Subject: reboot without monitor attached
To: NetBSD <port-mac68k@netbsd.org>
From: chris <cb@mythtech.net>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 02/13/2003 11:45:36
I have mac68k 1.5 installed on a Q610. It sits in a room with other Mac 
servers, and I share one monitor between them all. No KVM, I just plug 
the monitor into which ever machine I need at the time. Each machine has 
its own keyboard and mouse.

It seems whenever I reboot the NetBSD machine, if the monitor is not 
attached, it doesn't reboot properly. It never comes back online.

I know that the Mac will disable the video port if no monitor is detected 
at boot... will NetBSD not launch properly if no video is detected? I 
have the booter set to auto boot 5 seconds after it is started, and an 
alias is in the startup items folder. So basically, when the mac reboots, 
it will automatically boot NetBSD. This means I can reboot from remote 
like I did the other day, but once again, it didn't come up. The only 
common thread seems to be if no monitor is attached.

Is there something I need to do get it to boot without a monitor? Or is 
it time to jam a paperclip between pins 7 and 10 on the RGB port and make 
the mac think a 640x480 screen is attached.

While on the topic, is it safe to boot without a keyboard and mouse? 
Since I can do everything with NetBSD by remote, I am kind of thinking of 
disconnecting everything and just let the box sit by itself and do 
everything over the network.

-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>