Use Laptop as external display?

Alright, here is my situation. I have my desktop, and my 2 lappys. One is a Dell Inspiron, the other, my PowerBook G4. My desktop, which I am trying to turn into a server, has NO monitor.

Now, here's the pickle. Right now, Windows XP is installed. I have a VNC server up and running, yay. I can connect to windows. I need an actual monitor so that I can wipe the drive and install the latest Fedora or Ubuntu.

Now I had thought of doing the text-based install, going blind, but that probably just wouldn't work. Not to mention once it IS installed, I would need to operate a GUI to get a VNC server installed.

So, I was thinking. Is there ANY possible way to fidget with my laptop(s) to mirror to the server's video card, so that I can use my laptop's screen as my server's screen?

I'm talking both software and/or hardware relations here.

#499195

VNC is butt slow. It should only be used for when you're not at home.

#499203

Butt slow? I beg to differ. Yes, it's slow when used when not inside you're network... and when you have a crappy connection. My connection is one of the fasted around, so even when I connect from a remote location it's relatively fast.

Inside a network... it's really fast. Almost as if it's the monitor itself.

#499204

Butt slow? I beg to differ. Yes, it's slow when used when not inside you're network... and when you have a crappy connection. My connection is one of the fasted around, so even when I connect from a remote location it's relatively fast.

Inside a network... it's really fast. Almost as if it's the monitor itself.

Even locally it's horrible at full resolution with all the features enabled. I'm sure it's fast if you disable the background, etc. Of course, it will most likely be faster if you purchased a switch with gigabit ethernet ports.

#499217