Can't reproduce on modern hardware (4 Year Old Black Female Cat, 4 Year Old Black Male Cat). status:Wont Fix
>Black Female Cat >Black Male Cat >Black Username checks out.
This is not Reddit. We don't zoom text, and we don't "check out" usernames.
Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
41–50 of 60 posts
Re: Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
#42I remember my early days of computers (not as old as some folks here, I know) when there was an intense debate on whether a software could cause damage to some hardware. I remember programing a small .asm that would move the head of a floppy to a farther point and it stoped working. Probably not all models would fail, but one particular brand did. Then a intense debate followed that I was wrong. Never talked about it…
> when there was an intense debate on whether a software could cause damage to some hardware.
In the days of C64 and Amiga you could safely say "No".
Once there was a basic rewritable input/output system (BIOS), the answer changed to "Yes". Remember the CIH virus?
Re: Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
#43I remember my early days of computers (not as old as some folks here, I know) when there was an intense debate on whether a software could cause damage to some hardware. I remember programing a small .asm that would move the head of a floppy to a farther point and it stoped working. Probably not all models would fail, but one particular brand did. Then a intense debate followed that I was wrong. Never talked about it…
(showing my age here)
I also recall that on early IBM PCs with a monochrome monitor and a Hercules graphics card, it was possible to set the refresh rate to zero and toast the monitor.
Re: Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Black Female Cat >Black Male Cat >Black Username checks out.
This is not Reddit. We don't zoom text, and we don't "check out" usernames.
Careful, women are a protected species on HN. Quickest way to get your acct banned is offending one. amirite dang ?
Re: Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
#45I remember my early days of computers (not as old as some folks here, I know) when there was an intense debate on whether a software could cause damage to some hardware. I remember programing a small .asm that would move the head of a floppy to a farther point and it stoped working. Probably not all models would fail, but one particular brand did. Then a intense debate followed that I was wrong. Never talked about it…
Linux has had a fair number of video drivers that damage monitors due to oddball timing issues.
Re: Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
#46I remember my early days of computers (not as old as some folks here, I know) when there was an intense debate on whether a software could cause damage to some hardware. I remember programing a small .asm that would move the head of a floppy to a farther point and it stoped working. Probably not all models would fail, but one particular brand did. Then a intense debate followed that I was wrong. Never talked about it…
> when there was an intense debate on whether a software could cause damage to some hardware. In the days of C64 and Amiga you could safely say "No". Once there was a basic rewritable input/output system (BIOS), the answer changed to "Yes". Remember the CIH virus?
> In the days of C64 and Amiga you could safely say "No".
Goes back even further than that. It's probably always been possible, but maybe it was harder on timeshared systems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_poke#Commodore_PET
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_poke#Commodore_1541_Dis...
Re: Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
> when there was an intense debate on whether a software could cause damage to some hardware. In the days of C64 and Amiga you could safely say "No". Once there was a basic rewritable input/output system (BIOS), the answer changed to "Yes". Remember the CIH virus?
> In the days of C64 and Amiga you could safely say "No". Goes back even further than that. It's probably always been possible, but maybe it was harder on timeshared systems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_poke#Commodore_PET https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_poke#Commodore_1541_Dis... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killer_poke#Commodore_Amiga
Never heard of those "killer pokes" before. Thank you.
Re: Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
>Black Female Cat >Black Male Cat >Black Username checks out.
This is not Reddit. We don't zoom text, and we don't "check out" usernames.
Wow, you are so enlightened, and your comment contributed so much. Thank you for protecting us from the barbarian reddit hordes
Re: Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
#49I remember my early days of computers (not as old as some folks here, I know) when there was an intense debate on whether a software could cause damage to some hardware. I remember programing a small .asm that would move the head of a floppy to a farther point and it stoped working. Probably not all models would fail, but one particular brand did. Then a intense debate followed that I was wrong. Never talked about it…
I remember trying to prove that this was impossible... Until I killed a floppy reader. But now? When microcode can be patched? I'm waiting for tamperproof ransomware, that holds your hardware as well as your data as the hostage.
CPU microcode is volatile, for what it's worth. Patching it only lasts until the machine is powered off.
Firmware in other platform devices, however, may be vulnerable to modification -- BIOS, network adapter, video card, hard disk...
Re: Xfce bug: “default desktop screen causes damage to monitor”
#50Very strange. Neither of my cats have ever paid the slightest bit of attention to the contents of any screen on any device I own. Yet I know people whose cats like to watch television, so there's some thing going on where some cats see screen images as significant and others don't. I should go looking for info on that! In any case, I don't see how this is XFCE's problem. Just change the wallpaper.
Cat eyes have a different refresh rate than human eyes. Some cats can see monitors just clearly enough to make out what's on the screen. Others see flicker. The color gamut is different too.