I have an old HP laptop running Ubuntu that I don't use anymore, and I'm curious if I can set it up as a second monitor for my Windows 11 desktop. I want to avoid buying any new cables since I already have HDMI to HDMI, USB A to USB A, and an ethernet cable at my disposal. My goal is just to extend my screen, nothing more. Any advice?
5 Answers
Unfortunately, directly using your laptop as a second monitor via standard connections isn't really feasible without some major modifications to the hardware. It can be tricky!
You could install a KVM software switch to control your Linux laptop from your Windows PC. It won’t perfectly mimic a second monitor, but it could help you manage tasks across both devices. I recommend checking out Barrier if you want to give it a go!
Using VNC could be a solution! You can control the Linux laptop from your Windows machine, but it won’t give you a seamless second monitor experience. Check out VNC for more details!
Honestly, it's probably not worth the trouble. You could try using VNC or a capture card, but you're likely to run into issues like lag and low resolution. Just keep the laptop for testing or spare parts instead.
Have you thought about just selling the laptop and investing in an actual monitor? It could save you a lot of hassle!
You might look into capture cards as an option though!