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Using Android device as secondary monitor/desktop

Graphical Environments, Managers, Multimedia & Desktop questions.
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alenist
Posts: 46
Joined: 2009-09-19 18:26

Using Android device as secondary monitor/desktop

#1 Post by alenist »

As I am getting older with some serious sight problems, I am thinking to buy a onyxboox e-ink device (running android 10) and use it as a secondary monitor connected through the network. I would like to use my current monitor (1920x1200) when editing pictures, watching videos or performing any other task that requires color and/or a fast display, and the onyx (1872x1404) when reading or editing simple texts or browsing the internet looking for textual information.
I am currently running Debian with KDE. The ideal solution would be: one desktop on the primary color monitor; another desktop, possibily with its own panels, on the other device, with the possibility of switching apps form one display to the other.
I found several possible solutions involving vnc and xrandr, but until now I was unable to implement them, either because of xrandr errors when trying to activate output ports without a physical device attached to them, or because lack of functionality.
Does anybody know a working solution and in this case would this person be kind and patient enough to provide step by step instructions?
Thanks in advance

CwF
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Re: Using Android device as secondary monitor/desktop

#2 Post by CwF »

The first step is to load the android device with some vnc/rdp/x2x type viewer functionality. I can't help with that.

The Debian machine then needs a second monitor of sorts. This could be a few different solutions.

Overall, the easy way isn't a reality yet that I know of, but I agree it should be easy!

On the propriety side of things this can be done by large format digitizer gadgets for artist and engineers. The idea goes back decades. In that implementation, what is now the android device was just a dumb terminal. Long before ipads and smartphones...

Another angle is something like a pine book that is closer to supporting it. If many people are interested, maybe more would understand it would be simpler to do it the old way and make 'dumb' devices. High end display (e-ink) with multi-touch and a few buttons, essentially connected straight to wifi or bt (or the past example of proprietary analog spread-spectrum!) Then a corresponding device driver on the main computer to configure the xserver. Another talent for wayland to attempt! X could do this.

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