Modern KVM?

[Paul Boniol]

Just curious, does anyone run a modern (DVI/HDMI) KVM at home? I've got 2 monitors, 2 keyboards, and 2 mice, for 2 computers (work Win-doze, and personal Linux) on my desk at home.

I've read up on software "KVM switching". They should leave out the V as it does no video switching. That would allow me to go to 1 kbd and mouse. However, switching which monitor is connected to which computer would be nice too.

Just curious if anyone is using one, and if so which one?

---Paul.

[Curt Lundgren]

I'm not using a KVM for an iMac and an Ubuntu Linux machine.  The iMac has its internal display plus one external monitor, and the Linux box drives a 4K display.  I purchased Synergy ($29), which lets me use the Mac keyboard/mouse on the Linux machine.  The software also works with Windows and the basic version I bought works with up to three computers.  The way I have it configured, just move the cursor up on the Mac's main screen and it appears on the Linux monitor above.

https://symless.com/synergy

Installation was painless, and if I reboot the Linux box I would only need a keyboard/mouse attached if I want to mess around in the BIOS.  It's not exactly what you're asking for, but I have been quite happy using it here.

Curt

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[Csaba Toth]

I don't understand how this Synergy works. What does the hardware part look like?

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[Curt Lundgren]

There's no hardware, it's software that installs on both computers.  It sets up like a regular multi-monitor installation, where you define the physical relationship between the monitors.  Then move the cursor towards the other display and it appears there.  I think it even lets you share the clipboard between computers, but I'm not sure.

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[Paul Boniol]

The computer with the keyboard and mouse attached runs a server program. The other computer(s) run a client program. The keyboard and mouse will be sent to the appropriate client if it detects you are switched (via mouse position, or however else). Some security risk. Not sure how secure data transmission is if you ever operate on a more open network. But as there is no video switching I didn't really investigate too far.

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[Curt Lundgren]

TLS encryption is optional, since I'm on my own LAN I didn't set that up.  And no, there is no video switching; it's not a KVM.  For my application it's much better, since it effectively adds a display to my main computer.  It's certainly not for everyone and if you want a single display for two computers, it's not the right answer.

If you want to be able to instantly switch between two operating systems, it's a nice alternative to a KVM.

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[Paul Boniol]

Stayed up way too late looking at things, but I'm not sure one of my goals is possible with current dual monitor KVM switches. All the ones I have seen say that they switch both monitors to the selected computer. I.e. you can't choose computer 1 on monitor A and computer 2 on monitor B. They would always be dual monitors on the same computer.

Paul

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[Tilghman Lesher]

And, in addition to what Curt was saying, you can do far more complicated settings for lining up the monitors.  For example:

section: links

    yosemite:
        right = Neptunium
        down = thorium(0,50)
    Neptunium:
        down = thorium(50,100)
        left = yosemite
        right(75,100) = uranium(0,25)
    thorium:
        up(0,50) = yosemite
        up(50,100) = Neptunium
        right(0,66) = uranium(35,100)
    uranium:
        left(0,20) = Neptunium(75,100)
        left(35,100) = thorium(0,66)
end

All of those numbers are percentages.  Thorium has a dual-monitor, Yosemite is above the left monitor, Neptunium is above the right, and Uranium occupies a space to the right of all of them, the top third matching with the lower quarter of Neptunium, and the rest of the screen matching with the top third of Thorium.

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Tilghman

[Csaba Toth]

Interesting. So if I type a password on the keyboard for one of my non directly connected computers (and maybe even for the directly connected one as well?), then that password travels up to the cloud and sent down to the other machine from the mothership, the driver picks it up and emulates if it was typed there? Or the drivers establish an ad-hoc connection via the local intranet? (probably not because that would restrict generic usage). This gives me a pucker factor and triggers a twitch against keyloggers....

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[Tilghman Lesher]

No, it doesn't go to the cloud. That's why the parlance is of the
machine that has the keyboard and mouse as the 'server'. The clients
have to connect to that machine on a particular port. The connection
is additionally secured with TLS to prevent exactly the problem that
you're thinking about. It's a straight-up TCP connection on your
local subnet.

Could you route it out to the public Internet, assuming that you had
the available public IPs? I'm sure you could, but that's going to
create an issue with response times, in addition to more exposure to
malicious actors (though, as I said, if TLS is turned on, that's not a
huge problem).

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Tilghman

[Csaba Toth]

Thanks for clearing that up!

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[Howard White]

Excellent discussion about Synergy, guys. I need to review that as
well. I made it work, once, and got distracted away.

For the record, I have two of the Startech.com 4x2, DVI, USB KVM . They
work as advertised; with all the limitations noted by Paul. There is
nothing that says you can't lie to the KVM by which computer you connect
to a given port but that only goes so far.

On one of my KVM, I have the usual four systems with two monitor ports
each (both "DVI" and/or cabled to DVI"). One system has four monitors,
two connected to the KVM and two free standing. For those instances
(like Nagios for example) where I have an application that I wish to
remain visible even when the KVM gets switched, I use monitor 3 or 4
on that system. I still have to change the KVM if the application
requires keyboard or mouse.

I bought the first Startech new and found it overpriced for what it is.
Got the second off eBay.

Howard

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[Brian H. Ward]

When my son started WFH two years ago, I helped him pickout a KVM solution (from Monoprice, ironically) that supports two dual-DP computers and two DP connected monitors, plus USB for keyboard and mouse. He's been using it ever since. I can try to dig up the model # if you're interested.

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[Paul Boniol]

Brian: As far as I could tell, Monoprice currently only has one dual monitor solution.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=36652

So that would probably be it (or a previous version of it).

Since you can't mix system outputs with any dual monitor KVM's I've seen, I'm now thinking of software "KM", and two DVI switches.  That's a lot less expensive. The only issue I could see is if a window opens on a display that isn't selected.  I'd also have to play around with dual monitors out of my Linux box, but I'm sure the graphics card should be capable of that, since the system isn't that old.

Paul

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[Paul Boniol]

In light of the no mix-n-match monitor switching with physical dual monitor KVM's, I've reached some conclusions.

Monitor switching:

In the "Well duh!" section (which I attribute to my ever continuing post-vaccine brain fog):

The monitors have DVI and DP inputs (and VGA, but obviously not the same quality).  The dock and Linux computer have 2 (3) outputs. So no external switches and fewer wires were required to switch monitors between computers. Also I found the monitors have 2 assignable buttons, so I can easily switch inputs. (Also switching the OS settings between Extend/Join vs Duplicate/Mirror as needed.).

Keyboard/Mouse:

If you want to use software "switching" on Linux, the options appear to be Synergy (pay) and Barrier (free).  x2vnc was an option but is no longer developed.

However, now that I'm not worrying about (dual) monitor switching, this opens the possibility to use almost any modern (USB) physical KVM.

Paul