Disabling a iBook G4 Laptop monitor

[thereverend]

1.47ghz, 512mb ram, 10.4.10.

This is a friend of mine's computer - looks like his gf tossed it through the woodchipper. The monitor is hanging on by a few wires and the plastic is all smashed off. Sufficed to say the laptop monitor doesn't work. The rest of the computer does, however when I hookup an additional monitor, it can only do 640x480 or 800x600, the resolutions that the laptop monitor supports (I'm assuming). I did a bit of reading and it turns out this version of Mac can only mirror the display, not do span displays. What I want to do is completely disable the laptop monitor and essentially use the laptop as a tower connected to an off-board monitor. When I try to run the iBook closed, with a USB mouse & keyboard plugged in, it wakes up just enough to ask for the login UID & PWD, and then I lose the monitor signal again.

Any suggestions? Need any extra info?

[trevor]

Quote: Originally Posted by thereverend I did a bit of reading and it turns out this version of Mac can only mirror the display, not do span displays.

There is an unsupported firmware hack that will allow the iBook to support screen spanning. Check out Screen Spanning Doctor. Use at your own risk (although it doesn't sound terribly risky with this particular iBook in it's current condition.)

However, I do not know how to disable the internal screen of an iBook.

Trevor