A USB KVM for your IT Tool Bag
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- Опубліковано 29 чер 2024
- Today I'm taking a look at the Openterface USB KVM. It's a simple little device that bridges HDMI and USB HID emulation to your laptop, acting as a keyboard/video/mouse display in a tiny package.
TechxArtisan sent me this kit for review, no money changed hands.
Overall I think the hardware is great. The kit I have includes the full bundle + the optional VGA cable (VGA really needs to disappear someday...). The software could use some work, it's functional but lacks niceties like pasting blocks of text. The lack of ISO emulation might be a dealbreaker, but you can plug a flash drive into the USB 2 port of the device to pass it through (or just directly into the device).
Buy the OPENTERFACE:
www.crowdsupply.com/techxarti...
openterface.com/
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:30 - Unboxing
02:29 - Software
05:17 - Thoughts - Наука та технологія
Answers to viewer questions:
- The VGA to HDMI adapter works fine with USB power
- You can access the UEFI/BIOS (including hitting function keys) over both HDMI and VGA
- Paste works from the menu, but not from the hotkey, on the current build (for macOS). For Windows/Linux it's in development.
- It works over USB 2.0 using a Type A to C cable just fine
Hey! 👋 Huge thanks for reviewing our Openterface Mini-KVM! Our dev team is hard at work making improvements to the KVM control as we speak. Also, a massive shoutout to everyone dropping questions and sharing thoughts in the comments below. 🙌 We're diving into each one to chat with you and take your awesome suggestions on board. Your engagement is what makes this community absolutely amazing! Cheers!
As a data center manager, this is a perfect tool for my bag.
You know.
I stopped at 33 seconds because the intro was so simple and clean. The quality of your presentation has continued to improve. Keep it up.
Glad you liked it!
Dang, I had to immediately purchase it, I don't even know when will it ship but I guess it's a surprise gift for future me. Thanks for the great content!
We're working hard here to manage production and are aiming for delivery by the end of September. The earlier you place your order, the sooner it’ll be in your hands. Thanks for your support, and we hope it’ll be a fantastic surprise for future you!
It does seem fairly neat for its size, I could see it being useful on the go when interfacing with embedded machines in tight places that I can only get to with a laptop.
Exactly! Keeping it small and portable is one of our core design principles, making it super handy for headless troubleshooting on the go. We’re glad you see its potential for tight spaces!
I'm both happy and sad about the fact that it doesn't have file pass through (ISO mounting, file sharing etc) because on the one hand, super convenient for new setups, on the other, not passing Data traffic means that in a pinch, I can use it to check out a compromised device without exposing the host device, even if I should just not connect anything to it at all that isn't set aside for it.
I think being able to pass copy paste is a must passing through iso and files would be neat too
I am eagerly waiting for mine to deliver in Sept. Original backer. Hope it work as well as all the reviews. Very useful for headless servers even as close-by as down the basements. Only need to carry a laptop without lugging monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Thanks for backing us! Our team is going all out to ensure top quality production. We're excited for you to get your hands on it and experience the convenience firsthand. Your support means the world to us! 🧡
Looks like a nice tool to have !
Yes, it is super handy for people who need to manage headless devices often.
It appears that "PASTE" is in the "EDIT" menu in the program toolbar. You skipped passed it twice.
It was referenced with command v which I think he tried. And the GitHub states it's not yet supported. So there's that.
According to Github history they implemented it in the Swift (macos) version about a week ago (the beta version one after the version I tested). So the button now works, and so does cmd+v
@@apalrdsadventures Good to know. So you were correct not to click paste.
The clicking paste got trimmed in the editing process, I recorded ~10+ minutes of me playing with the software
You can transfer text from the host to the target by clicking 'Paste' in the top app’s menu. We’ve noticed it might not be as intuitive as it could be, and we’re looking into ways to enhance this experience. Stay tuned for updates!
if you work on servers (not consumer hardware), vga native is better (have worked with various vga to hdmi adapters and they generally bad) even latest servers use VGA.
Seems to be a bit slow to change when VGA monitors are becoming less common. Of course, most just use the Web based remote access nowadays.
nice tool to have
Ah man thats cool i want one
Certainly beats buying a Nexdock (or similar) and will def be a lot cheaper. massive space saving potential. plus if you want you can screen record in OBS so win/win. this looks to be a keeper to me.
Where in the F did you find that WEG flashdrive?? It is a electric engines factory from very near my hometown in Brazil, shocked to see it referenced by you!! Great content as always!
I've had it for about 10 years now, it's only 2G so it doesn't fit any desktop Linux distro at this point, and it's way too big for most USB ports, but it looks cool on the desk
6 views in after 1 minute of posting and 6 likes, damn bro! very nice!
Looks like it would be a very nice tool if i often had to deal with headless servers.
If your (networked) raspberry pi is playing up, this is a great alternative for logging in and fault finding.
Cool, I keep using a cheap HDMI -> USB dongle, but that still requires a keyboard (sometimes a mouse too), and I have to run OBS, which works fine for this.
ps: this would be much nicer if it ran a VNC or RDP and created a wifi hotspot as well, but :) if you go on-site a lot or work on a machine in the garage/basement/attic, then it is a life saver for sure.
I use the same solution with the USB dongle and keyboard/mouse 😂
@@charliesretrocomputing I wish there was a simple video input viewer on OSX. I spent time trying to figure how not to flip the image in photo booth and couldn't .... on my win laptop I used the photo app and it worked fine.
@@denesk2794 I used to be a Mac user, I remember how annoying the Photo Booth image flipping was 😭
@@charliesretrocomputing me too. I have a VGA to hdmi converter so I can use it on servers
@@charliesretrocomputing Yeah ... extremely .... I have Win/Linux/OSX, but primarily work on OSX, so generally would want to connect it to my Studio or Macbook .....
But just because of that I tend to revert to my old Windows tablet...... that's also kind of the throw-around machine I don't care for, so if it's "connect to a raspberry while standing on a chair" (happens in my home office), then I rather drop the old Win than my shiny Mac :)
This is interesting. One of my future projects was going to involve a HDMI to USB capture dongle and a PS/2 keyboard/mouse to USB converter. Both these items are pretty cheap these days. I was then going to write some Arduino software to twiddle the bits on the PS/2 mouse/KB serial lines converting codes from the Arduino virtual COM port into KB/mouse signals. It theoretically works out a very cheap solution, but you do need two USB ports, and I'd have to put some software together to control it all.
I have a hdmi to usb-c capture device and a vga to hdmi with OBS to configure servers. I have to use a usb keyboard to still control it.
Thanks for the review. So the question is - can this be made into a network KVM - like plugging it into an SBC like an Raspberry Pi's USB and then access it remotely similar to a PiKVM. In addition to a multi-port USB & HDMI switch?
I think once you add in the cost of a Pi you're getting to the price point of a PiKVM anyway, and PiKVM can do disk emulation from ISOs.
Yes, we're planning to match and serve its KVM control as VNC via the host computer. This feature is on our roadmap. Stay tuned :)
@@techxartisanstudio Awesome , thanks for the reply
I think that's one of the first products I've see with 3D Printed parts haha
Would love to see a Kali tutorial.
FINALLY
Does this function with a usb type a to the laptop (host)? I think it should right.
Yes, I have upgraded the orange type c cable with an extra adapter to usb A
A lot of the target audience for this will be using it against servers with VGA ports, could you test the VGA functionality?
Sure I’ll pin a comment tonight
I suppose it's less clumsy than an actual crash cart, but if they ever make an IP-based version of this, I'll be first in line.
A PiKVM would be an IP-based solution (the PiCast that I have another video on does IP over USB3, and PiKVM in general uses Ethernet)
Would must have an IP interface.
i need this about as much as you need to shave - if you hocked a open source pikvm made from cots parts i would be waaay more interested. you can and should make your own and then brand them and sell them - forks are encouraged
Openterface mini-kvm is fully open source in both hardware and softwares that support Windows, Linux, MacOS and web app. You may check it out. Cheers.
Seems like you don’t see the post screen, then it worthless for a real it-pro
I trimmed out over 10 minutes of me messing with it, but yes the post screen works
@@apalrdsadventures great! Then it’s would suite my needs