SEUL: Seeking maintainer for monitor and modem databases

[Erik Walthinsen <omega@omegacs.net>]

> I just had an idea for monitors (except for the new Plug n' Play monitors).
> It seemed to me that maybe the monitor database in WinBlows95 could be mined
> for info, so I looked at it.  One of you Perl wizards could undoubtedly rip
> the info out of this text file better than I could... look at
> \windows\inf\monitor.inf, monitor2.inf, monitor3.inf ... Give it a try.

OK, since I'm at it, any takers for maintaining this monitor database?  As 
Mike mentions, getting one started is an almost trivial matter of writing a 
perl script (or finding a friend or someone on this list to write it for you)
to convert what Windoze comes with.

Er, there be dragons, however.  What kind of license do those .inf files fall 
under?  I have a sneaky feeling that if we were to parse them into our own 
database and M$ were to 'find out', we'd be in serious trouble.  Maybe not 
the best thing to do.  What would still be legal, though, would be parsing 
the database for the list of monitors, without the data.  Yeah, I know, it's 
sick and braindamaged, but we have to work within the law (if that is indeed 
the law in this case).

The next stage is to put together a couple pages for this effort, including a 
simple web form for people to enter their monitor vendor and monitor, with 
the appropriate frequency information, and whatever else (like supported 
resolutions @ what frequencies).  Post a simple announce to a few places, and 
I think we'll have a decent database built up pretty quickly.

For the modem database, I would suggest that someone search the net first.  
For instance, I have a printout from the CC (computer center?) department at 
PSU that on one sides tells you how to get your computer set up for PPP, and 
on the other lists init strings for several hundred modems.

I have no doubt that there are several archives out there of init strings, 
likely 'official' ones, for most modems in existence.  Come to think of it, 
there may be something like that for monitors, though I tend to doubt it, 
since Doze does a decent job of figuring it out.

Anyway, is there anyone out there willing to gather the information and 
maintain it in a database on the web site?  I'm working on the database part 
of it, so all you'd have to do is gather the info and keep it up to date.

Let's start getting some things done!!  :-)

TTYAL,
     Omega

     Erik Walthinsen <omega@seul.org> - SEUL Project system architect
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