@CanadianLuke isn't the whole point of the USB Crashcart adaptor that it's not involving VNCing, no VNC is required, and you can access the BIOS of the computer.. So the USB crashcart adaptor lets you use one computer's keyboard video and mouse, to access another one e.g. typically usign a laptop's laptop screen keyboard and touchpad, to access another computer. And the two would have to be adjacent.. So I don't see the logical connection between VNC and the USB CRashcart adaptor?

(that's my understanding of it judging by some youtube comments I read. I haven't tried it yet)

@barlop the 'nice' ones or the 15 dollar up USB adaptors hook into video outs I think

so basically its HDMI or VGA out for video -> a fake USB webcam the device picks up

so question is - do you need to monitor the system or work on it?

Work on it

including BIOS

ah so

this is vaguely the setup I use on my 2 headless systems

is it wireless anywhere?

uh

it could be!

I used to have a bunch of computers next to each other connected to a KVM Switch, and then the KVM SWitch was connected to a KVM Extender, that went to a keyboard video and mouse (or I suppose could go to a laptop with USB crashcart!)..

How is your system different to the one I just described there?

in this case

it lets me remote into either box if the other box is uncontactable to see what's on the screen

buuuuut

tinypilotkvm.com

or

pikvm.org

or aliexpress.com/item/1005003262886521.html which is a pre-packaged pi kvm bundle sans a compute module...

my current setup was actually originally used to get screenshots off an airgapped system :D

so no keyboard or mouse functionality

ok, thanks, good stuff i'll look into that stuff

that what it lets me do now

@barlop once the pi shortage is over and I get a new job, I need at least one of one of those :D

understandable!

essentially though that's a newer pi (in gadget mode) handling faking input, a video capture device over the camera header or USB and some shiny software gluing it together

it's unfortunate some of those devices are in the hundreds re price.. I like to use a proper one before trying to do/use a DIY one. that way I see both ways!

tinypilot looks very interesting

@barlop a pi zero would handle the input side

the cheapest USB video capture cards (without passthrough) are 14, the ones with are 30-45

and as an owner of uh...

4?

they're useful pieces of kit

Well, so if I had two computers next to each other I could view one from the other. That in itself doesn't seem that useful 'cos it doesn't offer keyboard access to it, and it'd be nearby.

from what I can tell a video capture device provides an HDMI input socket to a computer.

so that it can view another computer's HDMI output

yup

but that's useful if you have a laptop and another keyboard or a device that can pretend to be a keyboard

I also have one of those slightly gimmicky keyboard/monitor combos with those skinny monitors

what's that?

I have an idea what you mean but haven't seen one, can you link to one?

a)the gimmicky keyboard monitor combo with skinny monitor b)the device that pretends to be a keyboard.

both a' and 'b' sound interesting, i haven't seen either of them before!

boingboing.net/2022/08/09/…

the former

b) randomnerdtutorials.com/raspberry-pi-zero-usb-keyboard-hid randomly googled example of doing that with a pi zero

I THINK the last 2-3 regular Pis do it too

i'm familiar with SSH And python but I lost him when he mentioned them. Do you have to be in an SSH session window open eg a terminal open, and typing into that active SSH terminal, in order for the keyboard character codes to get transmitted to the other computer?

in this case yup

though in nicer implimentations there's a web UI for this

a web implementation tat offers no advantage over VNC?

well you don't need a client

technically a web browser is an http client ;-)

I've not gotten deep into it enough to go past "you should look at these things"

and pi kvm is probably the right starting point if you want to break it down to how it works

yeah.. that's a big if ;-)

or break down how it doesn't work ;-)

breaks down how to do it really badly!

Well - not with that attitude :D

The gimmicky keyboard thing doesn't explain how they get the keyboard going to access the BIOS

its literally a monitor

that plugs in via USB C or HDMI + USB A

but its a wierd form factor and not 'great'

well, that's the console device you mention not the gimmicky keyboard thing.. But that console device does the keyboard thing anyway just not remotely

so the console thing shows a local keyboard video and mouse. And the gimmicky keyboard thing shows a remtote keyboard. But there's no remote video or remote mouse.

@barlop The VNC running on the computer that acts as the host that has the USB cable plugged in. The USB cable then goes to the client's VGA and USB (through a breakout box), and that lets me access it. Since it's hooked to my KVM switch, I can send two Scroll Lock buttons to switch between the consoles

Acts as the keyboard, mouse, and as a disk drive of some type if I want to mount an image

@CanadianLuke well, i've used a kvm switch before.. It didn't have USB it looked like this i.ebayimg.com/images/g/4ukAAOSwE0tdXHK5/s-l1600.jpg

(just so you know where i'm coming from)

I've also used VNC before..

When you say " The VNC running on the computer that acts as the host " and "the client's VGA and USB " .. Can you define "host" and "client". By Host do you mean computer running the VNC server, so the computer that is going to be viewed?

And by client, do you mean the computer that runs the VNC client and is thus initiating the connection to the VNC server in order to view the "VNC server"?

@CanadianLuke that's a nice solution.. do you have quite a bit of cabling for the kvm switch? or any wireless kvm switch solution? kvm extender can be quite a bit of cabling too if not a wireless solution there too

Wireless KVM is impractical unless you're fine with a rather limited resolution, color, or framerate.

i'm usually fine with a limited resolution

OK, then there are plenty of wireless KVM systems. How far apart will they be?