[PLUG] Laptop as KVM?

[Matt Alexander]

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004, Matt Alexander wrote:

> On Fri, 16 Jan 2004, AthlonRob wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 2004-01-16 at 18:31, Matt Alexander wrote:
> > > I just thought of something that would be really handy for me...  A VGA
> > > to USB adapter that lets me view a desktop computer's display on my laptop
> > > screen.  Taken a step further, it'd be sweet to have my laptop essentially
> > > function as a KVM switch for my headless boxes.
> >
> > Run some CAT5 and set up TightVNC on all the boxes concerned.  :-)
>
> Well, yeah, I could just SSH in after the OS is loaded.  But what I want
> to be able to do instead is watch the hardware boot messages, install new
> OS's, enter the BIOS, etc., without having to worry about having a spare
> monitor/keyboard with me.  So this device would basically take everything
> from the remote box and pipe it over USB to my laptop.  Then I would be
> able to run some software that would open a window and let me manipulate
> the remote system.
> ~M

Given the rather hefty price tag on KVM-to-ethernet switches, I just had
the crazy idea of creating my own KVM-to-ethernet Linux-based device.  The
box would basically run a VNC server and have ports for connecting KVM
cables to a computer.  But...  I don't have the faintest clue how I would
take video/keyboard/mouse and flip-flop everything so it would work with
the VNC server.  Any suggestions on how this might be done?
Thanks,
~M