Usually the problem is with the machine not wanting to run at all, and the solution for that can sometimes be to hook a video adapter onto the machine to trick it into thinking it has a display. This seems like something different, but it's still worth a try.

Ian

On Dec 1, 2006, at 2:05 PM, hiaz wrote:

> hi! > > i have just made a strange experience working on an intel mini mac > we use for an installation. > > i was planning to run the machine without a display connected as > its output is only sound and dmx with another part of the patch > doing jitter video processing of a live camera feed. > > in such a situation i use a VNC server to be able to operate the > machine remotely. > this works flawlessly when an actual screen is connected to the > mini mac. > if i unplug the screen, though, and reboot without a display the > jitter performance drops from 30 fps to 5 fps. > > now, if i do the same to a PPC mini mac the same thing happens, but > not quite as bad. > the frame rate drops from 11 fps to 7.5 fps, so that in the end the > PPC outruns the intel machine (!) which is actually 3 times as fast. > > would anyone know a way to explain this? > > as far as i understand it the intel machine does not have any > dedicated video ram anymore, but uses a part of the computers memory. > presumably the size of memory changes depending on the size of the > display and without an actual screen there, it could be very small. > > could i fool the intel machine that there really is a nice 20 inch > screen there somewhere..? > > any pointers would be appreciated! > > > many thanks > hiaz >

On 1-dec-2006, at 23:05, hiaz wrote:

> could i fool the intel machine that there really is a nice 20 inch > screen there somewhere..?

try this http://tvtool.info/english/dummy_e.htm

HtH -jennek

I did a web-search: running OSX headless. These two might be of interest:

http://hoeben.net/aldo/the_headless_horserider_er_mac_mini http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20030623083303282

The dummy adaptor idea seems rather clever and might work on a MacTel.

(As for VNC servers imposing extreme CPU loading, I've had similar experiences under Win2K/XP in a server application (not a Max app -- this is the day job) with a VNC server taking better than 50% of a 2.8G P4 (and not related to headless ops, per se). We never resolved it, and now I wonder if it was something as silly as the monitor having been turned off!)

On 1 Dec 2006, at 23:56, jennek geels wrote:

> > On 1-dec-2006, at 23:05, hiaz wrote: > >> could i fool the intel machine that there really is a nice 20 inch >> screen there somewhere..? > > try this > http://tvtool.info/english/dummy_e.htm > > HtH > -jennek

Jennek!

This is a rather reply, but... thanks a lot for the pointer to the TV dummy.

I have soldered up 2 yesterday and they work brilliantly!

best hiaz