Old Fixed-Sync Monitors under Linux?

Hautis asks: "I read somewhere that it should be possible to use huge, old fixed-sync monitors with any (*vga) video card under Linux, once you tell XFree86 the exact sync ranges or whatever values it needs. I happen to have a couple of old VAXen, that is, VAXstations, lying around in my family's cellar. 19 inch mono and RGB tubes, fixed sync. What kind of cables would I need (I can solder well enough)? Would I be able to use text modes also, would a frame buffer beneeded for this? What about (S)VGAlib? Can I have two graphics adapters, one conn't to my crappy old 15-inch and one to the huge ancient particle accelerator? Or should I switch between the displays when I want to use X? Will I get a cancer for staying up nights surrounded by 80's display technology?"

Comments

Yes, you can do almost everything you want

[mml]

There's a FAQ at

http://www.devo.com/video/

I used an old DEC monitor for a couple of
years a while back. It worked fine. You basically
have two options

1. Buy a video card specially made for fixed
frequency monitors

2. Fiddle with your X config so that it runs
at the frequency the monitor wants.

Option #2 is nice because it's free and works
well, though ordinary text modes don't work.
The main problem you're likely to have is that
many fixed frequency monitors have 3 BNC connectors and expect sync signals mixed in with green. You can build a simple circuit to deal
with this. Fiddling with X timings is tiring but
eventually you get there.

Matthias