# Headless With X

Related articles

- systemd/User
- Automatic login to virtual console
- Start X at Login
- Display manager
- Silent boot
- Xinitrc
- x11vnc

This article explains how to have X running while a machine boots headless, i.e., without a monitor. By default this does not happen, because X detects the absence of a monitor and does not start.

First copy the following text:

    Section "Monitor"
        Identifier             "Monitor0"
    EndSection

    Section "Device"
        Identifier             "Device0"
        Driver                 "vesa" #Choose the driver used for this monitor
    EndSection

    Section "Screen"
        Identifier             "Screen0"  #Collapse Monitor and Device section to Screen section
        Device                 "Device0"
        Monitor                "Monitor0"
        DefaultDepth           24 #Choose the depth (16||24)
        SubSection             "Display"
            Depth              24
            Modes              "1024x768_75.00" #Choose the resolution
        EndSubSection
    EndSection

into this file, as root:

    /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-monitor.conf

and reboot.

Note:

This does presume that you have set up X to start automatically, either from virtual console and login, or using a display manager.

If it works, you're done, X will run fine with or without a screen. If not, you have a video card causing issues. One quick way to handle this is to try different drivers instead of "vesa". A list can be had by running "X -configure" without X running. One ATI video card confirmed to need this, worked well using "ati" instead of "vesa".

Categories:

- X Server
- Boot process