[Tfug] A Sun Ultra/Debian Video Question

[Bexley Hall]

> I got Debian installed and running. I had some
> trouble with XFree86 configuration; didn't get 
> it to work.

Were you able to get things running *with* your
monitor?  I.e. did it die *while* you were trying
to get X configured?  (if you specify the mode
configuration incorrectly, you can drive your
monitor at rates that it isn't prepared to handle;
though I would think most modern monitors would
detect this and just refused to sync to the signal)

> Well, anyway, now my monitor is dead. I tried it on
> 2 computers with no

Is this a Sun monitor?  Are these Sun machines that
you tried it on?  (or, is it multisync and *known*
to have worked on those computers previously?)

Is the screen *black*?  Can you hear the flyback
singing?

Most modern monitors will give an error indication
when something is toasted (power indicator changes
color, blinks, etc.).  Have you looked for docs for
the monitor to verify that this is the case?

Have you checked the *pins* in the connector to
make sure you haven't bent one?  And, that the
power/signal cable hasn't become detached at
the monitor end?

> luck. There could have been some conflict between
> the Creator 3D card and
> the monitor that I missed. Apparently Sun has some
> interesting hardware specs.

<grin>

> Does anyone knows if a normal PCI card works
> in the PCI slots? I
> have a spare monitor left but it's not a Sun. I have
> an old S3 video
> board around. Wonder how this combination would
> work. Any ideas or should
> I just give it up?

Never "give up"!  :>  Just step back and reexamine
what you *think* you know.  (hence the reason for
all of my questions).  Does the machine (Ultra?)
still run with a serial console attached?  What
happens when you plug in your "dead" monitor to
*that* machine?  (from the serial console, make
sure you have killed off the X server, disable it
from starting and reboot so you know you have a
real TEXT getty running on the console) 


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