Hi, I apologize in advance for the length of this posting. The executive summary is: USB KVM mouse and keyboard switching is unreliable on a couple of Linux boxes. All the gory details: I've got a new shiny new box (running next to my trusty 10.0 system) on which I've installed alpha 5 of OpenSuSE 10.2 (but this question is not about that version of SuSE Linux per se--it's actually behaving fairly well). Now that I've working regularly with two systems, or trying to get set up to work that way, I've added a KVM to the hardware mix. Since both the Linux boxes have DVI cards and since I also have a couple of Macs that can supply dual video outputs, I chose a four-way KVM: an IOGear model GSC1764. This particular KVM is extra fancy, in that it switches audio (speaker and mic) and a pair of auxiliary (non-keyboard, non-mouse) USB ports. And it can switch the KVM, the audio and the auxiliary USB ports independently. Wow. If only it worked as it should. But the Linux boxes (both of them) seem to have trouble keeping up with the USB switching and after a while, sometimes just one or two switches, they stop accepting USB input. They also show a seemingly inconsistent set of kernel messages in /var/log/messages when the USB environment changes. Since the message show manufacturer information, I can readily see what devices are connecting and disconnecting. But even though each occurrence of the KVM inputs switching from one system to another always redirects the keyboard and mouse together, the kernel messages often show only one of those devices changing. Furthermore, lsusb will show connected devices that are in fact not connected and even when a devices is connected and shows up in the lsusb output, the system does not resopnd to input from that device. I've tried the KVM device's built-in, hot-key-triggered USB reset command, but that does not help. I've gone through their very painful procedure for dealing with eratic behavior (shutting down all the computers and then powering down the KVM switch for 30 minutes follwoed by powering up the KVM first followed by the computers). None of this as well as a lot of other standard voodoo has helped. I would suspect the KVM itself, but the iMac has no trouble with it (I haven't connected the Mac laptop, yet. Sadly, IOGear disavows support for Linux, simply providing a link to <http://www.linux-usb.org/>, which i found none too helpful, especially since there's not listing in their product database for this KVM or its two-port sibling and much of the information on that site seems rather old.. Incidentally, while IOGear makes the KVM product, apparently a company called ATEN International Co., Ltd. manufacturers the USB components used in that product. I'm really at my wits end. I have been able to find no good information on the Web and I'm quite frustrated. Can anybody clue me in to what might be happening and how I could fix it or at least work around the problem? Thanks. Randall Schulz
On Wednesday 11 October 2006 17:49, Randall R Schulz wrote:
Hi,
I apologize in advance for the length of this posting. The executive summary is:
USB KVM mouse and keyboard switching is unreliable on a couple of Linux boxes. <snip> Thanks.
Randall Schulz
I've heard that changing the system BIOS to enable legacy USB support sometimes helps with the reliablility of keyboard/mouse USB connections. I like Newegg.com for the customer reviews of products. http://www.newegg.com/Product/CustratingReview.asp?item=N82E16817107457 Have an NVidia nFORCE 4 mainboard by any chance? Stan
Hello again, On Wednesday 11 October 2006 15:49, Randall R Schulz wrote:
Hi,
I apologize in advance for the length of this posting. The executive summary is:
USB KVM mouse and keyboard switching is unreliable on a couple of Linux boxes.
...
An small update: I have discovered that this IOGEAR product is just a relabelling of one by ATEN International Co., Ltd. In fact, IOGEAR barely changed the ATEN model number at all: ATEN: CS-1762 (2-port) / CS-1764 (4-port); IOGEAR: GCS1762 / CS1764. I found a firmware updater at the ATEN site, but it turns out the device has the latest firmware. (The release notes mention support was added for Sun, whether that means SunOS / Solaris or Sun workstations or servers, I don't know.) Nonetheless, I downloaded the firmware, but unsurprisingly, the behavior did not change. So, if no one can help me solve this problem, are there any recommendations for a good KVM that handles DVI and USB and works with Linux? It doesn't have to have the bells and whistles of the ATEN / IOGEAR model, it just has to work... Thanks again. Randall Schulz
participants (2)
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Randall R Schulz
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Stan Glasoe