Can I make a MBP with broken screen behave like a Mac Mini?

[Kirkafur]

I’ve used a 2014 MBP the past few years that has a broken screen. For this and potentially future computers I have a concern.

My screen is damaged so as not to be usable, but I can still make out enough to be able to use the bootpicker and things pre-login that it will show on the inbuilt screen and not the external monitor that is connected via HDMI.

This has worked well enough in the case of this machine. But I’d like to clarify something before I consider purchasing an upgraded model with a broken screen, to ensure that I can do essential things such as boot up into the desired volume.

Is there a way to get the computer to disregard its inbuilt screen and only show me things on the external display? Can this reliably include all the pre-login boot stuff or recovery mode, etc? I’ve never owned a Mac Mini or Mac Pro, but they’ve got to operate similarly.

Oh, and bonus points if there is a way for my Bluetooth keyboard to give input pre-login as well. At present I could not use it to select at the bootpicker or enter my login password, only after that point. Again, a Mac Mini or Mac Pro I would expect would be able to have a Bluetooth keyboard give input at any stage in the boot process. (Less important because I could obviously always just open the lid and be able to get it booted up with its own keyboard, but it’d be nice not to have to.)

Thanks for any insight. Again, I’d like to e sure that if I ever bought one with a truly busted screen I would be able to still use it reliably.

 

[ilikewhey]

I’ve used a 2014 MBP the past few years that has a broken screen. For this and potentially future computers I have a concern.

My screen is damaged so as not to be usable, but I can still make out enough to be able to use the bootpicker and things pre-login that it will show on the inbuilt screen and not the external monitor that is connected via HDMI.

This has worked well enough in the case of this machine. But I’d like to clarify something before I consider purchasing an upgraded model with a broken screen, to ensure that I can do essential things such as boot up into the desired volume.

Is there a way to get the computer to disregard its inbuilt screen and only show me things on the external display? Can this reliably include all the pre-login boot stuff or recovery mode, etc? I’ve never owned a Mac Mini or Mac Pro, but they’ve got to operate similarly.

Oh, and bonus points if there is a way for my Bluetooth keyboard to give input pre-login as well. At present I could not use it to select at the bootpicker or enter my login password, only after that point. Again, a Mac Mini or Mac Pro I would expect would be able to have a Bluetooth keyboard give input at any stage in the boot process. (Less important because I could obviously always just open the lid and be able to get it booted up with its own keyboard, but it’d be nice not to have to.)

Thanks for any insight. Again, I’d like to e sure that if I ever bought one with a truly busted screen I would be able to still use it reliably.

i don't see why not, just use the laptop in clamshell mode, for bluetooth connection, if its an apple keyboard and accessories, plug them in with lightning ports first, after disconnecting it should be already setup.

 

[TinyMito]

Headless setup, but you got to setup first with an external monitor and then run it headless. It is possible but it strange that you can't see, are you talking about the recovery mode?

 

[thedrub]

15" 2017, i7, 16GB

My dilemma .......

1. Broken display
2. External monitor attached and system runs just fine in "clamshell" mode
3. I want to install Linux so want to boot from a USB drive. Want to use it "headless", over a network.
4. I cannot simultaneously (1) leave the display closed and (2) hold the power button to get into recovery mode.

Had hopes of fooling the lid closing feature. Tried steel pieces on the case. No luck. Tried small rare earth magnets on the case. No luck. Tried the magnets on both the screen and the case. No luck

Any solutions out there????? Thanks

 

[Grumpus]

Dummy video plugs, like this one exist and simulate an attached monitor, allowing laptops to run in clamshell mode without a real monitor attached. I've never used one, but it sounds like it could be the solution to problems 1 through 3.

 

[960design]

Thanks for any insight. Again, I’d like to e sure that if I ever bought one with a truly busted screen I would be able to still use it reliably.

Why all the hard work?
Why not pick up a used 7000 series micro on ebay for $100US - $200US and put Debian on it?
Run that headless or not.

I have two of them running in my office.
I have the 7090s - 11500Ts, but you would have an awesome server with a 7070 - 9500T.

 

[960design]

Dummy video plugs, like this one exist and simulate an attached monitor, allowing laptops to run in clamshell mode without a real monitor attached. I've never used one, but it sounds like it could be the solution to problems 1 through 3.

I have to use dummy video plugs on my headless servers: (2x) 7090 micro - 11500Ts, 64GB RAM, dual M.2 1T WD Black HDs, running Debian 12