MM with multiple monitors - is it doable?

kroket · Jul 7, 2019, 6:25 PM

Hello guys…

I have a question. Did anyone try to build core MM on a RPI or ivn windows and then connect multiple monitors to it, so that you would have a small MM in every room, so that you could operate with it from all over the house?

sdetweil · Jul 7, 2019, 6:30 PM

@kroket you can connect with remote computers to the same server page…

need something with browser to open web page http://server:port
(and u have to allow remote listeners in the config.js)…

if u don’t want to display on the mm server, then u run in server-only mode

dazza120 · Jul 7, 2019, 6:38 PM

@kroket said in MM with multiple monitors - is it doable?:

Hello guys…

I have a question. Did anyone try to build core MM on a RPI or ivn windows and then connect multiple monitors to it, so that you would have a small MM in every room, so that you could operate with it from all over the house?

Or you can use the new Pi4 to display two monitor of the same thing and just extend the micro HDMI cable

bhepler · Jul 8, 2019, 1:52 AM

I built a mirror with two monitors in it. I ended up running two separate instances of the Magic Mirror framework. Despite having a PC with the graphics horsepower to do it, I ran into a couple of problems.

You can definitely stretch one mirror over two monitors. If you’re putting the monitors next to each other behind the frame, this will work somewhat. You’ll still have a line of no pixels straight down the middle of your mirror. So long as you don’t put anything in the center fields, this can work.

I attempted to run two instances of the Magic Mirror framework from one device. That also resulted in failure. I could not programatically guarantee that each interface would be displayed on a particular monitor. Sometimes it would double up and both would be displayed on the left monitor, sometimes it would work, and sometimes they would both be in the right monitor.

Now it has two devices running two instances and it works okay. At some point this summer I’m going to add a third monitor and run them all off of their own Raspi.

TipsyNurse · Jul 9, 2019, 2:06 AM

I would say… why do you want to?

I will admit as a web developer and then rolling out thin clients my head was that everything should be server/client.

There is the option to run MM as a server and it is useful for some applications - mainly where the “thin client” aspect is desirable, a.k.a. you need greater control on the thin client.

However, rPi is so lightweight that if you are talking about multiple monitors that are physically accessible then it makes sense to just run the entire MM install on each rPi. When I start expanding mine I will probably image them with all conceivable modules and keep the config.js served centrally. But that is only really habit of years wanting something to be central. In the end it wouldn’t be a huge issue to remotely update what I needed.

kroket · Jul 9, 2019, 7:28 PM

Well I’m building a house - and as a DIY guy, I wanna make a smart house.
Now I can build several rPi MMs and combine them with IFFT to do all the stuff in my house from any room, but like you, I’m more of a server, slash main brain machine, slash budget reasonable solution.

So I though to try to connect monitors to one main rPi.

WasupDude · Jul 12, 2019, 9:34 AM

Need to share something with browser

dragonfly · Jul 14, 2019, 6:50 PM

I was just reading about PiNet. I know it’s meant mostly for teachers in a classroom, but I’m guessing you could use something like that and have each pi log into the main server. It would be easy to customize for each person in the household and/or each location. It would be an interesting project. I have several pi’s and an old laptop, I might just try this. One for the bathroom mirror and one in the living room, I like the idea.