Hello, I’m running StartOS on a mini PC and want to manage it exclusively through direct physical access (HDMI monitor + keyboard/mouse) for security reasons. I prefer not to access the web UI from other devices on my network.
What I’m Experiencing
During initial setup, the HDMI kiosk mode works perfectly - I can see the web interface displayed on my connected monitor. However, after setup completes and the system reboots, the HDMI output appears to stop working. The monitor goes dark/shows no signal.
I can still SSH into the system, so StartOS is running fine - just the HDMI display seems to be disabled.
My Questions
1. Is this expected behavior? Does StartOS disable HDMI output after initial setup by design?
2. Is there a way to keep kiosk mode enabled permanently? Either through:
• A setting in the web UI I might have missed?
• A configuration file I can edit via SSH?
• Some other method?
3. Can I access a terminal console on HDMI? Even if the graphical kiosk mode isn’t available, can I get a text console/TTY on the HDMI display (like Ctrl+Alt+F2 on standard Linux)?
4. Is this a hardware issue? My HDMI works fine during setup, and SSH works after, so I assume the hardware is okay - but want to confirm this is a software/configuration issue.
Why I’m Asking
For my threat model, I prefer to manage the node with physical-only access rather than network access (even local network). If there’s a way to keep HDMI working or enable a console on the display, that would be ideal for my setup.
My Setup
• Hardware: Mini PC with HDMI output
• HDMI works perfectly during initial setup (kiosk mode displays fine)
• SSH access works after setup
• HDMI display shows no signal after setup completes
Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!