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[tombert]

Hi all,

I successfully setup MC in Ubuntu 16 LTS with autologin and starting MC.
All works fine as long as a I have a monitor connected. But when unplugging the monitor and continue working via VNC all the menus won't pop up. The application itself shows normally, I can click on the panes etc. and see all my files but e.g. when right clicking on a file no menu appears. Similar with the top menus like File, Edit, View, etc. no menu appears.

Would it be possible that somebody confirms this behaviour?

thx

[bob]

Hi all,

I successfully setup MC in Ubuntu 16 LTS with autologin and starting MC.
All works fine as long as a I have a monitor connected. But when unplugging the monitor and continue working via VNC all the menus won't pop up. The application itself shows normally, I can click on the panes etc. and see all my files but e.g. when right clicking on a file no menu appears. Similar with the top menus like File, Edit, View, etc. no menu appears.

Would it be possible that somebody confirms this behaviour?

thx

I don't have that setup however what usually happens on intel PC's in that case is that the XServer resolution is somewhat undefined. What we've seen people do is either put a hardware plug onto the output (VGA or DVI are easier) or run a dummy XServer and configuration files to make it look like it's got a 1920x108 display connected.

[tombert]

The default X-Server is running. Simply no monitor connected which causes it to switch to 800x600 on boot. By using xrandr one can change resolution if wanted.

There is no special setup, tricks or whatsoever ...

[bob]

Interesting....
So if you set 800x600 WITH a monitor attached, does it work then?

[tombert]

I saw that my title was wrong - should read "... and Monitor NOT connected"

Yes exactly. I re-verified again.
If I connect a monitor, I am able to open menus etc. normally through either the keyboard attached to the server or also through VNC.
As soon as I disconnect the monitor and control the server via VNC only, the menus do not work. Other applications still work fine.

thx

[mwillems]

I saw that my title was wrong - should read "... and Monitor NOT connected"

Yes exactly. I re-verified again.
If I connect a monitor, I am able to open menus etc. normally through either the keyboard attached to the server or also through VNC.
As soon as I disconnect the monitor and control the server via VNC only, the menus do not work. Other applications still work fine.

thx

Bob this was the issue I was seeing last year with my debian server (no menus visible via VNC but everything works fine with a monitor plugged in). 

I hadn't connected the issue to monitors being connected or not, but if I boot my server with no monitor connected I have no issues at all in VNC, but if I connect and then disconnect a monitor I can reproduce the issue tombert is seeing.  This is with a more or less vanilla debian stretch install using x11vnc to reproduce the actual desktop via VNC.

[bob]

Thanks, those are great hints, I'll see if I can reproduce it.
I bet it has something to do with the xrandr extension.
Oh yes, one more thing, you are using x11vnc for a server and what for a client??

[tombert]

Thanks, those are great hints, I'll see if I can reproduce it.
I bet it has something to do with the xrandr extension.
Oh yes, one more thing, you are using x11vnc for a server and what for a client??

I am using vino-server.
And TightVNC.

[mwillems]

Thanks, those are great hints, I'll see if I can reproduce it.
I bet it has something to do with the xrandr extension.
Oh yes, one more thing, you are using x11vnc for a server and what for a client??

'

Bob, I'm using x11vnc for the server, and had the same results with tightvnc and tigervnc for clients.

[bob]

I just tried this on a MC22 Id.
It's a NUC running Jessie and x11vnc.
Booted gui mode with monitor attached.
Connected with tigervnc from my linux box.

Pulled the monitor cable.
It still works for all menus with both MC23 and MC22.

The Id uses fluxbox which is far simpler than other DM's
Perhaps there is an issue with a particular desktop?

[mwillems]

I just tried this on a MC22 Id.
It's a NUC running Jessie and x11vnc.
Booted gui mode with monitor attached.
Connected with tigervnc from my linux box.

Pulled the monitor cable.
It still works for all menus with both MC23 and MC22.

The Id uses fluxbox which is far simpler than other DM's
Perhaps there is an issue with a particular desktop?

The system I tested the issue with was running a debian default install of xfce4 from the tasksel at install.  One possible differentiator: I set the geometry to be used by the desktop in my x11vnc startup service (I set it to 1920x1080), and that geometry is not necessarily the same as the monitor that I attach and detach (I have a little portable screen with an odd resolution).  If I plug in the monitor and then unplug it, I have to use xrandr to restore my old resolution.  That may be part of the puzzle.

[tombert]

Pulled the monitor cable.

And you did reboot?

[bob]

And you did reboot?

No, an intel NUC will not boot without a monitor attached unless nomodeset is specified as a kernel argument and if that's set it can't run the X server.

[bob]

The system I tested the issue with was running a debian default install of xfce4 from the tasksel at install.  One possible differentiator: I set the geometry to be used by the desktop in my x11vnc startup service (I set it to 1920x1080), and that geometry is not necessarily the same as the monitor that I attach and detach (I have a little portable screen with an odd resolution).  If I plug in the monitor and then unplug it, I have to use xrandr to restore my old resolution.  That may be part of the puzzle.

This sounds promising, the virtual size of the monitor and physical size don't match.
We get the geometry from the xrandr extensions to be able to handle multiple monitors.
That mismatch could be screwing up the popup window code somehow.

[bob]

Ok so I can reproduce this.
For me, NONE of the popup menus are working.
DSP studio, right click on files, etc...

[bob]

Found it.
Pulling the monitor messes up the screen geometry calculation. Fixed in the next build.

[mwillems]

Found it.
Pulling the monitor messes up the screen geometry calculation. Fixed in the next build.

Aces!  I love it when phantom bugs get exorcised

[aoqw76]

Oooh this could mean I can move on from 22.0.36! Nothing since has worked over vnc.
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,110281.0.html
Also xref https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,109369.0.html

[bob]

Oooh this could mean I can move on from 22.0.36! Nothing since has worked over vnc.
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,110281.0.html
Also xref https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,109369.0.html

Try it and report back please.

[aoqw76]

Hi, works perfectly, running 23.0.65
Many thanks!
Of course I didnt upgrade to 23 before for 2 reasons; menus not working, and non compatibility with 14.04LTS. Bit the bullet and installed 16.04LTS yesterday. Oh that was fun.
Now of course i dont have a licence for 23, and missed the limited time upgrade price for the master licence.
Regards Robert