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DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

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Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#31

Post by zrail »

ccakes wrote: post #8
mariopt wrote: post #6

I bought 4 USB hubs just to switch the keyboard and mouse, it's just so annoying how most devices are so terrible. Randomly you have to physically detach the hub several times a day. If you plug webcams and/or USB mics, it only gets even worse. I'm using Synergy software and it works well, but I still want a proper KVM that can allow for webcams, mics, audio, etc. Features like moving only a group of plugged devices…

> KVM users are underserved for sure. 100% I want to share keyboard, mouse and monitor between a PC and a MacBook. A KVM with DP+USB on one side and Thunderbolt on the other doesn’t seem to exist.. I feel like this has to be a common use case :( I know I could break out on a dock first, but I have a particularly high-res monitor which most of the docks baulk at, or only support at 30Hz

I have a compromise setup but it seems to work ok. Two MacBooks, one pro, both M1.

One is plugged into a TS3+. The other is plugged into a USB-C dock to get Ethernet and a USB-A input, but I don't use the video out. Instead, I run a Thunderbolt to DP cable from a second TB port to the KVM switch.

I use this KVM ordered on Amazon: Cable Matters USB 3.0 KVM Switch DisplayPort 1.4 for 2 Computers with 8K@60Hz

Pros: preserves 5K@60Hz for both machines, switches keyboard, mouse, and a webcam just fine.

Cons: no hot key switching, another remote to lose, no EDID emulation so the computers fall asleep when they're not active, switching takes a bit. Sometimes a machine doesn't wake up when I switch back to it so I have to fiddle with cables, but that's been pretty rare.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#32

Post by wombat-man »

ccakes wrote: post #8
mariopt wrote: post #6

I bought 4 USB hubs just to switch the keyboard and mouse, it's just so annoying how most devices are so terrible. Randomly you have to physically detach the hub several times a day. If you plug webcams and/or USB mics, it only gets even worse. I'm using Synergy software and it works well, but I still want a proper KVM that can allow for webcams, mics, audio, etc. Features like moving only a group of plugged devices…

> KVM users are underserved for sure. 100% I want to share keyboard, mouse and monitor between a PC and a MacBook. A KVM with DP+USB on one side and Thunderbolt on the other doesn’t seem to exist.. I feel like this has to be a common use case :( I know I could break out on a dock first, but I have a particularly high-res monitor which most of the docks baulk at, or only support at 30Hz

I share a mouse and keyboard between pc and mac with a usb switcher.

Two monitors. Both the mac and pc are connected to each monitor. I just switch inputs as needed.

It’s not as good as one button press but heck i can monitor something in both systems if I want

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#33

Post by fock »

with all the people switching USB-devices collected here: I also have an USB-switch to handle work/private machines (as well as the odd usually headless VM).

Oddly, there is no delay on switching with Windows. Devices are registered instantly and I can type. Linux needs 1-2 seconds... and I just don't know why. Anyone has an idea what to tune?

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#34

Post by smcleod »

michaelmior wrote: post #3

Synergy works well for this purely in software. Unfortunately it's not free or open source, but it's relatively inexpensive. https://symless.com/synergy

And its new version has been rewritten so that it’s no longer a native app but an Electron web app.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#36

Post by jbverschoor »

Good to note that it doesn't require client software to detect edges.

> To get the mouse cursor to magically jump across, the mouse hid report descriptor was changed to use absolute coordinates and then the mouse reports (that still come in relative movements) accumulate internally, keeping the accurate tally on the position.

So it works like synergykm / barrier, without clipboard features and without client software.

Very nice.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#37

Post by _cenw »

michaelmior wrote: post #3

Synergy works well for this purely in software. Unfortunately it's not free or open source, but it's relatively inexpensive. https://symless.com/synergy

Synergy has some bugs they just don't seem to care about. For instance, if you use a macOS host, the calculation of where your cursor on a Windows/Linux client uses the macOS acceleration curve, but the actual movement of cursors does not. So you end up switching back unintentionally trying to do things on the third of the windows screen closest to your host.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#38

Post by munro »

Wow!! Very cool! I tried to use a KVM to switch from my personal macbook, work macbook, and gaming computer.... the hardware was awful, I had just ended up manually switching. The gaming computer had its own keyboard&mouse, so it was just switching the monitor (and there would be horrendous latency).

Anyway, I think this space has tons of low hanging fruit for improvement. And so many KVM products are insanely priced, and they're not even good.

Also how the ADuM1201 works is very cool!

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