[ydl-gen] dvi/video out on alubook 1,67 ghz (powerbook 5,6)

[Derick Centeno]

Hi Jurvis:
Your sense of humor is appreciated.

Yes, well, if there must be a failure let it be in the completely  
sincere effort of communicating.

Would you clarify for me just what FUD means to you?

According to Merriam-Webster: fud refers to fuddy-duddy.  I don't think  
you meant that, as I didn't use the term at all nor was anything I  
wrote condescending.

When I searched on google for FUD several references appeared ... all  
various references to fear, uncertainty and doubt.

I stated to Benoit that a study was done by a company regarding YDL and  
OS X and how they behave as regards the PowerPC; it was posted as a  
link to the members of this list several months ago.  There was nothing  
insignificant about it and caused quite a stir here and elsewhere --  
references to it were posted on Slashdot and elsewhere.  The study was  
solid and was not initiated from some company's marketing or sales  
department.  That doesn't mean that there may not be flaws in how the  
study was done; but for how it was conducted it was as clean as any  
reliable scientific study can be.

My mention of the study was not a ploy (nor an effort to apply FUD) to  
convince him about Linux, but rather to answer his question, "do you  
have to stay on macosx to use full power of my powerbook?"

But somehow, I don't think you are referring to the study I mentioned  
either.  So I'm confused how anything I wrote -- induced fear,  
uncertainty and doubt.  Or perhaps there is another reference to FUD  
you intended as your meaning?

BY THE WAY, did you read completely the links you provided to Benoit?

One of them, produced by Terra Soft Solutions itself:
http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/support/hardware/video.php

clearly points out the following:

Apple PowerBook 15" 1.67GHz G4, 2005
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128MB DDR
Maximum number of colors: Millions (24-bit)
2D acceleration: Yes
3D acceleration: No
Dual head: Probably not ...

Apple PowerBook 15" 1.0-1.5GHz G4, 2003-2004
NVIDIA GeForce4 440 Go with 64MB DDR
Maximum number of colors: Millions (24-bit)
2D acceleration: Yes
3D acceleration: No
Dual head: No
Notes: 1440x900

That's it for the 15" powerbook, which he and I both have.

The only possible conclusion is that if the PB with 128 VRAM won't  
allow Dual Head/Display, then neither will a PB with 64MG VRAM function  
either.
I'm not an engineer, but the folks at TSS are and they are stating  
quite clearly that the Dual Head/Display function or feature will most  
likely not work.
Of course, hope springs eternal and one could call TSS directly and pop  
this specific question for this specific machine.

But let's try to save everyone a bit of time with some critical  
thinking.  In comparison to what is listed with all the other  
Powerbooks and iBooks, only the 17inch PB
rates with a maybe:

Apple PowerBook 17" 1.0-1.5GHz G4, 2003-2004
ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 with 64MB DDR
Maximum number of colors: Millions (24-bit)
2D acceleration: Yes
3D acceleration: Maybe ...
Dual head: Maybe ...
Notes: 1280x854

Which is interesting, but it is not what Benoit or I have.  The answer  
from TSS regarding Dual Head/Display function for the 15inch 1.67GHz  
Aluminum PB, must be considered as a negative.

This is a good thing, as it clears and corrects my advice to pursue  
exploring getting more VRAM.  That option is now answered and academic  
-- as a useless procedure as far as getting the Dual Head/Display  
feature up and running.

The good thing about your link is that the answer was there if we dug  
deep enough into the information in an analytical manner.

Let's return to Benoit's question which is now seen in a different  
light.  His question was, "Do you have to stay on macosx to use full  
power of my powerbook?"

Although YDL in the study I mentioned and for many professionals and  
non-professionals alike is wonderfully efficient and useful; Benoit  
cares about this Dual Head/Display functionality.  The other  
capabilities though useful, don't address his current need or focus.   
We have determined in an analytical manner that most likely there is no  
Dual Head/Display functionality if he runs YDL on his PB.  This means  
that the correct answer to his question is that yes, he will have to  
stay on OS X to use the full power (read capabilities)  -- which for  
him includes Dual Head/Display functionality -- of his powerbook.

On Jan 14, 2006, at 4:53 PM, Jurvis LaSalle wrote:

> WOW.  What a complete and utter failure to communicate...
> 	My understanding of the situation is that Benoit would like to attach  
> his external display to his PB and have desktop spanning enabled (as  
> opposed to mirroring).  His hardware most certainly does support dual  
> head operation.  64MB of VRAM is more than enough for this task.  I  
> had to give up my ydl install on my PB when I installed Tiger (I'll  
> get it back when I've saved up for one of those nice 120GB 2.5" HD),  
> so I can't boot into it and see if there's a way to do this from the  
> GUI.  A little googling (  
> http://www.google.com/search?rls=en-us&q=dual+head+YDL&ie=UTF 
> -8&oe=UTF-8 ) turned up this link:  
> http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/support/hardware/video.php .  Looking up  
> Benoit's model, it seems dual head is "Probably not..." supported.   
> Then again, the ydl front page (  
> http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/index.shtml/ ) states "X.org 6.8.2,  
> featuring improved Radeon dual-head support."  To sum up, you may be  
> able to set this up from the GUI if you are subscribed to ydl.net and  
> are running ydl4.1.  Otherwise, more googling (  
> http://www.google.com/search?rls=en- 
> us&q=dual+head+linux+powerbook&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 ) turns up this link:  
> http://www.johnleach.co.uk/documents/powerpc/ .  You'll probably have  
> to get your hands dirty in X config files to tailor Mr. Leach's config  
> to your particulars.  Good luck!
>
> hth,
> JL
>
> PS  Derick, this a linux list and all so there's no need to lay the  
> FUD on so thick.  We're already drinking the kool-aid.  It would be  
> equally pointless for me to point out that all Benoit would have had  
> to do is plug the display in if he was booted into OS X.
>


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QED: quod erat demonstrandum