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I'm trying to use my Thinkpad 250X with a projector to project a slide show with graphics program run on the laptop. I boot the laptop with the VGA cable connected and the projector displays the boot process When I log in and start X, any applications that are automatically started (~/.fluxbox/startup) are shown properly by the projector, but are permanently minimized on the laptop display. That is, the laptop responds properly to keyboard inputs except that a LMB click on the minimized application fails to raise it. As the result if the graphics application is started automatically, its GUI is displayed by the projector, but I cannot access on the laptop it to start the slide show. On the other hand where I to start the graphics application from a command line, I can display a slide-show on the laptop, but the images are not sent to the projector (the virtual desktop in which the graphics application is running appears blank in the projected image. Otherwise, the laptop and projector work as expected. The laptop responds to the keyboard inputs with the sole exception that minimized applications cannot be raised with the LMB. My laptop does not have a desktop environment, and its Touchpad has been disabled.

Haines Brown
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    I didn't know it was supposed to work this way. To be specific, I'm running a graphic display application on my laptop that runs a slide show. If I autostart – Haines Brown Jun 29 '19 at 19:31
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    It might help if I were to be more specific. I'm running a graphic display application (geeqie) on my laptop in order to display a slide show of images on a USB key. If I autostart (~/.fluxbox/startup) this graphics program so that it is displayed by the projector, then I cannot access the application to select the USB key and start the slide show. – Haines Brown Jun 29 '19 at 19:37
  • you described the observed behavior fairly well, however you left it up to us to try and guess what the undesired behavior actually is ..... your comment clears it up somewhat .... please edit your question above to make it clearer, then delete the comment because it clutters up the post – jsotola Jun 29 '19 at 20:16
  • does the projector part of the process work as desired? .... is the laptop screen blank? .... does the laptop respond to the keyboard or mouse? – jsotola Jun 29 '19 at 20:20

1 Answers1

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Unplug the VGA plug, boot it up, go to the screen that shows you display settings, plug

In the VGA then try to tell the setting you have a dual display. Might take multiple attempts to find the right settings. This is a kernel issue. If you make it work right do not update your kernel.

Bixbyte
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  • Your suggestion appreciated. The problem is that on Thinkpad x250 the Fn-F7 key does nothing.under linux There is no screen to that shows display settings. I have the most recent kernel installed. The problem with Fn-F7 goes back years. – Haines Brown Jul 01 '19 at 13:47
  • MENU> SYSTEM SETTINGS > DISPLAY while the VGA device is unplugged. – Bixbyte Jul 01 '19 at 23:50
  • I don't know what you assume my system to be like. I don't run a desktop environment, but only a window manager. The manager has a menu, but it does not have system settings. I assume that if a desktop environment had such a menu, I could control displays from a command line, but no idea how. – Haines Brown Jul 02 '19 at 10:51
  • I have had your problem and at first my operating system booted to the VGA. But, Linux Mint had an update for the Kernel and the VGA failed to start correctly. One of my older versions of Linux Mint sitting on another Hard drive I place the older version into the Laptop and the VGA worked perfect. So, I know their newest Kernel does not work correctly for dual display. I do not update the Kernel and my VGA runs correct. I hope that helps you? – Bixbyte Jul 03 '19 at 17:42