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Can a new iMac share my Mac Pro's Cinema Display?

davebot 0.9

davebot 0.9

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 18, 2017
47
1
Seattle area
Apple is pulling the plug on my 2008 Mac Pro, so I'm planning to buy a new iMac (probably). My old Mac has a glorious 30" Apple Cinema Display. How can I share this display between both computers?

The first issue is whether a new iMac can drive the 2008 Cinema Display as a second monitor---and what kind of adapter would I need to buy?

The second issue is finding some kind of hardware to switch the Cinema Display between the Mac Pro and the new Mac. Is such a thing expensive?

For the new computer, I have hopes on a really nice 27" iMac, with really solid graphics (to support Obduction). A Mac Pro might be tempting, but I suspect it would be more expensive for what I want to do. I'm not doing professional graphics, but I am exploring software development and am exploring some machine learning algorithms.

This old computer still runs El Capitan, but that's the end of the line, according to Apple. Pity, since it has 8 CPU cores, 22 GB RAM, a decent graphics card, and 2 drives (one of which is a hybrid 1 TB drive). I think my best bet may be to install ubuntu on this computer. My concern is that the old computer will be vulnerable when Apple's security updates stop coming.

Hope I'm making sense. Thanks in advance for your expertise!
 
nambuccaheadsau said:
These forums have a way to get your Mac Pro 3.1 up to Sierra if you are interested in that?
Click to expand...

Thanks-- good to know. I still want something less tweaky, something that I know will be secure in the future. I think the best bet is linux, with current patches. A friend recommended mint.

What I want is to use the same 30" Cinema Display on both systems. Apparently, Apple has a $99 adapter that will allow a new Mac to drive the 30" Cinema Display. But I don't see how this could be switchable between the old Mac Pro and a new iMac. Does anyone know of a way to network the two computers and run a linux desktop in a window on the new iMac?

Wikipedia's article on the Apple Cinema Display shows the following specs for mine:
  • model number A1083,
  • size 30",
  • matte, LCD,
  • resolution 2560 × 1600,
  • input: Dual-link DVI-D
That Wikipedia article references Apple's Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter as a way to connect the 30" Cinema Display to a new iMac.

Is there any type of KVM that would switch the 30" Cinema Display between the Mac Pro running linux and the new iMac? I don't see how such a thing would work with that adapter.

Or, assuming the big display is permanently connected to the new iMac, is there a way to run a desktop linux session from the Mac Pro in a window on the iMac? I think we can do such things for Winders, but I don't know about linux.
[doublepost=1496633847][/doublepost]Hmm. I just discovered an Apple forum thread on this issue. The first page appears to have a fix. The next couple of pages discuss problems. It sounds like they are getting close, and some people seem to have a stable solution. Some have a pile of adapters that didn't work, and some are still having problems getting a connection that doesn't blink on and off.

Can I connect the new MacBook Pro 2016 (USB C) ... | Official Apple Support Communities
 
Good post. Hmm..more or less I have the similar dilemma.

I'm currently running on 2011 Mac Mini and 27' Cinema Display (not thunderbolt).
But I'm also going to buy an 2017 iMAC 27', and wants to link it to 27' Cinema Display as a secondary display.

Still, cannot find if it can work.

Hope there is a solid solution.
 
alexkoo1812 said:
Good post. Hmm..more or less I have the similar dilemma.

I'm currently running on 2011 Mac Mini and 27' Cinema Display (not thunderbolt).
But I'm also going to buy an 2017 iMAC 27', and wants to link it to 27' Cinema Display as a secondary display.

Still, cannot find if it can work.

Hope there is a solid solution.
Click to expand...

Hi Alex! Did you read the thread on Apple's forums (link in my post, above)? That makes me hopeful. What I don't know is whether the situation has changed with the new Macs. I have the same idea of getting a 2017 iMac 27", and linking it to my 30" Cinema Display. One thing that surprised me in that thread was that ScottCycle needed a third-party version of one of the adapters to get it all to work.
 
davebot 0.9 said:
Hi Alex! Did you read the thread on Apple's forums (link in my post, above)? That makes me hopeful. What I don't know is whether the situation has changed with the new Macs. I have the same idea of getting a 2017 iMac 27", and linking it to my 30" Cinema Display. One thing that surprised me in that thread was that ScottCycle needed a third-party version of one of the adapters to get it all to work.
Click to expand...
Thanks for reply, Dave. Yes, I checked out the link in your post. Looks to be working..

But, sometime Apple doesn't advertise (out loud) some changes..I've got the same concern as you do if there's something changed already in the new machine.
 
ThirteenXIII said:
you should be able to use a active USB-C to DVI adapter.
or try this method:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7633603?start=0

and instead of using a switch, just get remote desktop and remote into your Mac Pro on one of the displays. Your Mac Pro would be headless (aka no monitor attached, but that is fine).
Click to expand...

I don't think this will work for my 30" Cinema Display, but it may work for the smaller ones.

Apple's page for the HDMI to DVI Adapter says "Use the HDMI to DVI Adapter to connect a single-link DVI digital monitor, such as the 20-inch or 23-inch Apple Cinema Display". Note that the 30" Cinema Display requires a dual-link DVI connection. Apple's support page wasn't clear on which Cinema Display was being discussed.

I like your idea for the headless / remote access!

Cheers,

David
 
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