On Thu, 2007-03-08 at 13:51 -0600, Les Mikesell wrote: > Anne Wilson wrote: > > >> The KVMs are supposed to do that, but apparently it is more complicated > >> than it used to be with auto-detection and maybe even initialization of > >> different device types. Some older ones don't work with mice with scroll > >> wheels and I've always had trouble getting linux and windows to share > >> one properly on KVMs that work with a 3-button mouse. > >> > > No offense, Les, but these comments need to be accompanied by a YMMV. > > > > I work all the time with two linux boxes under this desk, connected to a > > Belkin PS/2 KVM. It behaves faultlessly. From what I have read, USB KVMs > > are more problematic, though. > > The problem case I have is switching between Linux and Windows on the > same kvm with a wheel mouse - and you may be right that some of them > will work. With mine, whichever was switched to the kvm when the > machine was rebooted would work, but then switching back to the other > machine would make the mouse go wild. A nicer approach when you use > both frequently is to add a monitor to the other machine and run synergy > to share the keyboard/mouse like it was a dual-headed box. On a pair of > machines I use less frequently I just use a 3-button mouse. Just to stick my oar in, you may find that the "mouse going wild" may be caused by the gpm daemon running. On occasion there's a conflict that causes gpm and the X mouse handler to fight each other. I usually have gpm disabled in run level 5: chkconfig --level 5 gpm off If I need to go to a virtual console via C-A-number and need gpm, I'll start it in the virtual console. As far as plugging/unplugging PS/2 keyboards and mice...we've done it for years on literally thousands of machines and haven't popped a mobo yet. The operative word there is "yet". It hasn't happened to us, but it could. We have, however, bent many a pin on the DIN connectors and VGA cables, so we use short pigtails between the device and the computer. Lots cheaper to replace a pigtail than the device! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - Rick Stevens, Principal Engineer rstevens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - - VitalStream, Inc. http://www.vitalstream.com - - - - When all else fails, try reading the instructions. - ----------------------------------------------------------------------
