Issue displaying via HDMI

auntjemima

auntjemima

[H]ard DCOTM x2
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Messages
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Hey guys, I have a bit of an issue on a Mint laptop I am using my my HTPC.

I would like to run this as an extended desktop and run movies on the tv and just leave the desktop visible on the laptop.

Here is the issue. When running extended I can set independent resolutions and run 1080p on the tv. When I try and full screen a movie on the tv it moves the player back to the laptop... If that makes any sense. If I press the fill box in the upper corner, no issues, but as soon as I fullscreen it, it pops back to the laptop and leaves just the desktop on the tv.

If I disable the laptop screen, for some reason I can no longer select a resolution on the tv that's higher than 1366x768 (the laptops native resolution), although the movies can then be full screened.

The movie moving back to the laptop screen only happens with VLC, and the built in "video" player works as expected.

Thoughts?

Run of the mill i3 laptop with Intel graphics.
 
I haven't tried this in Linux, but on Windows you typically need to make the TV the primary display for full screen to work.
 
cybereality said:
I haven't tried this in Linux, but on Windows you typically need to make the TV the primary display for full screen to work.
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I use the same monitor and tv in Windows and I haven't had to do that. Not just that, but the orientation requires the tv to be the extended display.
 
B00nie said:
Sounds like a display driver problem.
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SticKx911 said:
magine a vader going “nooooooo!”....
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It's funny you would say that. I used the intel driver that was initially provided by Linux, which apparently is Intels driver as they don't have the same Nouveau problem that NVidia does. No bueno. Then I upgraded it from Intels site, same thing.
 
Where the tv is in relation to the laptop shouldn't define what "has to be" the primary display. I think modern AMD (kernel, not amdgpu-pro) and nvidia binary drivers both let you re-arrange monitors & define a primary as needed, independent of each other.

Also: What kernel are you running?
 
/dev/null said:
Where the tv is in relation to the laptop shouldn't define what "has to be" the primary display. I think modern AMD (kernel, not amdgpu-pro) and nvidia binary drivers both let you re-arrange monitors & define a primary as needed, independent of each other.

Also: What kernel are you running?
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What I mean is my laptop is on the left and the tv is on the right. If I make the tv the primary all the apps and taskbar move there as well/ No bueno.

edit: kernel is x86_64 Linux 4.4.0-104-generic
 
Just tried this using my own older laptop running Intel HD4000 graphics and the i915 drivers that come with the kernel 4.10.0. I conected the laptop to the TV via a reciever using HDMI and made sure both resolutions were correct. I then played a media file using the latest version of VLC and dragged it to the TV and fullscreened it. Everythign worked as intended with no desktop oddities at all. I haven't installed any additional drivers on this system.
 
octane said:
Just tried this using my own older laptop running Intel HD4000 graphics and the i915 drivers that come with the kernel 4.10.0. I conected the laptop to the TV via a reciever using HDMI and made sure both resolutions were correct. I then played a media file using the latest version of VLC and dragged it to the TV and fullscreened it. Everythign worked as intended with no desktop oddities at all. I haven't installed any additional drivers on this system.
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Worked on my Mint desktop without issue as well. But I have an Nvidia card in there. There's nothing on the laptop, so maybe I'll just reinstall and see what happens.
 
/dev/null said:
Before reinstalling I'd try a newer kernel. There have been a LOT of updates since 4.4....
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Yikes! It has been so long since I ran updates that I had to install some mint-update-inf thing before any others lol
 
Also, make sure you aren't running the version of VLC from the software stor. Its probably very outdated.
 
octane said:
It's probably due to the fact that Mint 18.3 is running a newer kernel as opposed to an acual OS upgrade.
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I completely agree. I upgraded the kernel first but never tested. I upgraded the kernel and rebooted and went back to the update manager and saw the 18.3 option under the settings, so I did it. I imagine the kernel update did it moreso than the 18.3.

Just glad it's sorted out. I guess I need to check for updates more often.
 
octane said:
Think of updating the kernel as updating yor drivers. :)
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I completely get it. My issue with updates is the last time I ran a kernel update my desktop wouldn't boot in anymore and BulletDust told me it was my fault and that I should never update the kernel unless I need to.

I would never think kernel when I've manually updated the drivers.
 
I was not around then, so I cannot comment on Bulletdust's reasoning but he seems like a knowledgable individual so i am sure he has his reasons.

the kernel is not the kind of thing you want to update if nothing is broken. Like most situations updating drivers under other operating systems there is some risk in updating the kernel and I assume that is what Bullet was concerned about. But sometimes you have to accept the risk and performm a kernel update and Mint will tell you what kernel's are regresions and what kernel's are not. With the exception of closed source drivers like Nvidia drivers the kernel contains everything including driver updates. Try not to think of Linux as Windows.
 
And there are kernels and kernels. If you update some off-the-mill kernel to your OS you may find that the kernel doesn't contain the distribution specific changes needed. That's why it's recommended not to install kernels that are not being offered in the package manager of your OS - unless you know very well what you're doing.
 
If you use Ubuntu you just use UKUU. It's the safest way to update the kernel, it even highlights regressions. If you run Mint, the kernel updater is included in the updater and it also highlights regressions.

If you run xbuntu or Mint and there is an issue with the kernal, you hold shift at boot, boot into GRUB and select an older Kernel. Provided you aren't a zealot with apt autoremove you'll be fine. I do not recomment bleeding edge kernel releases if you run Nvidia with Nvidia closed source drivers as the drivers tend to drag behind kernel releases which can cause issues that shift at the GRUB screen will not resolve.
 
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