Use New iMac as 2nd Monitor on 2010 Mac Pro

[NoiseRoom]

I hope everyone is safe and healthy.

I have a mid-2010 mac pro (cheese grater) that I use only for pro tools/music production. I also have a new iMac that I use for pretty much everything else.

When working on music, I'd love to use my iMac as a second monitor.

Any suggestions on how to accomplish this?

Thanks!

[Lynn Gräber]

I believe you can do this with a thunderbolt cable or mini display cable. Google "target display mode".

[JFreak]

2010 mac pro does not have thunderbolt. need to find a way to get it in as DVI

[NoiseRoom]

Thanks all,

I'm going to try the mini DisplayPort to Lighting cable.

[NoiseRoom]

So I grabbed this cable: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08575F91W/

I turned on both computers and then pressed Command > F2 on the iMac but am not having any luck getting the second monitor to work.

Are there any settings I have to change?

On my 2010 Mac Pro I am using the DVI out as the main monitor.

Thank you

[JFreak]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think this cable enables you to stream a display out of iMac to for example Mini DisplayPort projector, but not into it from your Mac Pro

[NoiseRoom]

Thanks, that makes sense.

Is there specific verbiage you think I should look for in a cable?

[Ben Jenssen]

Target display mode is as old as OSX.
The clue is; you connect the two, you have one mac running, you turn on the second mac, and press the key combination of that mac during startup. The second mac will be in TDM mode. Just a screen. Then go to system prefs to set them up.

[NoiseRoom]

Thanks Ben however that didn't seem to work.

I did notice this on Apple's support page:

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-...ay-mh30822/mac

"Note: Target Display Mode isn’t supported on iMac models with Retina display."

I'm guessing that may be the problem.

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by NoiseRoom

Thanks Ben however that didn't seem to work.
I did notice this on Apple's support page:
https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-...ay-mh30822/mac
"Note: Target Display Mode isn’t supported on iMac models with Retina display."
I'm guessing that may be the problem.

Too bad.
Also it seems, my advice about restarting is outdated. On the apple support page you linked to it clearly says you just need to hit command-F2 to make it happen.