VGA Monitors, Sound, And More Speed (Take 2)

It's taken me a while to get round to trying out the suggestions from my previous post but I've finally had success. Not without a struggle though.....

VGA Monitors

The problem I had when I switched from an HDMI TV to a monitor as a screen was that I was getting no picture.

So I changed the config.txt file on the SD card (using the SD card reader on my netbook) to say:

     hdmi_safe=1

This command sets the Pi to low resolution output and should always give you a picture.

When I re-booted, it worked. Now all I had to do was figure out how to get a higher resolution (Giant icons on your desktop is not a good look!).

I just had to match up the monitor's best resolution with the table given here, and change the config.txt file accordingly.

The settings that did the trick on my monitor were:

     hdmi_drive=2
     hdmi_group=2
     hdmi_mode=83
     hdmi_force_hotplug=1
     disable_overscan=0

However, it took the best part of an evening to discover that each command needs to be on a separate line otherwise it doesn't work!

Anyway, hdmi_drive=2 means that the voltage output is for HDMI (1=DVI voltages).  

hdmi_group=2 means I'm using a monitor (1=An HDMI TV).  

hdmi_mode=83 is connected with the hdmi_group, 83 means I want 1600 x 900 resolution (See the table I mentioned above).

hdmi_force_hotplug=1 forces the Pi to use the HDMI port even if it can't detect a monitor.

disable_overscan=0 No idea why it works but it does.

More Speed

When I first got the Pi going on an HDMI tv, I noticed that some of the games were painfully slow. Apparently this is a common problem. The solution most people go for is so-called 'over-clocking' which boosts the CPU's clock frequency. However, the makers warn against this as it shortens the life of your Pi. For this reason it invalidates the warranty.

However, the makers have now come up with a setting that speeds things up without killing your Pi or invalidating the warranty.

The way to set it is to login then use

     sudo raspi-config

Now look for the overclocking option and work your way to this menu:

Select the Turbo preset.

Sound

Nightmare! I expected to just plug my headphones into the audio socket and get sound but it's not that simple.

In the end, I had to work through this entire link to get my audio set-up, including a full system update. Another couple of evenings blown. Why on earth should it be so difficult?! I get the impression the Pi is designed around connecting to an HDMI device and anything else is an afterthought.

Oh well, it's done now. I can finally get on with using it. I think I'll read through the Raspberry Pi User Guide to see what I'm going to have a go at next.