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Laptops, Headless Servers and KVMs?
Administration of headless machines can be a pain, and working on multiple machines can also be a bit of a bother. KVM boxes solve some of the problem, but sometimes finding a keyboard and a monitor to lug around to these machines is most of the problem. Is there a portable solution that might solve both of these problems? Wouldn't it be nice to carry around a specialized laptop that could act as both a portable display and input device? Does something like this currently exist?
KJH1138 asks: "I am looking for a hardware/software combination that would allow me to use my laptop as the KVM for a headless server before, during, and after OS configuration. What I have in mind would be a server KVM/USB to laptop serial/USB connection, with software on the laptop to provide KVM control of the headless device, with or without an OS. A PC Anywhere or Linux equivalent wouldn't work since they would require the headless system to already have an installed OS. I would prefer a Linux-based solution on the laptop, but would settle for a Windows option. I simply don't want the clutter of a keyboard and monitor."
PGillingwater has a similar desire: "Like many regular readers, sometimes I need to visit a customer site to diagnose equipment, like firewalls or routers. More systems these days use VGA output and keyboard input, which means having to scrounge a display and keyboard, then looking for a spare power socket in the machine room, which is not always easy! I am wondering if anyone has seen a laptop which also allows VGA input and keyboard output. This would be a cool idea. Use it as a normal laptop most of the time, then hijack the video and keyboard to connect to other systems when you need it."
PGillingwater has a similar desire: "Like many regular readers, sometimes I need to visit a customer site to diagnose equipment, like firewalls or routers. More systems these days use VGA output and keyboard input, which means having to scrounge a display and keyboard, then looking for a spare power socket in the machine room, which is not always easy! I am wondering if anyone has seen a laptop which also allows VGA input and keyboard output. This would be a cool idea. Use it as a normal laptop most of the time, then hijack the video and keyboard to connect to other systems when you need it."
If we can't ssh to computers or telnet to equipment (switches, etc) we have an OpenBSD laptop which we can use as a console via a serial cable and kermit. That's assuming a unixish system, though. If you're only running Windows on servers then why not install TightVNC and control it from your desktop? Assuming the machine is still on the LAN, of course. If it's not you'll probably just reboot it anyhow.
Trolling is a art,
anyone notice that?
1337 bytes in body
Er, w00t?
Invoicing, Time Tracking, Reporting
there are null-modem, lom ports, web-enabled bios configuration, web-enabled SCSI configuration, Ssh, remote desktop (free for admin usage) and you still wonder what the best solution is?
Try talking up with a _good_ admin who shows you in _real_live_ the 1 & 2's.
KVM switches are handy for non-server hardware misplaced in the network architecture, but any serious stuff has some or all of the above list.
"Real" servers are not that expensive by the way, especially compared to the price of IP-KVM.
use avocent or any decent "kvm-over-ip" implementation....
Solutions:
1) Invent a wireless KVM or
2) Make really long cables
We have two KVMs daisy-chained with 18 or so machines on them. Works fine. So just scale that up by making it wireless. Sit comfortably in one spot, and go!
WASTE - The Secure P2P
I run a computer repair business where I have to move from station, to station, to station... (etc.) to get my work done. I was just thinking this morning how awesome it would be if I work on all of these computers (at least on the software side) without getting out of my chair. This kind of thing would be very handy, and probably allow me to get twice as much work done.
Electrons are free; it is moving them that becomes expensive.
Yes. Real techs just stick their tongue in the video port and jiggle a paperclip in the keyboard port. Only amateurs need dedicated hardware.
Everyone has to push the crash cart around.
These cards and related products from peppercon and raritan would do the job.
http://www.peppercon.com/eric2.html
Hmm,
can we get this modded out of here? Sounds like this old jock is feeling a little bad about the fact the guys he picked on are now making 10x's as much as he is after graduation...
Hmmm... Technology... anyone have a match?
Standard serial ports common on all Sun hardware [and most all networking equipment] and likely technology older than I am?
Not for windows servers. For that my experience shows that the easiest solution is a monitor tied to a chair.
[a chair you ask? Well standard carts generally don't have the maneuverability (or small footprint) required for server rooms.]
Is something like this what you are looking for?
It is rack mounted, but it would be easier than to carry a monitor, keyboard, and KVM seperately.
42
ssh/vnc/remote desktop/pc anywhere
if you're on the lan, any remote admin ap should work fine
out of the office? tunnel using ssh or set up a vpn...
Google: IP KVM
We use VNC all day every day.
Works great.
Seems to me this should be something that a PDA could handle. Why complicate it with a laptop. Most PDA's have keyboards available that fit neatly into your pocket.
You never saw a fish on the wall with its mouth shut.
HP Proliant servers all can make use of Integrated Lights-Out for remote administration, including a remote console through your web browser. I very rarely need a crash cart in the data center since we've started using iLO. A lot nicer to just open a URL, instead of wheeling the cart over to it.
ssh -lusername hostname startx
I've been using RemotelyAnywhere on my windows machines. I am very impressed with it. You connect to a specified port using your web browser and you can remotely control every aspect of the machine via Java or ActiveX. It's very feature-rich and is working quite well for me.
"With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine." -- RFC 1925
Personally I'd go with VNC, which is ok as long as your OS is running ok. It exists for just about every platform as both client/server.
I use it all the time.
If VNC isn't able to run, most likely there's a more serious issue. In that case, get the cart with the Monitor, Keyboard and wheel it over to the rack. That's not every day (provided you don't run windows).
I personally go months without a monitor. Just VNC into the box when needed.
Timbuktu is another option. Slightly smoother and faster. Though not available free.
Recently when trying to figure out why my PC in the livingroom (plugged into the TV) wasn't displaying any video, I longed for a easy device I could plug into my laptop to display video... rather than have to lug a monitor out to the livingroom.
.
Sure enough, a company makes just such a device, the
It does nothing for your mouse and keyboard needs, but this (I think) solves the biggest issue of your question.
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
If this is a windows machine, why not use a Terminal Server as a diag. tool? You could hook your laptop to their local ethernet hub and connect that way. And if you wanted to, you could make it public to allow yourself remote access for problems that are need of immediate solutions. But as for an external device, I have not heard of one.
KVM over IP ? - I think some one has already mentioned this previously, however, they mentioned the plugin card variety. You can also purchase a stand alone box, similar to a regular KVM, however, it routes the Keyboard, Video and Mouse via IP to any machine that is network capable. The client is supplied either as a windows binary or as a Java applet (when you browse to the maintenance webpage. You can, in theory use a wireless PDA or laptop with a java enabled web browser to connect directly and control these devices.
Just install freenx on them. It's a really fast remote desktop server that runs over ssh.
Yeah, I've been thinking for years that it would be nice to do exactly this. However, I've *NEVER* seen a laptop that could do this. But...
I've been watching the KVM-over-IP market for the last several years, and it looks like recently they've dropped from $3,000 down to under $500. I'm seriously tempted to get one of these. The ones I've been looking at, because we run only Linux, have been ones that are accessable via VNC, and allow you to control the keyboard, mouse, and read the display, even in text mode. Sounds like one of these and a cross-over cable in your bag would be just the thing.
Of course, many newer systems will allow you to, if properly configured, modify the BIOS over serial, and many installs of Linux now allow you to control them via VNC or serial, so that may be a lower-cost option to get you where you need to be.
Sean
And then you boot your lappy with this http://www.eskimo.com/~johnnyb/computers/stl/. If you need physical access, and the boxes are not Winders, might as well serial.
Try the Avocent SwitchView IP.
http://kvms.com/nav/item.asp?item=8252
It's a tiny little box that runs BSD. It goes between the monitor, keyboard and mouse and has an ethernet port. Sorry, no USB. You access it with a web browser.
You can get them from Amazon for about $700.00.
The LCD screen was so small and light it was a pleasure to carry around (1024x768 native resolution). The long wires allowed me to sit comfortably wherever I was most comfortable.
VGA2USB
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
No, "we" use Firefox's "Live Bookmarks" to display RSS feeds in a menu on "our" toolbar.
Sorry, my karma just ran over your dogma.
The answer is simple: Use VMWARE GSX/ESX Server with virtual servers inside.
You can attach to a vmware console over TCP/IP via their client and get full control over virtual server, reboot, enter BIOS, mount BOOT CD ISO for rescue and so on.
It saved me a lot of time.
Usa a VGA to TV converter to a laptop with a video capture option. My ThinkPad A31p will do that.
p roduct_code=309758&pfp=BROWSE
Then get one of those flex keyboards that roll up. http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?
its been said over and over but your best bet will be: vnc, ssh, or a null serial cable
www.vmware.com
1 box.
Lots of VMs.
Accessible from anywhere over IP no matter what OS each VM is running and no matter what state the "machine" is in, be it hung on boot, crashed, or fiddling with BIOS. All doable from a remote location.
I'm Rick James with mod points biatch!
While this does not exactly match the provided specs, it might be worth a look:
Wireless VGA [grandtec.com]
One thing to note -- It's a Class A device. So there are certain FCC requirements you must meet.
Cheers
I run several machines, several OS's, several monitors. I wish I could put the output of one or more machine's video card INTO a tiny window on my largest monitor.
I could cheat and use TV out on my Mac...
Yes, there are TONS of IP KVMs that have a client you can run on your laptop. ps2/usb/video to the kvm, then ethernet from kvm to network (or crossover into laptop). Easy setup, easy to use.
Another good solution are the built-in consoles - 1U tall, you can pull it out as a drawer from the rack and open it as a laptop. It has a full size keyboard, some pointing device (trackball or trackpad) and a built-in LCD. Like this for example: rack console kit
So, no need to lug a laptop around. Not to mention that pro gear has a serial console capability (yes, PCs too, not only high-end Unix stuff), which allow you to see even the booting process and change the BIOS settings. Connecting this to a standard terminal server is a no-brainer.
oh /., you're so 1337
Speak for yourselves, but "we" use foreign slave labor at a fraction of the cost. And "we" beat "them" with whips every time "they" fail to get first post.
"Avoid employing unlucky people - throw half of the pile of CVs in the bin without reading them." -- David Brent
OK, KVMs are cool and I have a 4-port. But I'm considering adding a Mac to my rig. Can a Mac share keyboards/mice with PCs? If I trade up to a USB KVM and use USB->PS/2 port adaptors for the older machines I currently have set up that can't use USB keyboards or mice? And no - adding USB to them is not an option...
Or putting a KVM in my livingroom to share my wireless keyboard/mouse kit between my MythTV box, Gentoo server/firewall box, Xbox and PSX2? Anything recomended for that, though I think USB can be shared between all these for keyboard and mouse both if needed. console->USB adaptors as needed and all...
these guys are asking for something that would work even if the machine DOES NOT have an OS already installed..... the only one that even comes close are the ones that suggested the rackmounted keyboard/monitor KVM and the VGA to USB thingy..... jeebus people read before posting
p.s. i am well prepared for a flaimbait mod since i don't, nor do i care for, an account here
This was nice for when X locked up (which it did occasionally) or for when the network was down or if I didn't have another box to get network access from -- I could still telnet in through serial, kill X, and be good as new.
The only hitch was that most distros didn't come with the serial port enabled for this in the first place.
You need to clarify that statment, it should say:
"Sounds like this old jock is feeling a little bad about the fact the guys he picked on are now making 10x's as much as he is after their graduation..."
We all know this moron didn't graduate from anything except maybe Pampers.
No one cares what your captcha was
Houston TX, USA
hi,
this is slightly off-topic, in that it doesn't answer the question directly, but recently, working on a multiple machine installation art project
http://www.aec.at/sap_web/de/index.htm
we discovered KVM over cat 5 as a solution to working remotely. The machines could stay in the server room and we could be anywhere in the building. it's about $1000 bucks, but it was crazy worth it. It is essentially a KVM box on either end connected by cat5 in the middle.
- zach
These "colo carts" were no good with the few Sun servers we had, since the default Sun console is a serial port. So if you wanted to console-in to a Sun server, you had to find a laptop and a null modem cable. Most of the other techs had grown up in the Linux world, and thought this exceedingly strange, but I'm old enough to remember when a computer with builtin video, keyboard, and mouse ports was a novelty. Indeed, it occurred to me that our jobs would have been a lot easier if we had configured our own Linux boxes to use a serial port as a console. Then we could have just run serial cables out to our own servers (we had about 20 of them, mostly for our own shared hosting business) instead of hunting for a colo cart every time we needed to console in.
It's another case of people doing things a certain way because of habit, rather than logic.
Ding Ding ding... Nice Follow up. Or you can say... "They Suck Big Floppy..." (If you don't know the rest, watch the South Park Movie) BTW I haven't seen ANY of the LOTR or Harry Potter movies.
Hmmm... Technology... anyone have a match?
Leave it to this crowd to come up with nothing but workarounds. I'm sure this person is aware of the multitudes of ways to console a box.
I believe what he is asking - which I'm interested in as well - is a laptop where the key/mouse/mon can be independently connected to an external device - there are laptops out now that can play dvd movies without booting an OS - this would be a similar thing. This would be even more useful if you could use a keyb shortcut (kvm-stylee) to switch back and forth between your freshly rooted server and the laptops OS. I want one.
-- kortex "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts"
If you have to run Windows servers, buy some decent machines with remote access capabilities built in. HP/Compaq, IBM and Dell all have RAC (iLO) interfaces on some of their low end and all of their mid-high end machines. Spend that money from the KVM on some decent hardware. The downside is that you have to burn an extra port on your switch for the remote access controllers, but it is definitely worth it.
Use a RILO-board or something. After I put the server in the rack I hardly ever see that thing again.
If you didn't need graphical capabilities, you could use the PC Weasel http://www.realweasel.com/, which is supposed to convert vga info into text (or something like that) and send it out over a serial port. Then use a null modem cable + a terminal program on your laptop to receive the data. Maybe that could work for your purposes.
Most rack environments I've been around have been both short on available rack units and in need of a test/management PC, especially if diagnosing something that required client connectivity. They're also usually short on space period, meaning that if you're lucky you can scrunch up on the floor or immediately out on the hallway. If not, you're doing a lot of running around. And usually the flakiest ones have the least amount of space and have removed their displays and keyboards from the rack, too.
A laptop that could be a monitor/keyboard/mouse AND a PC at the same time would be a godsend in those environments. At 1 U it would easily fit. It would also remain valuable for a long time as a compact one-device KVM for years after its computing ability went obsolete.
I've always wondered what "extra" circuitry was involved in doing this. It can't be much.
Are more complicated than the poster wanted. All he wanted is a flat panel moniter/keyboard combo that folds up like a laptop and connects to several computers at once. Portability was an issue here. How do you do the install if you need to adjust something before your null-modem/network services are loaded? i.e. change bios settings
We run linux but wanted remote bios, lilo and boot messages. I have configured our servers for serial output using this howto:l -Console-HOWTO.html
http://www.faqs.org/docs/Linux-HOWTO/Remote-Seria
I then plan to connect a cheap 4 port serial to ip unit (around 200 bucks):
http://www.lavalink.com/index.php?id=263
Providing remote (pre network) access to 4 machines for 200 dollars. Is there a cheaper solution for four machines?
http://www.kvm-switches-online.com/raritan-telerea ch.html
It's hard to say exactly what your aim is. If you're working with unix/linux boxes you can use the serial port and a terminal emulator to connect to the boxes, if they're setup properly. You might also want to look into a terminal server.
...
The biggest problem is when you want to control the boxes while they are booting. This can be accomplished in a number of ways depending on the type of server you're trying to control. KVM, terminal server.
You're right though, I've always thought it would be nice to be able to use the keyboard and display on a standard laptop for another system, especially on systems that don't have a kvm or terminal server interface.
Interesting things might be possible if the video card had a usb interface
Synergy redirects your keyboard and mouse to another machine, plug the laptop in using IP over firewire or an extra nic on the servers, a little zeroconf magic, and baddabing.
Trouble is, synergy is a little flaky. It's not happy when it's disconnected, and usually segfaults if you just pull the plug or break the connection in any way.
Since you want video too, I'd see some sort of VNC or RDP as your only real option.
I have seen LCD monitors with a small keyboard and pointing device built in, all in one luggable unit. You just plug in the VGA and USB for keyboard/mouse and away you go. (Or you could hotglue a small keyboard to a cheap 14" LCD)
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
http://www.dameware.com/ [www.dameware.com] If you are in a Windows environment it can push to any client machine the neccesary software allowing you to connect to users on the fly as well as servers etc. Which is great because all you need is the controller software to do this.
Blackbox makes an ok KVM solution. You can plug in over 24 units into the KVM. Then they have an expansion for it called the UltraRemote that you communicate over the network. It is tcp based and can be done through an ssh port forwarded tunnel.
Bad thing I don't like about it is the UltraRemote that we used was buggy and crashed - we had to reset the thing every few days. Not sure if the product has changed in recent months.
Checkout : http://synergy2.sf.net/
Maybe not exactly what you're looking for but this excellent peace of GPL software lets you use only one mouse+keyboard pair to interact with multiple computer+screen pairs, may they be running Mac OS, Windows and Linux/Unix.
This question is sort fo a variant fo what I was thinking about. I was thinking that it might actually make more send and be more economical to buy the new headless mac, and carry that around, rather then an iBook. Lot's of places I go to teach or make presentations have monitor, keyboard and mouse, so all I really need is the itty bitty mini Mac.
m v? Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GE&Product_Code=XN+700YV&Ca tegory_Code=LCD
But there are occassions I want to take the Mini Mac with me and bring along a monitor as well. So I was thinking about some of those portable LCDs targeting the car market. Something like this:
http://www.goelectronic.com/Merchant2/merchant.
There has to be a cheaper, better solution. I think there will be many more options coming out in the near future, precisely because of the ehadless Mac. And this will help those who need, on occassion, to plug a monitor into a headless box acting up (where precisely because it is acting up, VNC is not an option).
Typical Slashdot.... 99% of posts are unresponsive and off topic.
He needs kb/vid *before* the OS loads as well as after, and for things like routers and sniffers running proprietary OSes but with kb/vga ports. VNC, PCI cards, telnet, and almost every other suggest does not solve the problem as posted.
I'd take a piece of crap used $100 laptop, gut it, and cut some blanks to mount a standard vga port and keyboard port on the outside of the case, and hook them to the kbd and display in the case.
Heck, if you are good enuf, you might could even do it without gutting the case and still have a working laptop.
Lilliput Touchscreen LCD display
It has a VGA input and a USB connector. So far, I've only used the VGA input, and used a separate keyboard. In principle, you can install the appropriate driver (it's available for Linux!), plug in the USB cable and use the touchscreen cabability instead of mouse/keyboard.
This thing's great. It really beats carting around a full-sized monitor.
We setup all our remotes with svideo out to a tv sender, k and m and serial are handled by a small usb doohicky which plugs into a bluetooth usb transponder. The control side we use a laptop with a tv tuner card and a special set of linux drivers for the usb k, m, and serial.
Soundproofing Acoustics noise
Don't you dicks read the questions?
1. It has to be portable for use on customer istes or on the road. No rack mount boxes, no custom cards already installed, no wireless IP KVM solution blah blah blah.
2. ASSUME NO OS IS INSTALLED!!! Fuck, if someone else suggests "Use VNC, it works great!" I'll scream.
RTFQ!
KVM's and the like are for MS cronies.
..in this isn't remote admin or even rack admin.
1) Very compact and portable form factor display, keyboard and mouse. A huge bonus if its an actual laptop, too.
2) When the laptop is obsolete as a computer, it's still a usable display, keyboard and mouse combination.
I've tossed more laptops than I care to remember, but would keep them all (well, at least the 800x600 ones) if they could be used as displays at the very least.
We have about 8 or so Cyclades Terminal Servers.
They run Linux and give you serial console access (with Stop-A and all that jazz) via SSH/telnet/https. We connect these to our Sun serial/RSC/LOM ports, HP-UX serial ports and some of our Linux clusters by just running a getty.
They also support radius authentication, modems, console logs through syslog-ng and lots of other neat features.
Our Linux boxen mostly have iLO (HP/Compaq Integrated Lights Out). The newer firmware supports SSH and https (with Java).
We mainly use laptops + WiFi and some desktop systems throughout our server room.
v4sw6PU$hw6ln6pr4F$ck 4/6$ma3+6u7LNS$w2m4l7U$i2e4+7en6a2X h
Probably your best bet is a KVM extender, there's lots out there, this one here from a google search:
. html/
http://www.thinklogical.com/products/kvm_x-tender
I'm essentially *the* IT department for several small to medium sized businesses. This would be a great solution for me ... currently, I carry around an old 15" LCD monitor and an assortment of hardware (keyboards with various connectors, various mice) as a "crash cart" to diagnise the ... menagerie ... of hardware I find at client locations.
You obviously work in a large IT department where you have the resources or authority to purchase actual server hardware. In smaller businesses, and for the technicians that keep small businesses that need IT services running but can't afford to drop $10k per file server, an "all in one" diagnostic tool would be great.
--
Vote for your hopes, not for your fears - Vote Third Party
thisis a really useful tool
Here is your solution: Laptops make great servers!
No seriously. Just set it on its side and call it a "blade" and then just open it up when you need to use it. Simple!
Need something to install the OS in the first place? That device is called a 'schlepper' -- you pay him some money, and he installs the OS on the machine for you.
Hell, I've never even visited the state that my server resides in.
Everybody's a libertarian 'till their neighbour's becomes a crack house.
Not for "real" rackmounted server rooms, but for commodity hardware running headless servers, etc. I think it would be really nice if some laptop maker could make a removable drive insert (so you could swap it in for the CD drive, for example) with a VGA port connected to the laptop LCD, and 2 USB ports corresponding to the keyboard and trackpad/trackpoint of the laptop. Of course, the normal computer part of the laptop would be disabled for all this.
Ah well, wishful thinking I suppose. There's no companies left who would innovate this much to give useful features to the select few who would use such a thing.
-3Suns
~~~~
The Revolution will be Slashdotted
"It gets first post or it will get the hose AGAIN!"
sheesh
Are you people suggesting VNC/SSH/software solutions fucking retarded? RTFA.
He specifically asked for something that could work on a machine before, during, and after OS configuration.
Does VNC run before or during? No.
Does SSH? No.
Do most any software based solutions? No.
He's either looking for a portable bit of hardware that he can carry around (e.g. a laptop like device) that plugs into the machine and gives him keyboard, video, and mouse access or the oft-mentioned KVM-over-IP setup.
Cyclades makes a bunch of serial terminal servers (http://www.cyclades.com/products/3/alterpath_acs/ specifications). There was an article about this within Linux Journal last year I believe (2004).
We have an IP KVM at each of our offices http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process ?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=201720&pcount=&Product_Id =152988 and hung off the KVM is a modem. You can control multiple KVM's behind the IP KVM and configure hotkeys for each of your KVMS. This enables us to control all of our servers from our laptops when we are at the site, and when we are not. If the internet goes down it also gives us the ability to dial in to the KVM and do maintenance. They're under $1000 CDN and we've had great successs with them. They also keep the ps/2 ports on the server live, so if we have to plug a keyboard and mouse in locally we can (without having to do that annoying reboot). Just a forwarning they say it can have two serial devices attached to the device, we've only ever had success with the one port.
I found that KVM cabling and setup was time consuming, anoying and expensive.
My favoured solution is currently a laptop and SSH. Plus A KVM monitor,keyboard/mouse left in the data center with a few critical machines on and with a spare very long (2-3Meters) KVM cable to connect to any machines stuck on bios/boot screens or with failing SSH.
Obviously this only works if you are Unix/Linux only. Remote KVMs would be useful though, can anyone recommend a secure one that isn't hideously expensive?
froggle reports a Peppercorn "eRIC II" is between $525-$800. They all look the same, don't know what the $800 one is offering over the cheapest, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the OP isnt going to like the price.
There is no right to feel safe thru security vaudeville at the expense of everyone's freedom, privacy and tax money.
A couple years ago, I KVM'd my Mac and PC. I've since added another PC.
I have a USB-PS2 box so the Mac can use a standard PS2 keyboard and mouse. From there, I use any standard PS/2 KVM switch.
I haven't tried a pure-USB solution or a USB KVM with USB/PS2 adapters for the keyboard and mouse but they should work.
Caveat buyer though - I've had to return at least 1 KVM because it didn't pass on the mouse to the Mac properly under all circumstances. Be sure you get a 7-or-more-day trial period to test things out.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Many systems just can't stand having keyboard or mouse unplugged, plugged in, and unplugged.
/ 3854.2. htm
If you need a KVM, well, you need a KVM. The last one we got is a 16 port 1U device described here:
http://www.cyberresearch.com/store/product
This is very feasible and lowcost. Or even a VGA to video converter coupled w/ a USB video capture device(even a Linux or Mac compatible one, depending on your laptop's OS of choice). Nice hack.
Why not just use VNC, it's all done in software so there's no need to hook anything up, and you can connect to the machine from any computer on the network. My personal favorite flavor of VNC is ultravnc. http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/
"Wouldn't it be nice to carry around a specialized laptop that could act as both a portable display and input device?"
I have been talking about this exact thing for a long time. All it would need is a laptop with a built in kvm. One press you are controlling the laptop, one press you are controlling the external pc from the laptop.
Someone build this for me please.
FreeMusicPush If you want to see more Free Music made, listen to Free
They have had this for years. You can remotely boot the systems over an IP network, go into the bios etc. It's a special card that acts like a video card that you can access over an IP network.
try it.
I work for my school's ResNet (computer repair and tech support for the college campus), and we use KVM's. We have the regular old analog KVM that you plug the keyboard/mouse/VGA/ lines into and then use the switch to go back and forth between the comps for the basic repairs and the first level of work.
On the second level we have them hooked up to a digital KVM that consists of two parts: the KVM switch and the module you plug into the computer. Basically the part you plug into the computer consists of either a USB port or two PS/2 ports and a VGA plug in on one side and a regular 10/100 ethernet line on the other end that goes to the switch. Then you can use any computer also connected to the switch by a patch cable and having the proper installed software to access the computers as if you were sitting in front of them. Our version isn't set up to work over IP, but it can be upgraded to it.
I don't remember the maker off the top of my head, but if I do I'll post it (we just upgraded the firmware on the switch and the modules, so the site should be in my history somewhere....).
Anyway, yes, it does exist and it works quite well.
If you can't say something nice, make sure you have something heavy to throw.
One of these devices is ~$300
http://www.epiphan.com/products/vga2usb/index.php
but need someone to solder up the reverse of one of these:
http://www.vetra.com/345text.html
so you could give keyboard input to the remote machine.
Is something like this what you are looking for?
It is rack mounted, but it would be easier than to carry a monitor, keyboard, and KVM seperately.
The only thing that that is lacking from the request is that it is not battery powered and thus requires a power outlet, however since it's all in one nice unit that could be carried from site to site if your customer doesn't have one already installed. I have a feeling it's a little heavier than a laptop, but I'm sure it's still lighter than a CRT monitor. You could probably even put it in a small portfolio case and almost like a laptop shoulder bag.
It works well for us with our sun servers at work (we have kvm for normal use too). I think it would be great to do the same with linux; but my cheapo intel box linux sever at home dont comply.
this seems like it would work $149
s p
http://www.systemid.com/Barcode_Products/997785.a
Remote admin is something you need to consider BEFORE you buy your hardware.
An ideal solution would be able to
- work when the machine has hung (usually means a separate IP for admin, thru a single ethernet port)
- access/change bios
- access to temperatures/fan speeds while OS is running
- mount CDs for reinstalling an OS, even remotely
IBM, Sun & Dell have rather expensive solutions in their servers. Admin is via a remote serial console.
is that you need a network connection. What do you do when the machine won't boot ? I've got a couple machines running FC3 and 3 new kernels have come down via up2date. I usually run update on the servers via ssh. Then I reboot the machines. If one doesn't reboot, I've got to lug out a monitor keyboard and mouse to start working on it.
I totally agree with the author that lugging around kvms is a BIG pain in the butt.
People have told me about serial console but I haven't tried it.
I'd love for the industry to come up with something better.
If only there were some sort of mechanism, like a serial port, over which you could run a console through which control might be exercised. But then, I am going out on a limb here.
Join Tor today!
( Read More... | 1337 bytes in body | 10 of 165 comments | ask.slashdot.org )
Throughout the article this guy keeps saying "bad guys" like he was fighting for something tangible and sacred. Get some perspective man, you're booting cheaters from a game server, not saving babies in 'Nam.
How about: Tampering with software and servers owned or used by the Army is cyber crime
Oooooh, oh no! I'm not fully clear on what people are doing that's got General McNads' panties in a bunch, but I'm assuming it's a bit more annoying than just using a wall hack, perhaps people are trying to crash servers and the like, but that happens to every game/website/store on the web! But because it's happened to the army's game, now they're really serious and pissed. Hello, US Gub'ment, this is the sort of "cybercrime" that goes on daily and is ignored or completely fumbled by current law bodies. Now you know what Joe Developer has to deal with daily when he wakes up and his web-store has been hacked to shit. Did you care then? Nope, but apparently now that it's personal it matters. The guy writing this sounds almost surprised by the affront of the "bad guys": 'How dare they hack us! I mean we're the army for crissake!'
And the bit at the end saying "We're coming for you." Honestly, I think this guy actually believes someone's going to have their house stormed and shot up. At best they'll be sending a lawyer, there will be due process in court, and life will continue as usual. Someone, please, get this over-inflated self-important bastard away from his keyboard and someplace where his gung-ho attitude might actually affect change at the scale he hallucinates. It's a friggin game.
My god Er, I can't believe we are standing in the presence of THE Moon Master!"
-- I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. It's not my fault that life sucks so much. --
I would also wish to have some device with three wires - display, keyboard and mouse - that would build up some all-in-one device such as a 5" LCD display, a decent keyboard and a trackball mouse to make it all easy and portable. But for now, I'm trying to figure out a way to port video to my TV since there's just a wall between the two. I would buy a wireless keyboard/mouse combo for the input side. It would also rock, since I would be able to surf from my tv. =)
When my box has network connection though, I have many choices: vnc, ssh, ftp, webmin, smb, all from either my job, the internet or even my wireless laptop.
printf($randomline(sigs.txt) \n "-- "$randomline(authors.txt));
-- myself
You could also get a VGA to Composite Video adapter. Then you'd just need a video capture box for your laptop. Both can be had for about $100 or less a piece and do the same as the VGA-USB, albeit with a little more hardware, but for cheaper.
If your laptop has Composite Video capture already, then you don't need to get a USB or PCMCIA capture card..
There arn't a lot of consumer x86 boards out there which will redirect console to a com port, I have an old PPro board which will do it, but not to the extent it will let you enter and config the bios.
Looking outside x86 however sparc64 would suit you, if there is no keyboard in the system it defaults to terminal via the first serial port (or whatever you set in OpenFirmware)
This may be true of other OpenFirmware users (Only Apple springs to mind currently)
I did have a point to this post, i think it may have been, look outside x86 for your servers
Music is everybody's possession.
It's only publishers who think that people own it.
Fuck Beta
~John Lenno
Aw crap, I have no idea how this got posted under the wrong topic. Appologies all! I'd retract it if I could. Hooray /. for not allowing editing!
-- I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. It's not my fault that life sucks so much. --
Considering that most (if not all) laptop displays don't use the VGA standard, you will probably never find one that can be used to display another host's VGA output. What I would do is shop for the smallest KVM-IP solution, preferably one that draws it's power from the usb or ps2 connection and use it and a crossover cable to your laptop. Not gonna be cheap, but should be portable and functional... in addition, you get the added flexability of using the equipment's local network to allow you to work in a cushy cubicle somewhere rather than standing right next to the rack!
Sometimes the best solution is to stop wasting time looking for an easy solution.
There are the ServView systems from BlackBox which are pretty much exactly what you are asking for, here is an image. They are made to be on slide-out drawers in a rackmount cabinet but you might be able to do some creative amputation to make it more portable :)
If they are truly servers then you should either have LOM or be able to ssh into them. If all else fails get a terminal server.
You are either trying to make the situation to difficult or you aren't really dealing with servers.
TekGear M1 wearable Heads Up Display
Wrist-mount keyboard. Totally portable.
The HUD supports 320x240 text mode for any standard console out (They sell higher-end ones for those of you running hi-res fb on your consoles).
--Dennis
If your headless machines are running *NIX you can enable the console port to be the default terminal. I run several OpenBSD machines this way, and with 3.6 the OpenBSD guys even made it an option on the install. It's not too difficult to do, (edit the /etc/ttys file) and it comes in very handy. Then all you have to do is fire up minicom ( or hyperterminal... ugg) and your there.
KVM over IP is also a very good idea, until the network goes down.
For 499 you can have a folding laptop-lookalike that is really just an LCD and keyboard that accept external inputs. It folds up like a laptop but it's really a portable monitor+keyboard+touchpad in a laptop form factor.
http://store.earthlcd.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.9/it. A/id.3846/.f
I never owned one but at one job I was seriously considering it for exactly some of the reasons mentioned.
I use it all the time, for my car-puter. Portamon http://store.earthlcd.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.9/it. A/id.3846/.f/
IP KVMs, Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, VNC, SSH, telnet.. All of these solutions have been around for years. How in the hell did a question that can be answered in 2 seconds with a google search be posted on slashdot?
We use Lightwave Console servers http://www.lightwavecom.com/ on our headless systems here. They are really a simple idea, connect the console server to the network, then using cat5 and special adapters you connect the Console Server to the Console port on the system in question. They also make versions that have kvm output for servers without console ports.
This works great for large computer rooms as well as for managing servers that are not centrally located. Using the Lightwaves we even administer servers in other countries. Except for pushing a power button there is nothing we can't do to a remote machine.
I know this isn't what you were looking for in terms of portability, but its a usefull option for managing several servers all from your cubicle in another location.
Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for the are subtle and quick to anger.
And you think you have it bad? How about a headless laptop?
We use HP (OEM'd Advocet) KVM switches that have IP connectivity. The KVM switchbox allows 2 IP users running HP's Java client to connect to any server on the KVM switch. You have full access to the server during BIOS POST, boot-up, etc. We have 2 of those switchboxes and over 4 dozen servers connected to them. Other manufacturers have IP KVM solutions. Check them out. Maybe they'll fit the bill for ya.
I've been using a laptop and VNC http://www.realvnc.com/ to access my Windows boxes and ssh for my Linux boxes for quite some time now and it has worked well for me. The reason I use VNC rather than Remote Desktop is that it is cross-platform and there are VNC servers for Mac OS X and Linux as well, so I only need one client to connect to all my machines. The other reason is VNC is open-source.
Granted, this doesn't help much on a machine that fails to boot far enough to enable netorking and launch the server. But other than that it works very well.
perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5,(41*2),sqrt(7056),(unpack(c,H)-2),oct(
He isn't looking for a new way to do KVM, he wants to be able to give Keyboard/Mouse/Video INPUT to the laptop so it can be the console to a KVM. Yes, software solutions exist, but that makes assumptions about compatibility between the console application and the OS on the laptop. The perfect solution is something (probably a PCMCIA card) that has input dongles to attach into the console KVM ports on the KVM unit AND a switch that toggles the laptop between KVM mode and laptop mode.
Having said that, the poster that indicated earlier that anything only 20 geeks want will cost $10,000 is right, so I'm not holding my breath for the PCMCIA card.
I would say, though, that it would be really nice if someone could come up with some cheap hardware with keyboard/mouse/VGA connectors that protocol converted to VNC APIs over IP over ethernet. There's a lot of people that could use a cheap KVM over IP solution like this...
Turn your airpanel into a primary monitor. Includes VGA pass through and on-screen display controls. Easy expansion with additional USB (2) ports for keyboard and mouse support. Charge your airpanel battery while docked. Attractive, compact design saves desk space
whattya think?
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
For example, if your laptop has composite in :p ?sID=850f57d9dcecfd14eedecbda29891c4d¤cy=CAD &products_id=1791&sID=850f57d9dcecfd14eedecbda2989 1c4d
http://www.mittoni.com.au/catalog/product_info.ph
Also:
http://www.computergear.com/rollupkeyboard.html
You also need your favourite mouse, and you're set.
"Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are the dead." A. Huxley
There's plenty of manufacturers out there making KVM's with over-the-wire remote control (mainly for Data Centers and such).
For example:
How much are you prepared to pay?
I use a lot of DELL servers, and I know other companys have simaler systems. It's basicly another server within the server and provides you complete control and satus on your server independent of the server sate. It's very handy, I don't even need to go into the server room to boot a server from a CD anymore. All you need is a web browser.
both lcd's provide only for RCA video input, not vga
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
Your best bet is to get some sort of console switch; you can get them to support serial or video connections. The console switch is network addressable, so you can connect to it remotely and manage whatever servers are attached to it. We use Avocent console switches
See the subject line. Google for "putty" and click on the first link. Simon is a genius.
All this GUI stuff is overrated - using a secure shell makes it a breeze to administer remote machines from anywhere!
-- Mike
Mouse tracking is dodgy at best and useless much of the time.
Proprietary Windows or Java client software required.
The Windows Client does not work through firewalls. At least the Java client does. There is no documentation for workarounds.
Software is tied to the hardware by serial number.
Screen updates are slow even over a T1. TightVNC runs rings around this.
The vendor also does not respond to support requests via email and the support portion of their website is mostly empty.
However, given all that if you need secure access to a KVM over the internet it works.
Facebook is billions of individual "Skinner Boxes." And if you use it you are the pigeon!
I own a mobile recording studio- that currently cuns on a G5 desktop. I dont want to use a powerbook as they are not fast enough for what I do. The idea I had was similar to the original poster- essentially using the VGA output on a laptop as an INPUT the way a VGA monitor would accept VGA. Same with the trackpad/keyboard. The idea we had was to get an old laptop- like a DELL CPX and put the guts out of it- and find some way of pulling the circuitry out of an old monitor to convert the signal- but honestly I dont have enough technical knowledge to do the job (I am a musician, not an electronics engineer.) The idea behind this is to have a very portable video/trackpad/keyboard solution for the audio rig that I can cart around. A traditional LCD monitor, mouse and keyboard are too cumbersome and fragile. Anyone with any ideas how to do this, please let me know. :-)
What you need is a serial multiplexer. I found a fairly good description of one here: http://www.quatech.com/products/sds.php
O WTO/index.html
Basically, it IP-enables any serial device, so there are a lot of neat things you could do. We used these at a former employer and they are essential if you want to have access to a server's boot sequence.
Keep in mind that on Linux you will probably have to do a number of things to your installation to forward the boot sequence to the serial port. Luckily a howto was written for it: http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Remote-Serial-Console-H
Lastly, most modern server motherboards can be configured to send their BIOS init screens to the serial port too. This would allow you to do stuff like boot off of an emergency CD stored in the machine or work with a RAID array.
Good Luck!
Why not use serial console?
/boot.config and you're done. The next time the system boots up without a keyboard console will go to the serial port.
I've admined Suns and they're awesome for this (built-in for more than a decade). PCs of course have only started to do this.
I it's technically possible with Linux but haven't done it myself. For FreeBSD simply: echo "-P" >
Ignoring the other remote solutions, such as integrated Lights Out (iLO), the Remote Integrated Lights Out or the IP console switches available... The HP product is called a TFT5600RKM. It is similar to a basic laptop, but without the "guts" - no OS, software, etc. It just has a keyboard, trackball, TFT display and PS/2 ports and video out to connect to a KVM. See http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/1085 3_na/10853_na.HTML
There is no such thing, so get a backpack for your wyse terminal, and you should be all set. And for God's, don't even think of using Google - my new Microsoft Anti-Virus told me it's a virus and categorized it as SEVERE (but they said that they would have a patch for it by next year sometime).
Isn't it great the problems needing a GUI just to do simple admin tasks creates?
I wanted to do something similar with my work laptop, too bad it has VPN when connected to work, and my home desktop is not part of the VPN/corporate network and I can't get VNC to work. So, I'm ordering a KVM switch this week ...
- sigs are for wimps.
I still keep my old serial palm pilot to login and change the time on my Tivo and login to my headless server if I'm too lazy to grab a monitor. I also in the past used login to a DEC terminal server, using a modifed serial to RJ45 adapter. They used those on PC's as well, I pretty much null modemed the adapter.
--
This is the closet thing that I know of that would work:
Middle Atlantic Rackmount LCD Keyboard and Touchpad
It's a 1RU keyboard/mouse/LCD monitor. 15 LCD @ 1024x768, with a 101 key keyboard with a touchpad.
Granted, its rack-mountable, but without the mounting hardware it could serve your needs.
Is it just me or has this been already used daily system administrators. I have always used a laptop to console into my unix and linux systems to install the OS as well as setup routers etc. Does there really need another development effort for something already available? I have even used another uxix/linux box and exported it's display to another machine.
a WiFi access point, WiFi card, VNC server software on the servers, and a VNC client on the laptop?
Take a look at this: RealVNC KVM via IP You can connect it to multiple servers, use encryption, and access those servers in what appears to be all of their modes (BIOS, blue screen, etc).
For the original problem, turning a laptop in to a kvm, I think you're just missing one vital part: something to take video as input from a VGA cable.
Maybe someone could make a pcmcia card that had a dongle with a place to connect another computer's video output. (or USB connected device that did it.)
Then you run something that from 1,000 feet looks like a VMware session that has no running OS, but just does Input/Output to the real pc on the other end of the cables.
Something tells me this is totally doable, with a way to convert the video in... yeah...
Can I skip to the "profit!" step please?
(Since you have a mouse input and kb input, hopefully anyway, you can take male-male cables and cross connect two pcs, the laptop and server)
OK wait, maybe what you need is a little box with Kb/Vid/Ms cables coming from it to the "Server" then a USB cable and some software?
Now CAN I PROFIT?!
Silly Rabbit: tricks are for kids.
I have never used the Real Weasel product (We use IP based serial access by Baytech). Real Weasel may do what you are looking for.
Baytech works great I recommend them if the cost is not too high.
Baytech's website is http://www.baytechdcd.com/
Real Weasel http://www.realweasel.com/intro.html
Our Windows servers are HP/Compaq. I think our Windows team can access them via the Lights Out controller/card but I could be wrong.
For all your fancy servers that have the must-have GUIs, just get a Raritan Paragon for the KVM monitor, a couple of rack-mounted keyboard monitor setups, and then use the IPReach for remote access. All of the cables going to the systems are category five, so it's a painless install. It might be a little pricy at first, but if you work out the cost per port it isn't that bad.
Of course, it was easier with Sun hardware, because I could actually power-cycle the box through a serial console, even if there wasn't an installed OS.
It's called a null modem cable and a serial console. (You're SOL with Windows)
Most commercial unix boxes/OSs never actually need a keyboard and monitor as you can get even get directly to the BIOS from a serial console. There's a few PC boxes that can do that (without an extra card), but those are few and far between.
How about a custom system? Mini-itx motherboard, mini keyboard, lcd screen, all in a custom housing. It would be easier to do kvm in/out, using ps/2 and video splitters.
On windows, you have Terminal Serveices (or vnc for those who like it painful) and on Unix you have either ssh or a console server, also called (correctly) a terminal server. Don't confuse that with windows, it's a seperate piece of hardware, they generally support ssh, and have 8, 16, 24, or whatever, serial ports (usually rj-45's).
For Sun hardware there is nothing else like it. Also, if you have Lights out Management on your servers, this is a good way to go. Some PC motherboards nowadays even support using a serial console instead of vga/keyboard. My Tyan Thunder K8S Pro is an example.
On windows, sure, you could do KVM over IP, or what ever else, but damn, if it's a server that keeps going down, then what the hell are you doing with your job? Fix the root cause, don't put bandaid's on the problem.
Assuming you want to use the Laptop as the client, you should check out the PC Weasel 2000.
It's pricey (i think), but it's still very cool.
Don't think that a small group of dedicated individuals can't change the world. It's the only thing that ever has.
One solution, though not as portable as throwing it in the trunk of your car, is what my local co-lo company does. They have what looks like an IV stand (5 legs with wheels). On it they've mounted an LCD panel, and a keyboard with built in touch mouse. They mounted a UPS (APC 1000) on the legs /w wheels. You want to use it, grab it, unplug it, hit the alarm silence button and wheel it over to your server. When youre done, wheel it back, plug it back in and leave.
Their older "crash cart" has a monitor in a rolling cabinet, but it needs power from an AC plug.
Why not get one of those Compaq(HP) 1U keyboard/mouse/display units to carry around. Of course, thats nice if $$ is no worry.
= Grow a brain...
In 1999-2001 I could have sworn that I saw in the server cages next to ours someone hooking up a Dell laptop to their Dell rackmounts so that it was doing exactly what you are saying.
Had I seen it today, I would have just assumed that they were using a remote client into them if I heard someone say they saw that - but I saw them hook up the video cable and I saw the screen - wasn't a remote session.
I can recall commenting on it and my boss at the time thinking all laptops doing that, me telling him they didn't, and then a bet being placed that they did.
I then recall having a steak dinner.
(by that time we were on a business trip and arguably we would have had said steak dinner whether I won or not)
There are some odd things afoot now, in the Villa Straylight.
Epiphan makes a product called VGA2USB ($399) and then buy a usb keyboard with a touchpad on it. (ibm sells one for $100). This way you'd just have your laptop (which you would probably have out anyways) and then one keyboard/mouse combo. It's not perfect, but it'll get the job done for $500.
I see a case mod in the near future. Seems easy enough take a 15" cheap LCD. mount it onto a hard surface with hinges. Mount a keyboard on the opposite side. Intall a screen protector.
The solution to many of life's problems is the ability to make a solution.
Well, I've never actually seen or touched my server. Somebody at the colo joint booted the gentoo livecd, started the network and sshd, and left...probably long before they ever sold it to me. The BIOS was left booting from the hard drive by default, so once I got done with the install I just rebooted into the system.
;-)
If you really wanted to *never* hook up a monitor or console of any kind, you could build your own livecd that used dhcp and started sshd by itself, and just do everything over the network. And even if you don't, once the machine's installed, there's no reason to have to hook a monitor up to it.
Well...unless you break something. In which case, my advice is, "don't."
Given a choice between free speech and free beer, most people will take the beer.
- unstable
- fussy (requires all your time researching and implementing fixes or just getting started initially)
- poorly documented... this obviously implies correct and accessable docs
- poorly configured
is a pain and costs a lot of money. People are making the move back to Windows from Linux in droves and newer users (in business environments) are learning the hard lesson about Linux as their desktop... it just doesn't work.On the other hand, this and some smart business decisions by Apple has begun a shift towards OSX in "normal" work environments.
Some years ago, Open Source held much promise... now that promise is tainted by the reality of Open Source hackers and their lack of discipline and observation of reality. Now you can only depend on a small handfull of Open Source applications to not be trash and not be so poorly maintained and implemented as to cause such a horrible experience for users who just want to get to work.
Linux is a hacker's (as in 'hack', as in 'hacked together' as in 'thrown together with duct tape') People with jobs and responsibilities don't have the time to fuss with Linux to get it to do what a real OS can do out of the box. ESR likes to rally his "troops" about the joys of being a hacker... notice that ESR doesn't have to work and thus has the freedom (much like a pimply 13 year old at his mom's house) to play. Real responsible folk that contribute to society have work to do that doesn't involve being a pompous, hypocritical political pundit wanna-be either so I guess there is a pattern here.
The wise pick the right tool for the job
These guys are working on an open source hardware and GPL'd software solution comprising a PCI KVM card, console manager and KVM over IP manager. Won't be so useful for your laptop though.
I also have a similar dream of a go-anywhere box that can connect to consoles and KVM and anything else. My dream is this though:
I have a small palmtop like an iPAQ running Linux.
It has a VGA out connector going to an HUD on my glasses.
I have a GKOS keyboard in each hand connected to the iPAQ via bluetooth.
I have a bunch of serial/USB to bluetooth dongles that can emulate a keyboard and mouse, and/or talk to serial consoles.
Then I just walk up to a machine, if it doesn't already have a network connection for the console, then I plug in my USB/serial dongle and away I go. It's the same keyboard/mouse that I use for my PC at my desk.
The only problem I have with this is that I still have to connect up a monitor to any machines that don't have serial consoles.
-- main(s){printf(s="main(s){printf(s=%c%s%c,34,s,34
'BTW I haven't seen ANY of the LOTR or Harry Potter movies'
so what? --- and south park sucks assholes too bud.
fucking idgit
I have a BSD bridging firewall sitting in an IDF. It either has no admin network or it is not working. I have a laptop with a nice display, touch pad and key board but it is useless. I go into the server room and all my servers are on kvm's. However the counsel is being used by someone else. Again I have my thumb up my butt and a useless laptop. I don't want another device. I want to use the one I have.
too bad these types of things are so expensive, you could mod one up to fit into a briefcase or something like that.
Same old protocol, brand new...thingy.... http://www.realvnc.com/products/KVM-via-IP/
I regularly use my notebook to remote desktop or ssh into my home file server. Since they both run Suse Linux 9.2 and use KDE 3.3 as there desktop environment its simple. I can even take advantage the the network transparent nature of xwindows and kde to launch and display a single program window running on my server on my notebook.
I always wanted to start a reply that way. Well, we called them X terminals. Things like VT1000 and VT1200 X terminals could also bring up a native serial terminal emulator window that connected to the device serial ports (or telnet) as well as ethernet for the X sessions. I still want one after the last one I saw I turned down as the EPROMs had gon fuzzy and lost some critical bits.
- Tjp
I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!
Ah, but it does. Serial Terminal Linux is an ultra minimalist floppy distro that boots up as a serial terminal. You don't have to install a thing, and it will give you easy connectivity because it automatically boots into minicom on one virtual console per serial port.
Systemd: the PulseAudio of init systems
Why not make one? Grab a cheap slimline briefcase, large enough to carry a 14" or 15" LCD, get a keyboard to suit and mount both of them inside it, with external ports for both. Then all you need a monitor cable and keyboard extenstion and you have a laptop style display/keyboard that is easily portable and useful.
http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/prolian tstorage/rack-options/tft5600/index.html
It's a keyboard, pointer, and TFT display in a laptop-like package, and rackmountable.
Disclosure: I work for HP.
I'm sure that if you asked nicely, Dell would ship machines pre-configured to serial console, so you never need to have a monitor and keyboard hooked up.
I do not deploy Linux. Ever.
Now desktop machines, that is another matter. Plus there is the problem that it's tough to accomplish anything in Microsoft Windows without a GUI, though Windows 2003 does address some of these limitations.
HyperSparc, SuperSparc, UltraSparc, they all did/do serial console. Only Sparc based product I can't say for sure had serial console support was the old Tadpole laptop. Can anybody provide information on how to set up a Mac G4 OpenFirmware for serial console?I do not deploy Linux. Ever.
This includes software install, firware flashing, repartitioning hard drives, etc. If you can't do it over the network, you can connect the server via firewire and call up the hard drive array like you would an iPod or an external drive.
If you install VNC on the server, you can call up the desktop and play with the programs as if it were a regular Mac. I find that 99% of what I need to do is done over SSH, or with the remote management tools.
Our windows PDCs are either an OS X box running Samba, or a Gentoo box running Samba. (Depends on which domain.)
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
We the Mac users carry around a laptop that is set up as a netboot server. Plug it into an 'ill' mac, reboot off the netboot server, which gives you a unix system running on the sick mac, with ssh, VNC, Timbuktu, and other access enabled, diskless or not.
;) ;0
;) It just fixes itself. Betcha you geeks wished you had something like that! well, just get a Mac, and get a life!!!
;)
So from the same laptop you can boot and control another Mac that failed, be it headless, diskless, or pretty much anything-less.
We also have a script that re-images the hard drive to a clean customized system. Takes under 8 ins on 100 mbps to wipe out the HD and reinstall everything (stuff worth about 4 gigs uncompressed HD space) automatically. Takes a couple of minutes with a FireWire cable
Or entire lab cleaned remotely, overnight, dead system or not
Plug in, reboot, and forget
Oh, all New World macs come with NICs and can netboot
There is a flexible keyboard in mini and full sizes
This is the mini for a PDA
http://www.man-machine.com/FX100%20Palm.htm
A junk pentium 100 laptop or thinkpad would do.
I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
Go purchase a LCD KVM, such as the ones herer http://www.i-techcompany.com/. Take it out of the rack mount system and you have a kvm device that is roughly the same size as a laptop and you are on your way to mobile wonderland. --russ
Geesh!
The raritan TZ1500 or T1500 KVM drawer might help
e mu l_adpt/kvm_drawer/prd_cms_index.aspx?currpg=prd_cm s_index&name=KVM%20Drawer&content_category=1&overv iew_flag=Y&features_flag=Y&spec_flag=Y&support_fla g=&status=4
They sell for $1785 and $1575 respectively, it is a little steep but I believe they offer 42 KVM ports.
http://raritan.com/products/access_periph/conv_
There are also standalone keyboard / LCD panel devices in 1U form that sell for $700-$900 or less on ebay. We have a compaq one but I do not have the model number handy.
It baffles me how many people have no idea what serial is still good for. Spawn a getty on it, connect over a dialer program, and you are in, any laptop will do for that purpose.
Or, do what we do, we have an _old_ Livingston(Now Lucent) Portmaster 2 dialup modem bank that we use as a serial login platform. Mind you, the PM2 series used external modems, connected via serial lines, and connects to your network via ethernet. Instead of using modems, we plug each serial line into a unix box, and one into each router and switch. Telnet to the PM2, then attach to a particular line, and you have a login direct on that box. Very nice when your mucking around with ospf routing on a cisco, or firewall rules on a nix system, you can knock it offline without fear of being forced to drive out to the colo to fix the problem. Just log into the serial port. I'm not saying you should go ebay yourself a PM2, but Equinox Systems makes basically the same thing I just said, with more flexability, they specialize in serial over ip gear. They have impressed me at every tech show I have ever been to.
As for monitors and KVM's, they make all that stuff designed for noc usage. 1U rackmount kvm's compliment 1U flip up lcd displays with built in keyboards very well. IBM had that daisey chain method of joining server consoles a few years back, does that still exist? I always liked it. It was basically a cable that plugged into the "out" on one machine, and the "in" on the next in the chain. The end of the chain was a converter for video, and two ps/2 ports. Buttons on the front of the servers controlled which one had the console. Good idea and it had the bonus of being very clean. NOC's are plagued with wirey nightmares, IBM's solution really cleared it up.
--Nuintari
slashdot : where an opinion can be wrong.
I got ssh and a terminal what the hell more does one need. I admin 300 linux machines and don't need a gui to do any of it. Hell user wants a icon on his desktop I don't even need a gui to put it there for him. Do yourselves a favor and really learn how to admin a machine.
Got Code?
KVM boxes solve some of the problem, but sometimes finding a keyboard and a monitor to lug around to these machines is most of the problem. Is there a portable solution that might solve both of these problems? Wouldn't it be nice to carry around a specialized laptop that could act as both a portable display and input device? Does something like this currently exist?
Yeah... Microsoft released them around the time the first TabletPC's came out. They're called "Mira" devices.
Wifi, ARM CPU, running Windows CE. Act as a terminal client, and allow you to use them as a remote mouse and keyboard for any system.
Coming soon - pyrogyra
Q: "How can I remotely admin my enterprise servers more easily in the field?"
A: "Buy a Mac!"P? Only on slashdot. Jesus.
"The question is how do you connect to the device "before, during, and after OS configuration."
You answer with "Clearly Windows is not Enterprise-ready and then karma whore by bashing "M$".
What part of before the OS didn't you understand? Pre OS is a hardware requirement and one that you'll find off the shelf with any real server manufacturers - e.g. Compaq Remote Insight.
Real hardware designed for use as a server should have a serial console.. Companies like SUN put serial consoles even in their lowest end workstations, and many of their servers are only accessible from serial and have no keyboard ports or video output whatsoever.
Today, stingy people and companies are using low quality hardware that was never designed to be used as a server, and as such it doesn't implement the essential features you would expect..
All routers/switches/etc from cisco still have serial, machines from sun, hp, sgi, ibm support serial... It's only the lowend x86 machines that don't, because x86 was designed as a toy, not as a serious server platform.
http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
This http://www.42u.com/rackmount-lcd-monitor-1u15.htm is a rackmounted LCD monitor and keyboard. It takes the space of 1U on a rack and I don't see it coming off that rack sleigh, so it may not be what you want. But you could give it a try.
For Sun Systems, I use an old m100 palm with telnet, you only need to add diferent serial adaptors for the 9-pin that the Palm has.
http://www.epiphan.com/products/vga2usb/index.php
What is need is a laptop that offers interrupts between the computer and the keyboard/mouse/display.
The monitor and the computer, although powered by the same source, should have independant switches.
Let the vga,keyboard,mouse be divereted to ports on the side/back via a few toggle switches.
Simple solution and something I have wanted for years. almost made one out of old laptops a few times. with tablets that have these twisting monitors, this is now really obvious use.
Also, if u could program the touch screen to overlay a fake keyboard, this would be very usefull and small.
i have to agree with many of the other posts regarding using a serial console. use ssh for primary maintenance(all your systems should have a common admin account, probably tied together for common login with NIS/YP/LDAP), and use the serial console for access when ssh craps up...
three can keep a secret, if two are dead - benjamin franklin
I think a laptop that can function as a monitor, keyboard and mouse for another system would come in really handy.
I'd also like to see someone make a pc in laptop form factor- without the monitor and keyboard to use as a headless server. I know there are lots of small pc's out there, but has anyone seen one in a laptop form factor? I think they'd make nice servers for a small apartment- quiet, small and stackable. Also, I have to imagine that it would be not entirely difficult to mass produce one with exisiting manufacturing lines, but I really have no idea what I'm talking about as far as that goes- just a guess.
With a combination of your device (laptop that accepts vga and keyboard in), and some of my devices, I'd be set.
Do you think any hardware manufacturer's read slashdot?
The Freebsdhas the best explanation of this, but it should work for all Unix-ish sydtems. It's at
h andbook/serialcomms.html
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/
But it's expensive. http://www.acnodes.com/ebproductdetail.asp?id=63 I could sure use one of these too.... I can think of about 100 times over the last couple of years I needed this.
You know, they have these things called search engines. Google.com is a good one. A quick search and I found a solution:
.pdf
http://www.pcconnection.com/ProductDetail?sku=50 66 455&SourceID=k15506
You drop the card into the server, and you get SSH/VNC ETC type connectivity to the server. You can reboot and go into the BIOS and everything.
$599, but shop around. This isn't the only vendor of these type of cards either.
The StarView IP Enterprise PCI Server Management Card is an ideal solution for managing a server located in a remote branch office via the Internet. The card enables users to diagnose, restart, access or change BIOS level settings of a server from a remote location. It is ideal for enterprise, data center environments, Data Warehousing and Financial Services industries.
Users can re-boot the hardware, access the BIOS, have full keyboard and mouse control - as if they are on location. Web-Based control allows the server(s) to be controlled from any browser, eliminating licensing costs and making the product easier to use. Advanced video detection algorithms provide excellent remote video quality and industry-leading performance. The card is flash upgradeable and offers low bandwidth consumption, making it usable over a 56k dial-up connection. No drivers are required. The card uses PCI slot power pins only. It includes an onboard Web Server that provides browser-based configuration and administration. Access is controlled via user ID and SSL password encryption; 32 discrete user accounts are supported. The card obtains an IP address using DHCP or manual configuration.
Product Specifications
Compatibility Notes Supported Operating Systems:
Windows NT, 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP
MS-DOS
CPM
Linux
FreeBSD
UNIX and more
Network Protocols:
SSH
HTTP
SNMP
HTTPS
VNC
VNCS
LED indicators:
USB
WAN/LAN
Max Video Mode: 1600 x 1200 @ 85Hz
Ethernet LAN: 10/100 Base TX
Secondary WAN ethernet: 10/100 Base TX
Contents SV1110IPPCI Card, breakout cable, power adapter and documentation
Ports/Connectors Connectors: WAN LAN Multifunction breakout cable port
(connects to system Video, USB, Keyboard, Mouse & Video)
External Power Adapter
Power Notes Power Supply: External 15 watts (12 VDC, 1.2Amps)
Returns Policy Please note that we cannot accept returns for this product - all returns must be sent directly to the manufacturer.
Warranty - Labor 1 Year
Warranty - Parts 1 Year
And here is a 1 port KVM with TCP/IP remote control:
http://www.digitalv6.com/whitepapers/kaveman_spe cs
Here is another:
http://www.techland.co.uk/index/adderlin k_ip
Here is another of the CARD variety:
http://www.itm-components.com/peppercon. html
Managing today's information technology and infrastructures diversity becomes increasingly complex and brings up considerable challenges for IT managers and administrators in delivering reliable performance under tighter cost envelopes. As a result, the need for remote administration tools that can keep mission critical assets highly available is greater than ever. Peppercon therfore has developed the unique "univendor" compatible remote control hardware eRICTM. With eRICTM Control and Access Boards administrators can manage remote PC's or Servers from one point, regardless the server are up or down in using a simple Web browser - anytime, anywhere from any computer or operating system.
* Native Graphical Remote Console Access to OS graphics and text screen
* Access to hardware boot screen Access to CMOS setup Remote Mouse and Remote Keyboard Control
* Remote Access over 10/100 Mbit Ethernet or ISDN (eRIC Plus only) or (optional) analogue modem
* Remote hard reset (Cold boot)
* VirtualPower Button
* Auto configuration of IP address via DNS/DHCP
*
I have been curious to find a solution to a similar problem: installing operating systems remotely (or actually doing any work remotely to a computer that for some reason does not have remote access capabilities -- i.e., no NIC --, but if another one that does is in the same room).
For example, I leave Windows installing on a computer. I'd like to be able to hook up the video, keyboard and, ideally, mouse, to another computer (that has an OS installed and remote access capabilities) so that I can remotely log into that computer and control the one where I'm installing the OS. Same applies, as said above, to a computer that has the OS installed but doesn't have a NIC, or maybe I can't or don't want to install any software on it.
I would imagine this is not really hard to do, if someone really wants to do it, but probably there isn't a lot of demand.
Has anyone ever heard of something like this?
BTW, there ideally should be a way to reset the computer (other than sending CTRL-ALT-DEL via the keyboard connection) in case something goes wrong.
tmegapscm
I don't know what to say to that... It is hard to argue inteligently with some lacking any inteligence.
Hmmm... Technology... anyone have a match?
My German sucks (I can ask you if you want to go to the movies, poorly) but the SnapTFT might help.
I'll also add that I can't believe all the idiots out there who go "Oooh! Why don't you just use [ssh|vnc|other solution that simply wouldn't work based on what was asked]. Doesn't anybody read the thing before posting "Linux! Windoze sucks!"?
What these folks are looking for is basically a portable dumb terminal that uses VGA and PS/2 instead of serial or ethernet connections. While I don't necessarily need such a beastie myself, it doesn't mean that what I use (9" monitor, regular keyboard) will work for these folks. I also use an ethernet-based dumb terminal that requires an external VGA and KB, but it wouldn't help to suggest that since that's basically the problem.
Anyway, enough ranting by an old fart. Still, I think there might be a market for a modern dumb terminal -- all those rack mount KB/Monitor units are expensive... wouldn't a single, portable model be more cost effective? If I were designing it, I would make it have a single, quick-connect connector for Mon/KB/Ms and then sell adapters for $25 or something. That way, you walk up to the machine you want to access and snap! you're connected. If you're cheap, you just carry the single, included connector with you and connect the three cables to it.
Stupid people will be persecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law.
My company, FastPoint Technologies, got a contract for a laptop-like device that would include a keyboard, display (17") and touchpad. Application is military, and I assumed the price (about that of a full laptop because of low volumes) would preclude any commercial applications. Specific application is classified, but requirement was no in-device storage, so no hard disk, RAM (aside from in LCD itself), etc. Should we be promoting this as a commercial product? Doug Lippincott DougL@fastpoint.com 714-484-6300.
I would love to see something like an IntraVeneous (IV) pole, you know a solid base with high quality casters and a strong steel vertical support. But instead of just being a vertical pole with hooks on top, the vertical pole would support a variety of things.
It would have a UPS with a retractable cord at the bottom (so that when not in use the UPS could be charged up in an out of the way location, but when using the thing it would be "wireless" as far as power was concerned.) The wieght of the UPS would also stabalize the thing.
It would be height adjustable (to a range of 8-12") Maybe with a foot petal to activate the height adjustment and the hydraulic mechanism from an office chair (strong and sturdy).
At about elbow height (remember it is adjustable) it would have a sturdy keyboard tray with a full size keyboard, a touchpad with *3* buttons under it and a scrollwheel on the side, plus in front of the keyboard would be a wrist platform (doesn't need to be soft or raised, just something to rest your hands on other than the keys, and not have sharp angles that would hurt.
It would have a nice large LCD panel of at least 1280x1024, a wireless phone headset, A 2 or 4 port KVM switch that could handle PS/2 and USB mouse and keyboards. and one of the KVM ports would be attached to an onboard laptop or Mini-ITX computer with a wireless lan card.
It would also have a clipboard with paper and a pen on a chain (so it wouldn't walk away) and a small (like a cocktail) table next to the keyboard for writing.
Also, underneath the cocktail table it could have a shelf or two for placing your toolbag, and next to that it would have a removable plastic trash can.