Linux with no video card?

rogerdugans

Linux challenged Senior, not that it stops me...

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Joined

Dec 28, 2001

Location

Corner of No and Where

• Jan 1, 2002

• #1

Here I go again!

I have my two linux boxes (RedHat 7.2) up, running and crunching away.
I am currently using VNC for remote operation/administration.

I understand that its possible to run linux without a video card installed: how can I set this up?
(I'd like to be able to reclaim the video cards for use in other pcs!)

 

flounder43

Senior Lawyer-clocker

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Joined

Sep 20, 2001

Location

Minneapolis

• Jan 1, 2002

• #2

If you find out, let me know because my video card is not supported, duh, I have the EXOTIC Radeon VE...

 

sfa ok

Senior Member

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Joined

Mar 7, 2001

Location

Colorado/Chicago

• Jan 1, 2002

• #3

I thought it wasn't possible to run most mobos without a video card?

 

XWRed1

Senior Member

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Joined

Oct 31, 2001

• Jan 1, 2002

• #4

Most new boards will run fine without a video card.

Firstly, you are obviously gonna need the card in there to install the OS. Once you've got it all installed, you can pull it, throw the box in the corner, and admin it remotely. Thats all there is to it.

If you have X Windows set to startup automatically, though, it will fail, because the card won't be there to initialize. I've heard of people setting up a dedicated X Windows session that just runs VNC, doesn't bother to init a video card, but I'd rather use a remote console myself. What happens from here pretty much goes hand in hand with that other thread about remote admin.

 

OP

rogerdugans

Linux challenged Senior, not that it stops me...

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Joined

Dec 28, 2001

Location

Corner of No and Where

• Jan 1, 2002

• Thread Starter
• #5

I haven't figured out how to get VNC running at startup yet: in fact, I can't get it to run automatically. After I get remote admin services setup my next project on this will be getting rid of the gui at boot.

So once again, I will be looking through online documentation and man files, but if anyone knows how I can get VNC running automatically at boot (before login) thats my first step. (I think!)

 

XWRed1

Senior Member

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Joined

Oct 31, 2001

• Jan 1, 2002

• #6

/etc/rc.d/rc.local, or /etc/rc.d/init.d/rc.local, or something like that?

Why do you want VNC again? So you can use GNOME or KDE across the network connection, just to open up some terminals to get real work done?


PS: /etc/inittab is where you control whether X runs on bootup.

 

OP

rogerdugans

Linux challenged Senior, not that it stops me...

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Joined

Dec 28, 2001

Location

Corner of No and Where

• Jan 1, 2002

• Thread Starter
• #7

VNC isn't really required, I'm just familiar with it.
What I am looking for is a way, ANY way (easiest possible) to monitor the computers and running apps with a gui over the network.

Problem I have when I read man pages, or other docs, is that they always assume I already know what I'm doing.....! It takes me a while. Any easier ways, or links to documentation that even I can understand will help. And the sooner I get everything set the way I am looking for the sooner I can leave you guys alone a while!

 

XWRed1

Senior Member

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Joined

Oct 31, 2001

• Jan 2, 2002

• #8

Maybe find the remote X howto and look at it... should tell you how to run the GUI monitoring apps and have them display on your local X desktop.

 

David

Forums Super Moderator

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Joined

Feb 20, 2001

• Jan 2, 2002

• #9

sfa ok said:

I thought it wasn't possible to run most mobos without a video card?

Click to expand...

A second hand 512k/1MB card?

 

OP

rogerdugans

Linux challenged Senior, not that it stops me...

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Joined

Dec 28, 2001

Location

Corner of No and Where

• Jan 2, 2002

• Thread Starter
• #10

XWRed1 said:

Maybe find the remote X howto and look at it... should tell you how to run the GUI monitoring apps and have them display on your local X desktop.

Click to expand...

Still reading documentation, but I think that is going to be the sticking point: the machine(s) I use to administer everything run one or another MS os.

If I can telnet in and start an X session with windows.......?

 

XWRed1

Senior Member

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Joined

Oct 31, 2001

• Jan 2, 2002

• #11

You would need to have an X Server on your Windows box, like XWin32.

 

ken257

Senior Member

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Joined

Dec 20, 2000

• Jan 3, 2002

• #12

Set the system up with an old junk vid card a pci card will do fine. You can even get some new cards dirt cheap so why try to make do without one? When you get the machine set up and running just lose the monitor.