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I am trying to install Lubuntu 20.04.2 LTS (Focal Fossa), however my laptop screen is damaged, so I can not see anything.

I have an external display connected to the laptop via HDMI. Installation begins and it is displayed on the laptop screen.

Is there any way I can either duplicate or change the screen display with hotkeys? I tried Fn+F5 (as in Ubuntu), but it didn't work. Please help me out.

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    Add details on your system. Brand, model, date (just in case this helps guessing a BIOS version), etc. Mar 26, 2021 at 17:20

3 Answers 3

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Usually, when a laptop is connected to an external screen and you close the lid, the display shifts completely to the external screen (similar to "single screen mode") when the primary screen is set to the external monitor. If primary screen is set to your laptop screen, shutting the lid should make your screen go dark as well. This is not a hotkey like you asked but I would argue that it is a simple workaround.

I can not guarantee that it works for all laptops/screens, it has worked on those that I have used (HP laptops, MacBook with Acer monitors). I do not know the extent of damage to your laptop screen and don't know if this is a viable solution.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Well, from what I can see on my display settings, the external is set as primary. When I restart it tho, it changes to the laptop screen and after the boot up it changes back to the external. My laptop is Acer Aspire. Mar 26, 2021 at 19:39
  • It changes back to the laptop screen because you are shutting down your laptop which shuts down the various process the laptop is doing including projecting to an external screen. This is normal and expected behaviour. After you reboot, the laptop remembers the settings you had and again projects to the external screen. It sounds like your problem has been solved?
    – rkochar
    Mar 27, 2021 at 14:19
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From what I can see in official Lubuntu manual there is no such possibility. You have to somehow define your own hotkey for that.

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  • Is it possible to do that with tty? The main problem is that I am trying to install it so I have no username or password and when I go to tty it first asks for the username and password. Mar 26, 2021 at 19:40
  • Unftorunately, I don't know if it's possible to do that with tty :/
    – ie8yq
    Mar 26, 2021 at 20:01
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I'll suggest a couple of ways that work for me in QA-testing (inc. with 20.04.2 media)

Fn keys

Use laptop FN keys to switch between mirror,internal,external,internal+external etc. I've not had issues with this, however it's likely firmware specific.

Indicate which cursor you want it using the mouse

Try using the mouse to indicate/control which screen you want the installer to start on... ie. I'm suggesting clicking on the start installer option & very quickly move the cursor to the monitor you want the window to appear on. It works.

However on fast boxes this maybe harder to take advantage of than slower hardware. I use it regularly on boxes with landscape+portrait monitors in QA-testing so I don't have to use the "Monitor.Settings" to make the monitors match my setup and I'm not stuck using a the sideways (portrait) monitor (installs without me doing this are tested for of course too), or on the box besides me where I want it on the display further away as the mostly-white-install background is very bright.. This works.

Monitor Settings

If I'm doing a QA-test where I've already attempted the prior method (a faster box usually), and I realize i'll waste resources to repeat trying it.. I just adjust the positions of the monitor using the LXQt Monitor.Settings. The Fast Menu will likely be fastest (click the drop-down to the right of the following picture)

enter image description here

The manual can be read at https://manual.lubuntu.me/stable/3/3.2/3.2.10/monitor_settings.html

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  • FYI: I just tested all of these on Lubuntu focal media (latest I have, so it maybe a 20.04.3) but I know they all work, as I've been using them since the 18.10/*cosmic* cycle including on laptops that DO have dead displays.
    – guiverc
    Mar 27, 2021 at 0:12

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