[kwlug-disc] KVM switch alternatives

[Bob Jonkman]

The software you may be thinking of is Barrier,  forked from Synergy (which got absorbed by some for-profit or something). I keep remembering "Synergy" but forgetting "Barrier" so I have to look it up every time. 

But it shares keyboard & mouse across the network, and requires separate monitors for each computer.

While I was looking up "Synergy" I found this, which may have something more useful to you:

https://alternativeto.net/software/synergy/

--Bob.


--
Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com> Phone: +1-519-635-9413
SOBAC Microcomputer Services http://sobac.com/sobac/
Software --- Office & Business Automation --- Consulting 
GnuPG Fngrprnt:04F7 742B 8F54 C40A E115 26C2 B912 89B0 D2CC E5EA


On 6 September 2021 14:17:28 GMT-04:00, CrankyOldBugger <crankyoldbugger at gmail.com> wrote:
>Currently I have a 4-port KVM switch with HDMI and USB that let's me hook
>up my NUC and three lucky Raspis to one monitor, all over HDMI and sharing
>the same keyboard and mouse, of course.
>
>I noticed that one of the four channels is no longer functioning.  So my
>four port is now a three port.  Much sad.
>
>So I've been shopping around for a replacement, but to be honest I'm not
>impressed with what I've seen so far.  Ideally I'd like to get an 8-port
>KVM and still make this month's mortgage payment, but the math doesn't work
>out.  Amazon's cheapest 8-port (with HDMI and USB) is $400, with the
>high-end models around $3,000.  So scratch that idea.
>
>So that leaves me with either (i) staying with my now 3-port KVM, (ii)
>buying a 4-port KVM, or (iii) looking into one of those software based
>alternatives, whose name eludes me at the moment, or (preferable) (iv) find
>a 4-port switch that can be daisy-chained by adding more 4-port modules in
>the future.
>
>Does anyone have any ideas about any of those options?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Jeff