From: rich@example.invalid   
      
   Mike Small  wrote:   
   > Rich  writes:   
   >   
   >>>        The first one: I would like to know whether the monitor is   
   >>> physically turned on - i.e.  plugged into the electric outlet and   
   >>> with the power button in the on position.   
   >>>   
   >>>        Can this be done from Slackware?   
   >>   
   >> I feel that this request is not possible from any OS without you   
   >> first building the sensors and computer interface necessary to read   
   >> those sensors from the attached PC.   
   >   
   > Would he need to write a kernel driver?  Or if he could take the   
   > output of a light sensor to a parallel port line or joystick pin is   
   > there already something available on the kernel side to make it a   
   > simple userland program to read off the bit?   
      
   Only if he did not use an existing I/O interface that already has a   
   kernel driver written.   
      
   Existing I/O interfaces that could be used and that have a kernel   
   driver:   
      
   1) parallel port (if the system has a parallel port)   
   2) serial port (if the system has a serial port)   
   3) joystick port (if the system has a joystick port)   
   4) USB   
   5) microphone input   
   6) ... there could be many more, less common, ones   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)