# set primary display



## mocra (Apr 28, 2010)

hello,
i have a nvdidia-video card with two outputs, a vga and a dvi, on each is another display. currently, the primary device is the vga, and so I am able to see the tty's only on the vga-display, but i would like to have them on dvi-display.

X is already on both displays.

my dmesg output:

```
vgapci0: <VGA-compatible display> port 0xec00-0xec7f mem 0xfd000000-0xfdffffff,0xf0000000-0xf7ffffff,0xfa000000-0xfbffffff irq 21 at device 0.0 on pci2
sc0: VGA <16 virtual consoles, flags=0x300>
vga0: <Generic ISA VGA> at port 0x3c0-0x3df iomem 0xa0000-0xbffff on isa0
nvidia0: <GeForce 8100 / nForce 720a> on vgapci0
vgapci0: child nvidia0 requested pci_enable_busmaster
vgapci0: child nvidia0 requested pci_enable_io
vgapci0: child nvidia0 requested pci_enable_io
```

how can i fix this in order to see my tty's on the dvi-display?


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## SirDice (Apr 28, 2010)

Make sure both monitors are turned on when you boot the machine. The ttys should be visible on both screens simultaneously.


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## mocra (Apr 28, 2010)

SirDice said:
			
		

> Make sure both monitors are turned on when you boot the machine. The ttys should be visible on both screens simultaneously.



no, although they are both turned on, the ttys are only visible on vga-display.
i have forgot to mention that i can't change the primary display in bios.


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## SirDice (Apr 28, 2010)

On just about every videocard I have had both the BIOS messages and the freebsd console appeared on both monitors simultaneously.


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## DutchDaemon (Apr 28, 2010)

Well, not on my laptop  The built-in screen shows the BIOS stuff and the console, the external screen (off the VGA slot) jumps to life only when I start X.


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## phoenix (Apr 28, 2010)

Depends on the laptop and the BIOS.  Some can be configured to boot using just the LCD, just the external, or both.  Others only boot on the LCD.

Sometimes you can switch between them using Fn+F5 (or whatever the monitor switch key is).  Sometimes this only works when in graphics mode (ie in a GUI environment).


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