Running a computer without Integrated Graphics or Dedicated GPU [duplicate]

Is it possible to run a computer without integrated graphics and no dedicated gpu?

If so would it be able to perform basic functions such as browsing the web.

If not then why wouldn't it work?

Without a video output of any sort your computer will run perfectly fine - assuming it is able to boot past the POST test.

The problem will be - how do you get visual feedback of what the computer is doing?

Without a video out - does the computer have a keyboard? Mouse? network? Presumably it does have all these things.

This configuration is basically identical to a standard rack mounted server.

How then does one interact with such computers?

Initially you will need to have a video connection, unless you remove the hard disk drive and install the Operating System on a video enabled computer and then return it to this "headless" computer.

Let's presume the computer has an OS installed and is running ... we just don't see anything. How to interact with it?

You have the following options (all of which will require some initial "on screen" configuration.

• SSH. from a remote computer ssh with the -Y option to your headless computer. If your headless computer and your remote computer are both a Unix variety with X11, then the graphical user interface will be output on your remote computer.

• VNC. Start a VNC server on the headless computer, and connect to it from a remote. This will provide a facsimile of your headless computer's desktop in a window on the remote.

• Remote Desktop. Again, on the headless computer enable RDP, configure, and connect from a remote. Functionally very similar to VNC.

Depending on the nature of your computers, any one or combination of the above will work.

I haven't mentioned a common rack installation option of installing KVM's because ... those require video output.

Without any type of video present, the POST will fail when no video is detected.

Power on Self Test Reference