Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 11:07:59 +0930 From: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> To: "J.A. Terranson" <sysadmin@mfn.org>, Kerby Smith <kerby@bengali.npl.com>, "freebsd-questions @ FreeBSD . ORG" <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: frying monitors Message-ID: <19980606110759.Q768@freebie.lemis.com> In-Reply-To: <01BD90B2.44A71160@w3svcs.mfn.org>; from J.A. Terranson on Fri, Jun 05, 1998 at 06:46:35PM -0500 References: <01BD90B2.44A71160@w3svcs.mfn.org>
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On Fri, 5 June 1998 at 18:46:35 -0500, J.A. Terranson wrote: (in lines up to 92 characters wide. This is uncomfortable to read; could you keep down to about 75, please? I've reformatted your text) > On Friday, June 05, 1998 5:44 PM, Kerby Smith <kerby@bengali.npl.com> wrote: >> >> hi, sorry if i did this whole thing wrong, this is my first time writing to >> a help thingy hehe... im VERY new to FreeBSD... so new i havent even >> installed it yet... but was reading some so i could learn some stuff new >> people have problems with before *i* start. >> >> i had a question about this: >> >> run xf86config as root (very carefully! a wrong answer can fry >> your monitor so run it again if you made a mistake) >> >> setting it up wrong can LITERALLY fry my monitor!? i mean like, to where it >> explodes, smokes, or stuff like that? things that i have to buy a new >> monitor for!? sorry to seem so shocked, i just, have never heard of software >> having the ability to kill someone's monitor (and im kinda worried now cause >> i have a expensive 17" heh) > > That warning probably shouldn't exist anymore, if for no other > reason than the reaction you are having now! The warning is very definitely still relevant. Ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away. > The facts are these: > > (1) Yes, on *certain* monitors (none of recent manufacture AFAIK), > it is poosible to actually torch (set fire) a monitor via software. > This is done by subjecting it so severe overdriving, by playing with > the sync and refresh rates. I wouldn't place any bets on modern monitors not doing this, though it is probably that they protect themselves better. > (2) AFAIK, it's not likely to happen (even to a susceptable > monitor) unless you manage to [incorrectly] configure it in *just* > the wrong way, *AND* you then let it just sit there without doing > anything about it (for a period of minutes, *not* seconds). Of > course, if you are so unconcerned about things that you just walk > away from an install in progress, then you probably don't care what > happens anyway :) *just* the wrong way is anything out of spec. There are plenty of wrong ways. But yes, I don't expect any monitor to die immediately, so the best advice here is: "if the display is screwed up, stop". That's not enough, though: read on. > (3) I may be mistaken, but I don't believe modern (read: SVGA) > multi-synchronous monitors are subject to this. And since better > that 95% of us are using these, (I'm probably the *only* one on this > list who uses MDA and CGA almost exclusively!) it shouldn't be a > big concern. You're mistaken. I burnt out the power supply of an expensive Eizo multisync a while back. It was running out of spec, but maintaining a good display. I ran it like that for several weeks before it burnt out. > (4) If you screw up your settings, you'll know *immediately*! Just > redo it, and you should be fine! See above. Greg -- See complete headers for address and phone numbers finger grog@lemis.com for PGP public key To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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