LINUX:

Getting XFree86 to work on Hercules monochrome adapted from Marko Vallius

Screenshots: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5

#1 and #2 are original Screenshots from Mandrake 9.0 running KDE desktop. #3 and #4 are stretched to 1024 X 768 an modified for monochrome colors (green/amber) as an example. #5 is a prime example of the benefits of monochrome.

There is not much to tweak in XF86Config, and the main trick is to get a correct version of XFree.
The right XFree version is 3.1.1. Version 3.1.2 has a broken Hercules support and 3.2 none at all. I really cannot remember where I found it myself, probably from ftp.xfree86.org. Linux binaries I have here so that may help. On my system I have it installed as /usr/X11R6/bin/XF86_Mono.

Next, put something like the following in /etc/X11/XF86Config or steal my whole XF86Config.

In my Monitor section of XF86Config I have:

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Hercules Monitor"
VendorName "Intra"
ModelName "Unknown"
Bandwidth 25.2
HorizSync 31.5
VertRefresh 60
ModeLine "720x348" 25.175 720 672 768 800 348 490 492 525
EndSection

Basically that gets me a refresh rate of 60 Hz and resolution of 720x348 pixels - normal Hercules. Changing the values on ModeLine seems to have no effect. My monitor is an old amber 12" Intra, the bandwidth and sync rates seem to be fine.

Device section is nothing special (or maybe even more special than needed?):

Section "Device"
Identifier "Hercules"
VendorName "Unknown"
BoardName "Hercules"
EndSection

Screen section tells XFree to use the mono driver, 1-bit display at resolution 720x348:

Section "Screen"
Driver "mono"
Device "Hercules"
Monitor "Hercules Monitor"
Subsection "Display"
Depth 1
Modes "720x348"
EndSubsection
EndSection

My biggest problems after finding the 3.1.1 server were getting the server name (I used hercules instead of "mono") and depth (I tried to use 2 colors instead of 1 bit...) set correctly.

After that just type startx and hope... That should do it. Hopefully I have not forgotten anything critical. (Mouse and keyboard settings are needed also, but that has nothing to do with Hercules.)

For me this seems to work surprisingly nicely, but I take no responsibilities. Also, my experiences are solely from Linux, YMMV.

- created 26.5.1997 by MV

* Note: Many Computers running a standard PS/2 mouse will work fine with their /etc/X11/XF86Config file Pointer Section as follows:

Section "Pointer"
Protocol "PS/2"
Device "/dev/psaux"
End Section

 

WINDOWS:

Getting Windows 3.1 / Windows 3.11 to work on Hercules monochrome by FatButtLarry

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