joshua goldberg

so another day, another weird situation. testing out an installation 

on 8 mac minis, but i don't have an 8 port KVM. i'm using remote 

desktop to monitor them. os x is booting fine, but the problem is 

that max is crashing and freezing on the headless machines in weird, 

we've spec'd out an 8 port KVM solution and it's $599. will i have 

decent luck with a DVI or VGA terminator stuck on the monitor port, 

or am i going to have to bite the bullet and get the KVM?

newest os x, newest quicktime, newest max, newest jitter, 1.67ghz 

so another day, another weird situation.  testing out an installation  
on 8 mac minis, but i don't have an 8 port KVM.  i'm using remote  
desktop to monitor them.  os x is booting fine, but the problem is  
that max is crashing and freezing on the headless machines in weird,  
inconsistent ways.

we've spec'd out an 8 port KVM solution and it's $599.  will i have  
decent luck with a DVI or VGA terminator stuck on the monitor port,  
or am i going to have to bite the bullet and get the KVM?

newest os x, newest quicktime, newest max, newest jitter, 1.67ghz  
intel mac minis.  a GRILLION of them.


running-a-headless-mini-doing-opengl

I think you might be able to put a DVI->VGA converter and have it

workout although I'm not positive. The way these things tend to work

is by checking resistance on the port pins, so you could probably even

take a 240 ohm resistor and have it work. Surely you have a DVI-vga

converter lying around. Give it a shot. It might save you the kvm

bucks. I would test it out myself, but I don't have anything I can

run headless unless I decapitate my laptop or imac.

I think you might be able to put a DVI->VGA converter and have it
workout although I'm not positive.  The way these things tend to work
is by checking resistance on the port pins, so you could probably even
take a 240 ohm resistor and have it work.  Surely you have a DVI-vga
converter lying around.  Give it a shot.  It might save you the kvm
bucks.  I would test it out myself, but I don't have anything I can
run headless unless I decapitate my laptop or imac.

On Feb 8, 2007, at 5:39 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:

> so another day, another weird situation. testing out an 

> installation on 8 mac minis, but i don't have an 8 port KVM. i'm 

> using remote desktop to monitor them. os x is booting fine, but 

> the problem is that max is crashing and freezing on the headless 

> we've spec'd out an 8 port KVM solution and it's $599. will i have 

> decent luck with a DVI or VGA terminator stuck on the monitor port, 

> or am i going to have to bite the bullet and get the KVM?

I would say try the cheap VGA terminator hack if possible first. 

There was a user report about headless mini's OpenGL running really 

slowly but not crashing. Conceivably, this might lead to scheduler or 

queue backlog and hence freezing or crashing in your patch if it is 

not designed to take such low frame rates into account.

Try searching forums and other online resources for more info. I 

don't believe it's specifically a Jitter problem.

> so another day, another weird situation.  testing out an  
> installation on 8 mac minis, but i don't have an 8 port KVM.  i'm  
> using remote desktop to monitor them.  os x is booting fine, but  
> the problem is that max is crashing and freezing on the headless  
> machines in weird, inconsistent ways.
>
> we've spec'd out an 8 port KVM solution and it's $599.  will i have  
> decent luck with a DVI or VGA terminator stuck on the monitor port,  
> or am i going to have to bite the bullet and get the KVM?

I would say try the cheap VGA terminator hack if possible first.  
There was a user report about headless mini's OpenGL running really  
slowly but not crashing. Conceivably, this might lead to scheduler or  
queue backlog and hence freezing or  crashing in your patch if it is  
not designed to take such low frame rates into account.

Try searching forums and other online resources for more info. I  
don't believe it's specifically a Jitter problem.

nah, all of the machines already have the dvi-vga dongles sitting on 

On Feb 8, 2007, at 10:52 PM, Wesley Smith wrote:

> I think you might be able to put a DVI->VGA converter and have it

> workout although I'm not positive. The way these things tend to work

> is by checking resistance on the port pins, so you could probably even

> take a 240 ohm resistor and have it work. Surely you have a DVI-vga

> converter lying around. Give it a shot. It might save you the kvm

> bucks. I would test it out myself, but I don't have anything I can

> run headless unless I decapitate my laptop or imac.

nah, all of the machines already have the dvi-vga dongles sitting on  
them.  still no love.

> I think you might be able to put a DVI->VGA converter and have it
> workout although I'm not positive.  The way these things tend to work
> is by checking resistance on the port pins, so you could probably even
> take a 240 ohm resistor and have it work.  Surely you have a DVI-vga
> converter lying around.  Give it a shot.  It might save you the kvm
> bucks.  I would test it out myself, but I don't have anything I can
> run headless unless I decapitate my laptop or imac.
>
> wes
>


you can proably get away with plugging an vga/dvi in and out of all

the minis. i've used them headless on a number of occassions (with

ARD), no problem. though there was always a monitor there initially.

> On Feb 8, 2007, at 5:39 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:

> > so another day, another weird situation. testing out an

> > installation on 8 mac minis, but i don't have an 8 port KVM. i'm

> > using remote desktop to monitor them. os x is booting fine, but

> > the problem is that max is crashing and freezing on the headless

> > machines in weird, inconsistent ways.

you can proably get away with plugging an vga/dvi in and out of all
the minis.  i've used them headless on a number of occassions (with
ARD), no problem.  though there was always a monitor there initially.

>
> On Feb 8, 2007, at 5:39 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:
>
> > so another day, another weird situation.  testing out an
> > installation on 8 mac minis, but i don't have an 8 port KVM.  i'm
> > using remote desktop to monitor them.  os x is booting fine, but
> > the problem is that max is crashing and freezing on the headless
> > machines in weird, inconsistent ways.
> >


On Feb 8, 2007, at 8:02 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:

> nah, all of the machines already have the dvi-vga dongles sitting 

Check out the adapters this thread which I alluded to in my last 

post. Found in a forum search on "headless".

https://cycling74.com/forums/index.php?t=msg&goto=87171

On Feb 8, 2007, at 8:02 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:
> nah, all of the machines already have the dvi-vga dongles sitting  
> on them.  still no love.
> kvm, here we come.

Check out the adapters this thread which I alluded to in my last  
post. Found in a forum search on "headless".

awesome, this is great, i'll do some soldering tomorrow to make a 

On Feb 9, 2007, at 12:50 AM, Joshua Kit Clayton wrote:

> On Feb 8, 2007, at 8:02 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:

>> nah, all of the machines already have the dvi-vga dongles sitting 

> Check out the adapters this thread which I alluded to in my last 

> post. Found in a forum search on "headless".

awesome, this is great, i'll do some soldering tomorrow to make a  
tvtool.

>
> On Feb 8, 2007, at 8:02 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:
>> nah, all of the machines already have the dvi-vga dongles sitting  
>> on them.  still no love.
>> kvm, here we come.
>
> Check out the adapters this thread which I alluded to in my last  
> post. Found in a forum search on "headless".
>
> https://cycling74.com/forums/index.php?t=msg&goto=87171
>
> -Joshua
>
>


I have 4 port switch (don't know which one - it's vga and usb) with 4 

mac minis. The problem is you still have to select each mac (on kvm) 

as it starts up. if you don't, mini will behave the same as without 

switch. i don't know if 8 port switch has termination built in, but 4 

i woud try to get the termination stuff working.

other suggestion might be using dvi to video adapter, and putting 

75ohm resistor in a chinch jack. might be easier/safer to mess around 

p.s. do you start the mac minis manually (as i do) or you managed to 

I have 4 port switch (don't know which one - it's vga and usb) with 4  
mac minis. The problem is you still have to select each mac (on kvm)  
as it starts up. if you don't, mini will behave the same as without  
switch. i don't know if 8 port switch has termination built in, but 4  
port one for sure doesn't.

other suggestion might be using dvi to video adapter, and putting  
75ohm resistor in a chinch jack. might be easier/safer to mess around  
than vga or dvi.

p.s. do you start the mac minis manually (as i do) or you managed to  
do it over network/usb somehow??


On 9-feb-2007, at 7:08, joshua goldberg wrote:

> awesome, this is great, i'll do some soldering tomorrow to make a 

> On Feb 9, 2007, at 12:50 AM, Joshua Kit Clayton wrote:

>> On Feb 8, 2007, at 8:02 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:

>>> nah, all of the machines already have the dvi-vga dongles sitting 

>> Check out the adapters this thread which I alluded to in my last 

>> post. Found in a forum search on "headless".

Hello Joshua,
did the tool work for you?
-jennek

> awesome, this is great, i'll do some soldering tomorrow to make a  
> tvtool.
>
> On Feb 9, 2007, at 12:50 AM, Joshua Kit Clayton wrote:
>
>>
>> On Feb 8, 2007, at 8:02 PM, joshua goldberg wrote:
>>> nah, all of the machines already have the dvi-vga dongles sitting  
>>> on them.  still no love.
>>> kvm, here we come.
>>
>> Check out the adapters this thread which I alluded to in my last  
>> post. Found in a forum search on "headless".
>>
>> https://cycling74.com/forums/index.php?t=msg&goto=87171
>>
>> -Joshua
>>
>>
>
>


running a headless mini doing openGL