Installing linux - possible without monitor?

SolarNexus

I'm thinking about setting up a file/print server but dont want to have to pay extra for a mobo with VGA or to pay for a GFX card; so I was wondering whether it was possible to install without a monitor - perhaps from a network, or just automatically via cd?

Orion

The pc won't even boot without a video card in it - it's the first thing checked at POST time. Why not just get an old crappy video card and stick it in it. If you live in the Maynooth area I have an old 2Mb AGP card here in a drawer that you can have free gratis.

SolarNexus

I dont know if I believe that a motherboard will not boot without a GFX card, as I do remember doing as such 'back in the day', though I may be mistaken.

Unfortunatly, I had hoped to get a pci-e based motherboard for future-proofing, so I may have to search for a dirt-cheap pci or pci-e graphics card.

hmm...

duridian

SolarNexus wrote:

I dont know if I believe that a motherboard will not boot without a GFX card, as I do remember doing as such 'back in the day', though I may be mistaken.

I think industrial pcs might be able to boot without a graphics card (although most of these that I've seen tend to have some graphics imodule as well), but if you want to do this with a normal home/office pc type motherboard, then I'd doubt it is possible, because most bios throw up an error 'beep' code when something is wrong with the video card. Often this is as a result of a badly seated gfx card preventing the system reading/writing to the video ram, so I would expect the total absence of a video card to result in the same problem.

zAbbo

How much would a cheapo PCI card set you back? 20euro?

It may be a life saver if you ever lose network connection