[ale] Laptop without LCD panel (running Linux)

You should be able to switch the video at boot before the OS. I've had
three laptops that all showed boot screens on external monitors.
Usually it takes flipping the output using the Fn key and one of the
upper row function keys during that period to make it switch.

The signals on the cable to the LCD panel are not usually one of the
common formats. It's typically something only the LCD driver itself
will understand so finding an adapter is not likely.

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
One of my co-workers gave me a laptop that his wife dropped and broke
the display, and the entire assembly off the back (LCD is broken, rear
cover busted, hinge broken free from it, etc..). The laptop body itself
is fine. I got on EBay and discovered that the entire display assembly
is going to be about $150 to replace - not worth it. So, I had another
idea: Open it up, remove the hinges, unplug the video/camera cable, and
remove the wireless cables. My plan was to just plug in a monitor to
the vga output, and use it for a computer, somewhat looking like an 80s
console without the TV. I tried that, but got no video output. So.. I
plugged in the broken video cable, and attached it to the broken LCD
panel. I was able to see enough of the output to see that the PC is
booting up. It looks like the switch to the external output is done in
software AFTER Windows comes up. So much for my idea of a small Linux
machine.
I'm wondering now if there is some sort of an adapter in existence that
I can plug the video cable that goes into the back of the LCD panel to,
and get VGA, DVI, HDMI, or some sort of useful output to connect a
monitor to?
Any ideas, anyone?
Thanks.
Allen B.

_______________________________________________
Ale mailing list
***@ale.org
https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
http

Beddingfield, Allen via Ale

2018-08-13 03:17:31 UTC

I can hit f2 to get into setup, to verify some output is going to the
broken LCD. FN-F4 is supposed to switch to the external video, but it
does nothing here.. I've hit FN-F4, F4, ALT-F4, CTRL-F4, and no output
to VGA.

This is a Toshiba Satellite L875-S7208, BTW.

Post by Alex Carver via Ale
You should be able to switch the video at boot before the OS. I've had
three laptops that all showed boot screens on external monitors.
Usually it takes flipping the output using the Fn key and one of the
upper row function keys during that period to make it switch.
The signals on the cable to the LCD panel are not usually one of the
common formats. It's typically something only the LCD driver itself
will understand so finding an adapter is not likely.

_______________________________________________
Ale mailing list
https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo

--
Allen Beddingfield
Systems Engineer
Office of Information Technology
The University of Alabama
Office 205-348-2251
***@ua.edu

Alex Carver via Ale

2018-08-13 03:30:49 UTC

I don't know what Toshiba's setup screen looks like but I seem to recall
it had a setting for mirroring the display. Alternatively if you can
get Windows up to get to the external screen you might be able to use a
Toshiba setup utility from there to change the boot-time parameters so
that it will boot to the external screen.

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
I can hit f2 to get into setup, to verify some output is going to the
broken LCD. FN-F4 is supposed to switch to the external video, but it
does nothing here.. I've hit FN-F4, F4, ALT-F4, CTRL-F4, and no output
to VGA.
This is a Toshiba Satellite L875-S7208, BTW.

You should be able to switch the video at boot before the OS. I've had
three laptops that all showed boot screens on external monitors.
Usually it takes flipping the output using the Fn key and one of the
upper row function keys during that period to make it switch.
The signals on the cable to the LCD panel are not usually one of the
common formats. It's typically something only the LCD driver itself
will understand so finding an adapter is not likely.

_______________________________________________
Ale mailing list
https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo

_______________________________________________
Ale mailing list
***@ale.org
https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
http://m

Greg Clifton via Ale

2018-08-13 03:50:18 UTC

If you can get into the BIOS (and see what you're doing there), look for a
setting for dual monitor output or a preference for an external display
over the built in display. If you can get to it, that should fix the
problem.

Post by Alex Carver via Ale
I don't know what Toshiba's setup screen looks like but I seem to recall
it had a setting for mirroring the display. Alternatively if you can
get Windows up to get to the external screen you might be able to use a
Toshiba setup utility from there to change the boot-time parameters so
that it will boot to the external screen.

itself

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
is fine. I got on EBay and discovered that the entire display assembly
is going to be about $150 to replace - not worth it. So, I had another
idea: Open it up, remove the hinges, unplug the video/camera cable,

and

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
remove the wireless cables. My plan was to just plug in a monitor to
the vga output, and use it for a computer, somewhat looking like an 80s
console without the TV. I tried that, but got no video output. So..

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
plugged in the broken video cable, and attached it to the broken LCD
panel. I was able to see enough of the output to see that the PC is
booting up. It looks like the switch to the external output is done in
software AFTER Windows comes up. So much for my idea of a small Linux
machine.
I'm wondering now if there is some sort of an adapter in existence that
I can plug the video cable that goes into the back of the LCD panel to,
and get VGA, DVI, HDMI, or some sort of useful output to connect a
monitor to?
Any ideas, anyone?
Thanks.
Allen B.

_______________________________________________
Ale mailing list
https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo

Boris Borisov via Ale

2018-08-14 02:02:03 UTC

If you keep lid closed would it default to external monitor? I have broken
Toshiba although PIII old that does exactly that.

Post by Greg Clifton via Ale
If you can get into the BIOS (and see what you're doing there), look for a
setting for dual monitor output or a preference for an external display
over the built in display. If you can get to it, that should fix the
problem.

itself

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
is fine. I got on EBay and discovered that the entire display

assembly

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
is going to be about $150 to replace - not worth it. So, I had

another

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
idea: Open it up, remove the hinges, unplug the video/camera cable,

and

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
remove the wireless cables. My plan was to just plug in a monitor to
the vga output, and use it for a computer, somewhat looking like an

80s

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
console without the TV. I tried that, but got no video output.

So.. I

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
software AFTER Windows comes up. So much for my idea of a small Linux
machine.
I'm wondering now if there is some sort of an adapter in existence

that

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
I can plug the video cable that goes into the back of the LCD panel

to,

Post by Beddingfield, Allen via Ale
and get VGA, DVI, HDMI, or some sort of useful output to connect a
monitor to?
Any ideas, anyone?
Thanks.
Allen B.

_______________________________________________
Ale mailing list
https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo

Alan Dobkin via Ale

2018-08-14 02:16:03 UTC