Arch Linux

JonathanArcher

Member

From: San Francisco

Registered: 2008-11-12

Posts: 108

External monitor with Optimus Laptop (ASUS EeePC 1015PN) does it work?

I am thinking about buying an additional monitor to use as an external display for my EeePC 1015PN. At the moment I use my laptop with a script that deactivates the Nvidia card at booting (not Bumblebee, but basically the same). Now I have read that the HDMI port only works when the Nvidia card is activated, at least in Windows. So I was wondering if it is the same for Linux, anybody here using a system like this?

I guess in the worst case I have to use the VGA port, since I am guessing it is working with the Intel graphics. But I want to be sure before I buy a new monitor and then find out that there is no support for it (yet?).

The only other topic I have found about this was this one: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=125207
But the topic starter only mentiones VGA and DVI port, which both seem to work, but no HDMI. At least it is an indication that I possibly can use the VGA port with the Intel graphics card.

Gusar

Member

Registered: 2009-08-25

Posts: 3,605

Re: External monitor with Optimus Laptop (ASUS EeePC 1015PN) does it work?

The 1015PN is not Optimus, it has a hardware mux for graphic card switching. So from this perspective, I'd say all outputs work regardless of which graphic card is active. Though it would be nice if someone who actually has a 1015PN could confirm this.

JonathanArcher

Member

From: San Francisco

Registered: 2008-11-12

Posts: 108

Re: External monitor with Optimus Laptop (ASUS EeePC 1015PN) does it work?

Gusar, the 1015PN is not Optimus? In Windows 7 I have the Optimus application, where you can switch on the fly between the two cards (unless you have the Windows 7 Starter Edition), so I am a bit confused by your statement.
On the other hand I haven't been booting into Windows since quite some time, so I may mix up things. A quick google search brings up lots of topics about 1015PN and Optimus though.

Edit: Wait, you probably really mean the version of the 1015PN which only has the Starter Edition and has to reboot to switch graphics? Well mine already came with the next higher Windows version and there the Optimus switcher is included.

Last edited by JonathanArcher (2011-09-05 20:35:07)

Gusar

Member

Registered: 2009-08-25

Posts: 3,605

Re: External monitor with Optimus Laptop (ASUS EeePC 1015PN) does it work?

Edit: Wait, you probably really mean the version of the 1015PN which only has the Starter Edition and has to reboot to switch graphics?

Bingo! I didn't know there's another 1015PN model out there.

In Windows 7 I have the Optimus application, where you can switch on the fly between the two cards

Optimus is not about switching graphic cards. What you're doing there in that app is switching between Optimus and non-Optimus. This is possible because the machine also has a hardware mux for switching. Pure Optimus machines do not have such a hardware mux, so switching is not possible.

Anyway, from what I've now been reading, the HDMI output is indeed tied to the Nvidia card on this model, so it'll only work when the Nvidia card is active.

JonathanArcher

Member

From: San Francisco

Registered: 2008-11-12

Posts: 108

Re: External monitor with Optimus Laptop (ASUS EeePC 1015PN) does it work?

Ok, so that means if I want to connect a monitor via HDMI I have to activate the Nvidia card in Linux.

The last I have heard about this (couple of months ago after I bought this laptop), was that you could not use the Nvidia card hybrid graphics in Linux, but you could deactivate it (which is what I still do). Now I read through the bumblebee article on the wiki and it seems like you can really use the Nvidia card with bumblebee, did I get that right? So if I manage to get bumblebee running, I should be able to connect a monitor via HDMI?

I am just asking since from my search for a suitable monitor I found out that very few and only older models come with DVI-ports where you can use a VGA to DVI adapter (DVI-I, if I remember correctly). So it seems the better choice is the HDMI port... which leaves me with the Nvidia hassle...

Gusar

Member

Registered: 2009-08-25

Posts: 3,605

Re: External monitor with Optimus Laptop (ASUS EeePC 1015PN) does it work?

Now I read through the bumblebee article on the wiki and it seems like you can really use the Nvidia card with bumblebee, did I get that right?

That is correct.

So if I manage to get bumblebee running, I should be able to connect a monitor via HDMI?

Unfortunately, no. You see, the way Bumblebee works is it sets up a second X server for the nvidia card and then VirtualGL is used to copy whatever the nvidia card draws there to the first X server which runs on the intel card. While it's possible to configure that second server to use the HDMI output, your mouse and keyboard are bound to the first X server.

Does your machine have a mini-DisplayPort? The asus 1215n does, and it's mini-DisplayPort is connected to the intel card, so one can use that for the external monitor.

I am just asking since from my search for a suitable monitor I found out that very few and only older models come with DVI-ports where you can use a VGA to DVI adapter (DVI-I, if I remember correctly).

That doesn't work actually. What works is the other way around - DVI-I output on the card into a VGA monitor. It's because DVI-I can output either an analog VGA or a digital DVI signal. But a VGA output is always only analog, not possible to convert to digital. Not with an adapter. There are converter boxes, but they have their price.
Don't modern monitors have VGA inputs anymore? It's not ideal, but it is a picture.

JonathanArcher

Member

From: San Francisco

Registered: 2008-11-12

Posts: 108

Re: External monitor with Optimus Laptop (ASUS EeePC 1015PN) does it work?

Damn, that is some bad news then. The 1015PN does not have a DVI port, only HDMI and VGA. When I bought it I didn't care so much about the missing DVI, because I thought I can use the HDMI one anyways.

I have not found any monitors from this and last year with VGA input. They all come with just DVI, since it is the successor. Although I did not search too deep yet, as I thought that monitors with DVI-I would serve the purpose as well.

Guess that means I have to think about switching back to Windows 7 to be able to use the external monitor... that's stupid...

edit: Have to correct myself again, just did another search explicitly for monitors with VGA port and found some recent ones. There is still hope

Last edited by JonathanArcher (2011-09-08 18:48:00)