Recommendation for KVM switch for use with Linux, BSD and Windows?
Adam
compatible with Linux, *BSD and Windows. I'll take availability in the UK
or the USA, but in the latter case I have to be certain in advance that it
will work properly.
I've tried two Belkin models, both misleadingly labelled as
Linux-compatible. When I switch them back to the Linux machine, the mouse
floats around in the lower left corner and randomly clicks and drags. The
workaround is switching between virtual consoles and back. This is in fact
Belkin's tech support's recommendation, but I consider this an unacceptable
kludge.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Michael Perry
Hi-
I am using a Dlink 4 port KVM switch which works perfectly with Linux and
Windows. Its also quite a bit smaller than the belkin stuff. Only
downside is that that the mouse and keyboard input is on the front instead
of the back under the monitor. I use it with Windows XP, Windows 2000,
Debian Linux with an nvidia card, and FreeBSD 4.7.
I am also using a Microsoft Trackball Explorer Mouse and a MS natural
keyboard and the mouse never exhibits the behavior of floating around. On
the windows side, I used to lose the trackball every so often in w2kpro
with the belkin kvm. That never happens now with the dlink kvm.
Check them out and see if they satisfy. They are at http://www.dlink.com.
Seth H Holmes
I have successfully used SwitchView KVM switches between Windows and Linux
machines. I have friends who have used the same units between Windows and
FreeBSD.
Now I'm worried about the Belkin they've ordered for me at work to use
between Windows and Solaris.
--
Seth H Holmes
Douglas Mayne
I have had no real problems using a Belkin Omnicube with linux and
NT. The only problem I have ever noticed is that if the omnicube is not
active on a computer when it boots, there can be problems with the BIOS
properly detecting the mouse. This has bad consequences for both linux
and NT. Otherwise, there has been no need on my systems for the workarounds
suggested to you.
-Douglas Mayne
Adam
> On Fri, 28 Feb 2003 11:37:05 +0000, Adam wrote:
>> I've tried two Belkin models, both misleadingly labelled as
>> Linux-compatible. When I switch them back to the Linux machine, the mouse
>> floats around in the lower left corner and randomly clicks and drags. The
>> workaround is switching between virtual consoles and back. This is in
>> fact Belkin's tech support's recommendation, but I consider this an
>> unacceptable kludge.
> I am using a Dlink 4 port KVM switch which works perfectly with Linux and
> Windows. Its also quite a bit smaller than the belkin stuff. Only
> downside is that that the mouse and keyboard input is on the front instead
> of the back under the monitor. I use it with Windows XP, Windows 2000,
> Debian Linux with an nvidia card, and FreeBSD 4.7.
>
> I am also using a Microsoft Trackball Explorer Mouse and a MS natural
> keyboard and the mouse never exhibits the behavior of floating around. On
> the windows side, I used to lose the trackball every so often in w2kpro
> with the belkin kvm. That never happens now with the dlink kvm.
>
> Check them out and see if they satisfy. They are at http://www.dlink.com.
I'll take a look at that. I should mention that the second Belkin KVM I
tried worked fine on Win98, not at all on Win95, and only with the console
kludge on Linux.
Geoff
>>
>> I've tried two Belkin models, both misleadingly labelled as
>> Linux-compatible. When I switch them back to the Linux machine, the
>> mouse floats around in the lower left corner and randomly clicks and
>> drags. The workaround is switching between virtual consoles and back.
>> This is in fact Belkin's tech support's recommendation, but I consider
>> this an unacceptable kludge.
Not much help I guess, but this seems to be a WM issue. I used to see it
under AfterStep but it went away when I switched to Icewm.
Geoff
Adam
> In article <BRH7a.9568$nH.77...@news-text.cableinet.net>, Adam wrote:
>> I've tried two Belkin models, both misleadingly labelled as
>> Linux-compatible. When I switch them back to the Linux machine, the mouse
>> floats around in the lower left corner and randomly clicks and drags. The
>> workaround is switching between virtual consoles and back. This is in
>> fact Belkin's tech support's recommendation, but I consider this an
>> unacceptable kludge.
> I have successfully used SwitchView KVM switches between Windows and Linux
> machines. I have friends who have used the same units between Windows and
> FreeBSD.
>
> Now I'm worried about the Belkin they've ordered for me at work to use
> between Windows and Solaris.
I'll take a look at Switchview.
The two Belkin models I've tried are the F1DB104P (OmniView E Series) and
the F1DS104T (OmniView Soho). Neither worked correctly with Linux, but I
don't know about Solaris.
gavron
You may want to check this site
http://home.hiwaay.net/~redwood/kvm/rkvm.htm
They have a large collection of Cybex inventory kvm's on sale at various
but usually very attractive prices.
I bought a 8-port Autoboot commander ARS-8 over a year ago with five
cables for a little over $100.00 USD and never had a problem with linux
or windows. I believe that the original Cybex price was somewhwre
around $500.00 USD (w/o cables).
Only drawbacks are (1) no onscreen menu and (2) it is quite bulky -
almost the size of a small PC..
Does support hot key sequences and manual/automatic scanning capabilities.
As to picture quality I find it acceptable though very small fonts tend
to be slightly blurred. But then I have not compared it w/ consumer
grade kvm's such as Belkin etc..
Not sure whether they ship worldwide - I believe they do.. or the kind
of delay you should expect, though..
Joe Beanfish
Many mice are programmable. They revert to default settings when they
loose
power. Many (most?) kvm's will drop power to the mouse while switching.
If either of your systems uses non-default settings it will be confused
when you switch to it. Switching to text console and back to X forces
X to reprogram the mouse. That's the "normal" way to fix a glitched
mouse.
Depending on your setup a perfect kvm may not solve the problem. If one
system expects the mouse to behave according to certain settings and
the other system expects it to behave according to different settings
you will never be able to switch back and forth smoothly. At least
one system will always be confused. So the brand and type of mouse
may also affect your success. Ideally you want a mouse that both systems
are happy with in it's default power-on state. I have no idea what
mouse that might be though.
You might survey the people using kvm's to correlate their success and
mouse model as well as kvm model. If someone with a working kvm
arrangement
would unplug and replug their mouse (under each system) they will find
out
if the success is due to the kvm or mouse model. If it still works after
plugging, the mouse is the reason, kvm doesn't matter. If the mouse
stops
working then the kvm is the fix.
Alex Butcher
I was considering one of Belkin's SoHo models, but got scared off by some
of the reports about Belkin's KVMs and especially the SoHo range.
I ended up with a Linksys PS2KVM4
<http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=137&grid=15> for 59+VAT
from dabs.com. I'm using PS2/VGA cable sets from Maplin (15 GBP inc VAT
per set).
No problems at all with Linux and Windows. I'm using a Logitech Pilot
wheelmouse and a Mitsumi AT keyboard with PS2 adaptor (this is not
supported according to the Linksys manual, but it works here).
I run 1600x1200@75Hz (~200MHz), and I haven't noticed any lack of focus as
a result of the KVM.
Two features I particularly like are that it needs no external PSU (it's
powered from the PS2 ports) and it can be switched using the keyboard.
> Any advice would be appreciated.
Best Regards,
Alex.
--
Alex Butcher Brainbench MVP for Internet Security: www.brainbench.com
Bristol, UK Need reliable and secure network systems?
PGP/GnuPG ID:0x271fd950 <http://www.assursys.com/>
Simon Brooke
> I'm interested in recommendations for a good KVM switch that is fully
> compatible with Linux, *BSD and Windows. I'll take availability in the UK
> or the USA, but in the latter case I have to be certain in advance that it
> will work properly.
>
> I've tried two Belkin models, both misleadingly labelled as
> Linux-compatible. When I switch them back to the Linux machine, the mouse
> floats around in the lower left corner and randomly clicks and drags.
We've recently replaced a Belkin with a (_much_ cheaper) DLink. It hasn't
given problems but then again neither did the Belkin until it died - we
don't run X on anything in the server rack. I've seen the 'Belkin screws
the mouse' problem on other installations but don't know whether the DLink
would solve it.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Anagram: I'm soon broke.
Linuxserverguru
Mark Mackey
Dave {Reply Address in.sig} <noone$@llondel.org> wrote:
>
>I've got an Adderview Gem 4, works quite happily with Linux, Windows and
>OS/2 using a wheel mouse.
I can second the recommendation. It's cheap, too!
--
Mark Mackey http://www.swallowtail.org/
code code code code code code code code code code code code code bug code co
de code code code bug code code code code code code code code code code code
code code code code code code code code code code code code code code code c
Adam
> In article <1953681.b...@robinton.llondel.org>,
> Dave {Reply Address in.sig} <noone$@llondel.org> wrote:
>>
>>I've got an Adderview Gem 4, works quite happily with Linux, Windows and
>>OS/2 using a wheel mouse.
>
> I can second the recommendation. It's cheap, too!
Where did you buy it from?
Adam
> I got mine from http://www.kvmswitchdirect.co.uk/
Sounds like just the place, thanks!
Adam
> You might survey the people using kvm's to correlate their success and
> mouse model as well as kvm model. If someone with a working kvm
> arrangement
> would unplug and replug their mouse (under each system) they will find
> out
> if the success is due to the kvm or mouse model. If it still works after
> plugging, the mouse is the reason, kvm doesn't matter. If the mouse
> stops
> working then the kvm is the fix.
I'm not sure I follow this. I just did an experiment: with Gnome running, I
unplugged the mouse from the KVM switch, then plugged it back in, and it
worked normally. Then I unplugged the cable between the computer's mouse
port and the KVM switch (at the computer end), plugged it back in, and it
worked. To me this suggests that the mouse, computer and X11 are all OK.
The problem arises only when I switch the KVM (the problem is identical in
KDE, Gnome, IceWM, Windowmaker and XFce, as well as on the graphical login
screen). I interpret this as a sign that the KVM doesn't work properly.
Are you saying that these symptoms mean the opposite of what I think?
Adam
I've just tried it in every GUI thing I have: graphical login screen, KDE,
Gnome, IceWM, Windowmaker and XFce. The problem is the same in all of them.
Seth H Holmes
BTW: The SwitchView was/is made by Cybex.
--
Seth H Holmes
Geoff
Weird. I have only ever used the one KVM (Belkin Omniview E series 4
port), with two boxen connected (linux and Win98), and nothing else on my
system has changed except for subsituting Icewm for AfterStep. I was so
pissed with the problem when I bought the switch that went looking for
help on the AfterStep mailing list - but no solutions except the usual
advice to toggle between consols. I changed to Icewm for different
reasons and was surprised/pleased to find that the problem had vanished. I
am still using the same setup as I sit here typing.
Geoff
Johan Kullstam
> On Fri, 28 Feb 2003 11:37:05 +0000, Adam wrote:
>
> > I'm interested in recommendations for a good KVM switch that is fully
> > compatible with Linux, *BSD and Windows. I'll take availability in the
> > UK or the USA, but in the latter case I have to be certain in advance
> > that it will work properly.
> >
> > I've tried two Belkin models, both misleadingly labelled as
> > Linux-compatible. When I switch them back to the Linux machine, the
> > mouse floats around in the lower left corner and randomly clicks and
> > drags. The workaround is switching between virtual consoles and back.
> > This is in fact Belkin's tech support's recommendation, but I consider
> > this an unacceptable kludge.
>
> I was considering one of Belkin's SoHo models, but got scared off by some
> of the reports about Belkin's KVMs and especially the SoHo range.
>
> I ended up with a Linksys PS2KVM4
> <http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=137&grid=15> for 59+VAT
> from dabs.com. I'm using PS2/VGA cable sets from Maplin (15 GBP inc VAT
> per set).
I have that at work. Middle button and wheel do not work in linux.
The linksys two port, PS2KVM2, however, does support middle button and
wheel.
I also have the older linksys two port model at home. It used to not
support wheel, but now it does. I think this may have changed with
xfree86 3.6.X to 4.X changes.
> No problems at all with Linux and Windows. I'm using a Logitech Pilot
> wheelmouse and a Mitsumi AT keyboard with PS2 adaptor (this is not
> supported according to the Linksys manual, but it works here).
>
> I run 1600x1200@75Hz (~200MHz), and I haven't noticed any lack of focus as
> a result of the KVM.
>
> Two features I particularly like are that it needs no external PSU (it's
> powered from the PS2 ports) and it can be switched using the
> keyboard.
I like that feature too.
--
Johan KULLSTAM <kulls...@attbi.com> sysengr
Joe Beanfish
No, I'm saying that the mouse it the reason (that it works). Kvm is the
problem.
I have a friend who has 2 belkin kvm's and mouse ports are slowly
failing, one at a time. But most hardware fails prematurely at his house
so I didn't think much of it.
Alex Butcher
> "Alex Butcher" <alex.butch...@assursys.co.uk> writes:
>> I ended up with a Linksys PS2KVM4
>> <http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=137&grid=15> for
>> 59+VAT from dabs.com. I'm using PS2/VGA cable sets from Maplin (15 GBP
>> inc VAT per set).
>
> I have that at work. Middle button and wheel do not work in linux.
*shrug*
Works here. Various revisions of XFree86 4.x, with the mouse configured as
IMPS/2.
This does seem to be the way of KVMs though; stuff that works for one
person doesn't for another. I suspect it's down to subtle manufacturing
differences between models of mouse, keyboard, KVM, and PS/2 controllers.
Johan Kullstam
> On Mon, 03 Mar 2003 10:27:51 -0500, Johan Kullstam wrote:
>
> > "Alex Butcher" <alex.butch...@assursys.co.uk> writes:
> >> I ended up with a Linksys PS2KVM4
> >> <http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=137&grid=15> for
> >> 59+VAT from dabs.com. I'm using PS2/VGA cable sets from Maplin (15 GBP
> >> inc VAT per set).
> >
> > I have that at work. Middle button and wheel do not work in linux.
>
> *shrug*
>
> Works here. Various revisions of XFree86 4.x, with the mouse configured as
> IMPS/2.
I do not doubt you. I may have a different revision of the hardware.
> This does seem to be the way of KVMs though; stuff that works for one
> person doesn't for another. I suspect it's down to subtle manufacturing
> differences between models of mouse, keyboard, KVM, and PS/2
> controllers.
Yes, and also the XFree86 version seems to play a role. The whole
thing is infuriating because you want to have a KVM which just works.
And since it will or will not work depending upon many factors -- some
of which you cannot know when you order it (like revision of the
hardware) -- it is hard to buy a KVM with any degree of certainty that
it will work.
Adam
> Adam wrote:
>> Are you saying that these symptoms mean the opposite of what I think?
>
> No, I'm saying that the mouse it the reason (that it works). Kvm is the
> problem.
> I have a friend who has 2 belkin kvm's and mouse ports are slowly
> failing, one at a time. But most hardware fails prematurely at his house
> so I didn't think much of it.
I misunderstood you -- we agree then.
Simon Brooke
('joebe...@nospam.duh') wrote:
> No, I'm saying that the mouse it the reason (that it works). Kvm is the
> problem.
> I have a friend who has 2 belkin kvm's and mouse ports are slowly
> failing, one at a time. But most hardware fails prematurely at his house
> so I didn't think much of it.
We had an eight-port Belkin die suddenly about three weeks ago; it was
certainly not more than two years old. Essentially the video switching
died, so that although we could still switch keyboards and type into our
different machines, we couldn't see what we were getting back. After
pricing up replacements we got a DLink - the Belkins were ridiculously more
expensive. The DLink has just gone into the rack and worked - except its
video in ports were the opposite gender to the Belkin (I think male on the
Belkin, female on the DLink) so we had to fit gender benders.
--
si...@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
'You cannot put "The Internet" into the Recycle Bin.'
Adam
> I'm interested in recommendations for a good KVM switch that is fully
> compatible with Linux, *BSD and Windows. I'll take availability in the UK
> or the USA, but in the latter case I have to be certain in advance that it
> will work properly.
Based on the replies to my post, I'm going to try the D-Link DKVM-4 4-port
switch. This is ZZ0WS on dabs.com, £88.12 inc. VAT.
Any better recommendations for where to buy it?
--
Thanks,
Adam
John Aldrich
> I'm interested in recommendations for a good KVM switch that is fully
> compatible with Linux, *BSD and Windows. I'll take availability in the UK
> or the USA, but in the latter case I have to be certain in advance that it
> will work properly.
>
> Linux-compatible. When I switch them back to the Linux machine, the mouse
> floats around in the lower left corner and randomly clicks and drags. The
> workaround is switching between virtual consoles and back. This is in fact
> Belkin's tech support's recommendation, but I consider this an unacceptable
> kludge.
>
Windows ME box and my Win98 box (if it were running at least...) Works
fine in all three. The only thing to keep in mind (in my limited
experience this is true of ALL KVMs) is that if the computer boots up
and the KVM isn't displaying that machine, you may have mouse
problems. This is especially true of older Belkin KVMs. We have a few
Omniview (NON-SE) KVMs here at work where the mouse "disappears" after
awhile too (Win9x and 2000.)
YMMV, but Belkin works for me....
Adam
> I use a Belkin Omniview SE 4-port KVM for my Linux box, my wife's
> Windows ME box and my Win98 box (if it were running at least...) Works
> fine in all three. The only thing to keep in mind (in my limited
> experience this is true of ALL KVMs) is that if the computer boots up
> and the KVM isn't displaying that machine, you may have mouse
> problems. This is especially true of older Belkin KVMs. We have a few
> Omniview (NON-SE) KVMs here at work where the mouse "disappears" after
> awhile too (Win9x and 2000.)
> YMMV, but Belkin works for me....
Hmm. I tried two Belkin models: F1DB104P (OmniView E Series) and F1DS104T
(OmniView Soho). I'm fairly certain the problem I had occurred every time
I switched the KVM, without regard to which way the KVM was switched at
boot.
bruce edge
I have a belkin Omni cube 4 port that works flawlessly between Windows and
X.
-Bruce