Hi,

in order to be able to access my encrypted disks at boot time, I'd like to display the bootup process on my external monitor. Google doesn't help very much, and I fear this might be a hardware related problem, but hopefully, there is some kind of fix available vor this widely used series of notebooks.

(More specificaly, I'm running a HP Pavilion dv5-1032eg with an Nvidia 9600M GT.)

Thanks in advance for any kind of advice.
David

Ed: D'oh, I should include some OS information - Linux Sidux running a 2.6.28-1.slh.1-sidux-686 kernel. Let me know if you need further details.

Let me get this straight you want to display your Linux Desktop on an external monitor? Or just the boot up process? If you want the whole desktop to show on the external there is a setting in your bios for this. I am not sure it is possible to show just the boot sequence as the driver for the card will have to be loaded first I do believe. Do not quote me on this however I have been wrong before.

Displaying the desktop is no problem at all, Nvidia drivers for Linux are sufficiently advanced. But it seems impossible to display even virtual terminals on the external monitor (when switching with CTRL + ALT + <num>), although X is running and the Nvidia driver is loaded by then.

Furthermore, my former notebook (some crappy ASUS featuring a Nvidia 7300GT, IIRC) needed no further configuration to show the bootup process, so it seems to be possible after all.

Well, I'll check the BIOS once more, anyways. Thanks.