/dev/fb1"
EndSection

How do i do this. This is my first week using linux

[DougieLawson]

Open an LXTerminal window (it's that little TV shaped icon on the taskbar).
Type sudo nano /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/99-fbdev.conf
Enter all the stuff from the post above.
Press [CTRL]+[O] to save it
Press [ENTER] when prompted
Press [CTRL]+[X] to exit the editor
Press [CTRL]+[D] to exit the LXterminal window

Reboot to get it active.

[Fraxal]

For those who have followed the Adafruit PiTFT guide:
The instructions for booting to desktop are a bit hidden away in the section "Extras!"
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pit ... s-on-pitft