Question for the crack rack builders

[MadMerc]

What KVM switches are you using?

Im looking for a functional but cheap one any ideas?

 

[JWMiddleton]

MadMerc: There have been a few threads since Sep. that have info on KVM switches and crack racks. You might search for them.

Basically, you get a generic analog 4-port switch in the $30 range. Belkin has a 4-port Digital KVM switch that starts at about $120. There are also some in Black Box catalog.

Good luck!

 

[Crow]

MadMerc

I think you will find it easier to use remote control software
like PC anywhere rather than use a KVM.

 

[blade47]

If you want remote software for windows machines check out VNC. Unfortunately I don't have a link for you.:frown: It's free and works pretty good.

 

[MadMerc]

i found the earlier thread on the switch subject, covered what i needed

however, that pc anywhere/vnc sounds like a tidier alternative - ill look into it

thanks guys

 

[mindless]

VNC

 

[RaySun2Be]

I use VNC.

Also, VNC works on other platforms besides Windows.

Linux 2.x for x86 (3.3.3 is glibc only)
Solaris 2.5 (SPARC)
Windows 9x/2000/NT (Intel Win32)
Macintosh
Beta
- 68K processor (Beta viewer) NB: Stuffit 5.5 needed to unpack!
- PPC processor (Beta) NB: Stuffit 5.5 needed to unpack!
- DEC Alpha OSF1 3.2
- Windows CE 2.x Beta viewer (50K)
- SH3 processor
- MIPS processor

 

[MadMerc]

Looks like VNC will do everything i need and save me money as well

thanks muchly

 

[networkman]

In case you were curious about the "hardware" KVMs, I do use a pair of Belkin 4port OmniViews and one LinkSys 2port. Both of the Belkins do exactly what I want them to, including properly transferring the signal with a "wheel" mouse attached. The LinkSys version doesn't transfer the signal on wheel-mice properly, so I don't use that type of mouse there. All three units have worked with every OS that I've tried.

 

[narzy]

what is a KVM?

 

[Kilowatt]

Keyboard Vedio Mouse Switch

 

[nexus9]

The Belkin Omnicube really sucks - frequently it screws up and I completely lose the mouse...

-Nexus9

 

[TwoFace]

uhm, I can't afford a KVM either... I would really love to use VNC with my linux box! but it doesn't seem to work right

I start the VNC server and then connect to it... so far things look good... but in the VNC viewer I just get a plain grey surface and nothing else... Can't do anything but use the top left menu (the little icon) and close the window...

I read what I could find about this on the VNC website but nothing they suggested seemed to work or I didn't do it right

The linux box is running Mandrake 7.1

Hope you guys have a suggestion for me! /me crosses fingers!!

With love and respect your fellow TA member

Two-Face

 

[TwoFace]

bumpage for the night (for me) shift!

I'd really like to get it going!

With love and respect your fellow TA member

Two-Face

 

[divide by zero]

'nother bump from an interested party.

Just got the Mandrake 7.1 CDs in the mail free from Pogo.
It would be great to be able to use VNC instead of having to
buy and cable more KVMs!

 

[TwoFace]

bumpage again... come on people I know you can answer this stuff!

(ps doesn't anyone read past the first page anymore? )

With love and respect your fellow TA member

Two-Face

 

[blade47]

Sorry I can't help you TwoFace. I've only ran VNC on windows boxes.:frown:

 

[ElFenix]

internet exploder seems to take a long time loading up the java components. if you have VNC on the controlling system too you can use a little client that comes with it to connect to the server, i think.

 

[TwoFace]

efun: Thanks for the suggestions... I've been in that file and edit some before... tried "startkde &" and stuff like that... didn't work for me tho' I tried what you said too and same result

I then went into the log file and found some interesting errors:

<< AUDIT: Sun Nov 26 23:30:19 2000: 15360 Xvnc: client 1 rejected from IP 127.0.0.$
Xlib: connection to &quot;localhost.localdomain:1.0&quot; refused by server
Xlib: Client is not authorized to connect to Server
xrdb: Can't open display 'localhost.localdomain:1'
AUDIT: Sun Nov 26 23:30:19 2000: 15360 Xvnc: client 1 rejected from IP 127.0.0.$
Xlib: connection to &quot;localhost.localdomain:1.0&quot; refused by server
Xlib: Client is not authorized to connect to Server
xsetroot: unable to open display 'localhost.localdomain:1'
AUDIT: Sun Nov 26 23:30:19 2000: 15360 Xvnc: client 1 rejected from IP 127.0.0.$
Xlib: connection to &quot;localhost.localdomain:1.0&quot; refused by server
Xlib: Client is not authorized to connect to Server
Warning: This program is an suid-root program or is being run by the root user.
The full text of the error or warning message cannot be safely formatted
in this environment. You may get a more descriptive message by running the
program as a non-root user or by removing the suid bit on the executable.
xterm Xt error: Can't open display: %s
AUDIT: Sun Nov 26 23:30:19 2000: 15360 Xvnc: client 1 rejected from IP 127.0.0.$
Xlib: connection to &quot;localhost.localdomain:1.0&quot; refused by server
Xlib: Client is not authorized to connect to Server
AUDIT: Sun Nov 26 23:30:19 2000: 15360 Xvnc: client 1 rejected from IP 127.0.0.$
Xlib: connection to &quot;localhost.localdomain:1.0&quot; refused by server
Xlib: Client is not authorized to connect to Server
Enlightenment cannot connect to the display nominated by
your shell's DISPLAY environment variable. You may set this
variable to indicate which display name Enlightenment is to
connect to. It may be that you do not have an Xserver already
running to serve that Display connection, or that you do not
have permission to connect to that display. Please make sure
all is correct before trying again. Run an Xserver by running
xdm or startx first, or contact your local system
startx manual pages before proceeding.

26/11/00 23:30:23 Got connection from client 192.168.0.1
26/11/00 23:30:23 Protocol version 3.3
26/11/00 23:30:26 Pixel format for client 192.168.0.1:
26/11/00 23:30:26 8 bpp, depth 8
26/11/00 23:30:26 true colour: max r 7 g 7 b 3, shift r 0 g 3 b 6
26/11/00 23:30:26 no translation needed
26/11/00 23:30:26 Using hextile encoding for client 192.168.0.1
26/11/00 23:30:26 rfbProcessClientNormalMessage: ignoring unknown encoding type$
26/11/00 23:30:33 Client 192.168.0.1 gone
26/11/00 23:30:33 Statistics:
26/11/00 23:30:33 key events received 1, pointer events 97
26/11/00 23:30:33 framebuffer updates 98, rectangles 231, bytes 419296
26/11/00 23:30:33 hextile rectangles 231, bytes 419296
26/11/00 23:30:33 raw bytes equivalent 826912, compression ratio 1.972144 >>

That's the entire log file... sorry for it being so long

Seems I haven't setup the permissions right or I might've done something else wrong I'm kinda new to linux so all the &quot;gibberish&quot; (to me that is) about DISPLAY environment variable doesn't really mean much to me

Hope someone knows how to fix this... since I have NO idea!

With love and respect your fellow TA member

Two-Face

 

[Rendus]

I wish I could remember how I fixed this problem when I played with VNC, but now I just SSH to my Linux machines, and.. Er... Reboot my Windows machines. (I don't have any headless Windows machines).

 

[divide by zero]

To see the value of your DISPLAY variable, at a Unix prompt type:
echo $DISPLAY

Try running xdm or startx before starting vnc.

 

[TwoFace]

/0 thanks I tried that but it still doesn't work

I'm stumped on this one... seems no matter what I try it just won't work

I tried starting vncserver with just &quot;startx &amp;&quot; or &quot;startkde&quot; in the startup file... did'nt do squat... still the same boring grey stuff nothing meaningful at all

With love and respect your fellow TA member

Two-Face

 

[GeoffS]

OMG! I gotta bump this one...

I downloaded VNC and within 5 minutes had the server set up on two of my herd and the viewer on Mother Cow and could remotely control the two PCs with absolutely no dicking around of settings or anything! My vote for the best-thing-since-sliced-bread goes to VNC!

 

[TwoFace]

Heh GeoffS: I've got VNC installed on some cows too... the sad part is it only works on windows cows for me , the linux cow refuses to let me see anything but a grey field

Oh well I've still got telnet

With love and respect your fellow TA member

Two-Face

/edit I still haven't learned how to speeeeel edit/

 

[Lord Demios]

Don't call me a hard core linux guy or anything, but you would think that ssh and xwin32 would be all you needed.

I don't use VNC server on my linux boxes. I find that I really don't need a gui to control my boxes. But if I do, in a tcsh shell I do this

setenv DISPLAY IPoflocalmachineforme:0
in bash
export DISPLAY=IPoflocalmachineforme:0

then on xwin32 I just have it add the IP's of the linux boxes onto it's allow list.

As for windoze boxes, I use remotelyanywhere. I find it to be nice and very very stable. (very well done code)

EDIT.
One other neat trick is to use xwin32 to make your windows box a Super Win/Linux Box. You load up your fav linux desktop onto your windows box, so you can control two machine, as if they are one. Handy if you have many desktops (cooldesk 99) or if you have a MP3 machine.


LD