PB G4 as an external display??

I have never seen a laptop of any kind take a input to be use as display from an outside source.

If you got a DVI to HDMI you could plug it in to your HDTV.

Got a friend with a spare monitor?

 

Yeah I've never seen that done before and I don't expect it's possible to be honest with you, if you have a TV, as the previous poster said, just hook the PowerMac upto that for now... If for some reason you don't have a TV (maybe you live in a cave) just use the PowerBook until you get a display for the G5, enjoy the G5 though! It'll do nicely, I'm getting one in a couple of months.

 

you *could* using screen recycler - but that'd require you to setup the app already on the client machine. You'd have to borrow a monitor for that part then you'd be able to use the laptop (via vnc) as the monitor.

edit: just saw that all you want is system details.

if the original owner had remote login enabled, then connecting your PM to the same network as the PB (ethernet cable between them and network sharing enabled) could allow you to ssh in and run system_profiler | less from the command line. I'm assuming you have a username/password for the PM.

 

For this to work it will already have to be set up on G5 (which I know you don't know if it is or not)

connect the G5 to the network.

1. finding IP of G5

• a. Login into your router and find the IP address of the G5 OR
• b.In Terminal do a ifconfig /all to find your IP ex. 192.168.1.20 (i don't know what it will be) then you want to do a boardcast ping. Ping 192.168.1.255 (or 10.255.255.255) this will ping everything on your network. (doesn't always work, depends on router)

once you know the IP of G5

2. Type "ssh <username>@<ipaddress or hostname>" ex. ssh Subish@Awesomemac or Subish@192.168.1.101. This will ask for a password.
(another problem: do you know the username?)

3. IF you get in

• a. Type "sw_vers" for short verison OR
• b. Type "system_profiler | less" OR
• c. Type "system_profiler | more"

fyi "|" is pipe not "i" or "L" look above your enter key.

4. IF all else fails
Call up a friend with a monitor or to Wal-mart and buy one hook it up and return it..lol

Hope it helps.
If I mess anything up just correct me on this. I usually do this to a Linux machine.

 

If you have a FireWire cable, you could connect the two Macs, start the G5 up in Target Disk Mode, and boot the Powerbook from the G5's internal drives. Won't be super fast, but it'd allow you to get Remote Login and VNC going.