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DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

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Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#241

Post by vidarh »

nine_k wrote: post #41
ccakes wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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

Most monitors have 2-3 inputs. Mine has a desktop, a laptop, and occasionally my phone attached to it, using HDMI, DP, and another DP / USB-C respectively. Unless you switch really often and want subsecond switching time, three's no need to even use a KVM to switch the monitor.

Most of the time the reason for a KVM is wanting to switch the monitor, mouse and keyboard, and possibly other devices (e.g. I want to use the same webcam that remains in the same position) at the same time.

Switching just the monitor isn't really the use case they address.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#242

Post by airtonix »

vs4vijay wrote: post #67

On Windows, you have the option of using a tool named Mouse Without Borders, which was developed by Microsoft Garage and is now part of Windows PowerToys. Links: - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/garage/profiles/mouse-without-borders - https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys

[dead]

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#244

Post by batrat »

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…

I have an ATEN usb KVM that allows anything to be plugged in. I have an USB drive to quickly transfer files but works with anything USB powered. It's expensive if you go for USB 3+, DP, etc but cheaper ones work also just for USB stuff. One big drawback, at least for me, some mice and keyboards that have special keys, do not work 100%.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#246

Post by archerx »

vidarh wrote: post #239
archerx wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RDP still still like it would be a better solution, one mouse and keyboard for both PCs and not only that you could have both PCs dual screened.

The point is you don't always want both PCs dual screened. I have my setup prepared for both (using Synergy and a KVM switch): Sometimes I need the screens to show each separate machines desktops, but want to be able to quickly switch keyboard/mouse between them. Sometimes I want one machine to occupy both. For the latter a hardware KVM switch is vastly superior to RDP. For the former, no RDP server/client I know of…

I'm still not sold. RDP does all the configs you've mentioned, dual screen, single screen, being able to see both screens at the same time plus there is the very nice feature of being able to copy paste between computers and peripheral passthrough.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#247

Post by conwaytwitty »

drakenot wrote: post #229
conwaytwitty wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want a proper kvm, see the offering from level1techs/wendell (not affiliated, just a satisfied customer) at https://www.store.level1techs.com/products/hardware I used one with 4x dual dp switching at home to run desktop with linux, pcie passthrough gaming vm on same machine and my work laptop via a dell thunderbolt dock connected to it. Works extremely well, with modern features tested for (gsync, high refresh…

I get how the Linux desktop and the Work Laptop would work in this setup. But how does the KVM come into play for the Gaming VM when it is on the same host?

It was pci passthrough so the vm had a dedicated gpu, usb controller and nvme drive which I wired to the hardware KVM as extra inputs.

There are other options like https://looking-glass.io/ , but I preferred having this option, which is like having 2 computers if there's enough resources to share to the gaming guest (cpu pinning + huge pages).

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#248

Post by Borg3 »

archerx wrote: post #35

Why not use Remote Desktop? I work on multiple computers on one laptop and if your network is fast enough it’s silky smooth. For linux I use VNC and it works well but isn’t as nice as RDP.

RDP is really great compared to other solutions like VNC or Xserver. Im really sad there is nothing similar for Linux. Anyone?

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#249

Post by shilgapira »

AlexErrant wrote: post #77
acjohnson55 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish there was a solution for Android. Sliders for fine grained selections are horrible in touch interfaces.

"fine grained" is relative, but you can go forwards/backwards 10 seconds in YouTube Android by doubletapping to the left/right of center on a video. If it's paused, doubletap to the left/right of the play button. It should also work on iOS, but I don't have an iPhone so can't confirm. https://www.majorgeeks.com/content/page/youtube_double_tap.h...

You can also set the skipping jumps to 5 seconds in the settings

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#250

Post by vidarh »

archerx wrote: post #246
vidarh wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point is you don't always want both PCs dual screened. I have my setup prepared for both (using Synergy and a KVM switch): Sometimes I need the screens to show each separate machines desktops, but want to be able to quickly switch keyboard/mouse between them. Sometimes I want one machine to occupy both. For the latter a hardware KVM switch is vastly superior to RDP. For the former, no RDP server/client I know of…

I'm still not sold. RDP does all the configs you've mentioned, dual screen, single screen, being able to see both screens at the same time plus there is the very nice feature of being able to copy paste between computers and peripheral passthrough.

I've not seen an RDP client that provides the capabilities you're describing without e.g. having one of the machines control both screens and putting an RDP client full-screened on one of them, and because of the stutter and CPU overhead I get even with a hardwired network connection that's not a viable option.

I'd be overjoyed if there was a reliable way to do this, but it will need to have each machine controlling it's own screen and pass mouse events between them, similar to how synergy does - having one or both of them rendering desktop of the other is way too laggy, even hard-wired.

I also need a solution where I can disconnected either machine at any time without disrupting anything, which rules out a solution where one machine controls both screens, or where the keyboard and mouse is only physically connected to a single machine.

If there are any RDP clients which can work together to pass mouse events between them the way Synergy or this hardware hack does, I'd be overjoyed (but neither will replace my KVM switch for the occasions I want one machine to control both screens)

> plus there is the very nice feature of being able to copy paste between computers and peripheral passthrough.

Synergy also provides the copy-paste (though I'd actually prefer not to be able to, as I use it between a personal and work machine I don't want to pass more than the bare minimum of data between), and the KVM switch provides the peripheral passthrough.

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