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DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

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Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#111

This is great, but why use raspberry pi? Seems like the same functionality would be easier and more robust using an embedded-type system like Arduino. Teensy boards in particular can act as USB hosts.

These are Raspberry Pi Picos, they are embedded type devices and not the usual Pis you're used to. The keyboard I'm using right now uses the same chip (RP2040) as the Pico, runs QMK and seems to be more performant (flashes faster anyway) than the normal microcontrollers you tend to get in plancks and the like.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#112
This looks great! I need to look into it. For a little while I have used a combination of a KVM Switch and Mouse without Bordershttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=354... to switch between my computer and the laptop I have on my desk. It would be great to have a local-only option. The application would need to copy the contents of my clipboard from one computer to the next, a feature I don't think I can live without.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#114
post #65
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some dell monitors also allow switching video input via keyboard + mouse using the Dell Display Manager utility. You can set custom hotkeys for each input. I have a dell monitor as my daily driver and its my central monitor in a multi display setup simply because of the display input switching capability. Beats having to buy a expensive DisplayPort KVM.

That's pretty interesting, how long does the switch take?

Its about 2 seconds. Although, there is slightly longer delay when switching from a dell laptop connected to the monitor's HDMI input than the PC connected to the displayport input. I suspect it has something to do with the dell laptop going through a thunderbolt4 dock and outputting via HDMI.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#115
I use a cheap 4-way USB port 2.0 sharing switch (for printers) that can be found on eBay for $10. I even used two chained together with another 2-way switch when I had 12 computers around me. You just press a single button corresponding to a single computer and all your keyboard/mouse events are going there.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#116
post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a saying “nothing sucks like synergy but they all do”. Not a single one of these technologies is reliable. But synergy is the one that has multiple times made even the connected keyboard stop working to the point where the machine needs to be power cycled to become responsive.

Thing is, I used the old OSS Synergy some 15-20 years ago, across Linux, Windows and I believe OSX as well (although I am not 100% certain about the latter). It worked absolutely flawlessly for several years while I used it and I loved it dearly. Fast forward (I had no need for a software kvm until last year) and I use Barrier now and it barely works. Autostart on Windows doesn't work at all, the installer failed to…

Totally agree. Back in 2004 I used it daily to bridge between two PCs running on one network, behind a firewall with one running the synergy server and the other the client, and a laptop running the client. Both PCs were under my desk with my laptop and two screens from the PCs on top. I had one keyboard and mouse across three screens powered by three computers and could seamlessly not only move my mouse across all 3, but also copy paste text across too. I believe a newer version (which may never have materialized before it went closed source) was going to have drag n drop across too. It was so easy to work with and remember it very fondly. It was magic stuff.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#117

I use a cheap 4-way USB port 2.0 sharing switch (for printers) that can be found on eBay for $10. I even used two chained together with another 2-way switch when I had 12 computers around me. You just press a single button corresponding to a single computer and all your keyboard/mouse events are going there.

Similar setup, I have a switcher that has my mouse/keyboard/microphone connected. One tap, switch between my Macbook and my Windows Desktop.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#118
post #52

I have a similar project inspired by another similar project ( https://github.com/jfedor2/screen-hopper ). My own version of this consists of two programs. One program runs on a Linux desktop and listens to input events from the Linux input subsystem (evdev). When you press a specific key, it will start consuming all events and sending them over USB serial to a RPI Pico. Pressing the key again will toggle back into p…

[deleted]

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#119
post #52

I have a similar project inspired by another similar project ( https://github.com/jfedor2/screen-hopper ). My own version of this consists of two programs. One program runs on a Linux desktop and listens to input events from the Linux input subsystem (evdev). When you press a specific key, it will start consuming all events and sending them over USB serial to a RPI Pico. Pressing the key again will toggle back into p…

I'm sure people would be interested in seeing it even if it still has bugs

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#120
Here’s how I do it now, three machines two are linux and one is windows: I use Logetic MX master 3 mouse, it can connect to three devices via Bluetooth, if I need to switch from one to another, I click a button in bottom to switch it to the next one, and being wireless is very handy since one machine is far away from where I sit and it’s connected to a big screen.
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