kvm-switch interview questions
Top kvm-switch frequently asked interview questions
I have the following hardware:
- 2 Desktop PCs, running Windows XP and Ubuntu
- Macbook Pro
- a LCD monitor, a wired keyboard, and a wired mouse
Currently, I'm using an oldish IOGear KVM switch to connect the two PCs to the input/output (and it works very well).
I'd like a setup that includes the laptop as well, ideally maintaining as much portability as possible (meaning I'd like to be able to sit down, easily plug in my laptop, work on all computers, then easily pick up and leave with the laptop - is docking station the right word here?). What hardware do I need to do this?
Source: (StackOverflow)
At work I've 4 different computers connected using a keyboard/video/mouse switch.
Quite often when I switch to windows vista the resolution is totally wrong and I need to get the screen properties dialog, change to another wrong resolution (because the funny part is that the current resolution listed in the dialog is apparently the correct one) then re-switch to the correct resolution.
I would really like to just shut that broken resolution autodetection code off. Is there a way to disable screen resolution autodetection in Windows Vista?
Source: (StackOverflow)
I have a Dell Precision server with a PCIe FX100 KVM Host card installed (manufacturer is Teradici but it's rebranded as a Dell solution.)
I am not using this card (it's installed in the machine but not externally connected to anything), but I believe it's still overriding the onboard audio to be the default, and only, audio output. As such, the audio from the server is being routed to the KVM card. I do not want this to happen as I have speakers connected to the audio out jack.
I'm running Ubuntu 10.04, and under System -> Preferences -> Sound, the only thing listed is "HDA Teradici", which is the KVM card.
According to the server's manual, the onboard audio is supposed to be "an integrated two-chip audio solution comprised of Sigmatel’s STAC9200 High Definition Audio CODEC and the ESB2’s integrated AC97/High Definition digital controller".
- Where can I select to use the onboard audio instead of the KVM card, or how can I find where the PCI card is overriding the onboard sound?
- If that's not possible, is it possible to disable the PCIe KVM card somehow? This is a remote machine so I'm not able to physically remove the card.
I would also appreciate any troubleshooting steps to point me in the right direction for where this card may be overriding things, any relevant logs, etc.
lspci output
lspci lists the following for the device, but does not appear to list any other audio devices (using lspci -v | grep Audio):
02:00.0 USB Controller: Teradici Corp. Device 1200
02:00.1 Audio device: Teradici Corp. Device 1200
lshw output
and lshw has the following relevant section:
*-pci:1
description: PCI bridge
product: 5400 Chipset PCI Express Port 5
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 5
bus info: pci@0000:00:05.0
version: 20
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pci pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=pcieport
resources: irq:73 memory:dbf00000-dbffffff
*-usb
description: USB Controller
product: Teradici Corp.
...
configuration: driver=ohci_hcd latency=0
resources: irq:52 memory:dbffb000-dbffbfff
*-multimedia
description: Audio device
product: Teradici Corp.
vendor: Teradici Corp.
physical id: 0.1
bus info: pci@0000:02:00.1
version: 00
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
configuration: driver=HDA Intel latency=0
resources: irq:52 memory:dbffc000-dbffffff
pacmd list-cards output
and pacmd list-cards Lists only one card available (Which is why I'd assume I'm unable to select any others):
Welcome to PulseAudio! Use "help" for usage information.
>>> 1 card(s) available.
index: 0
name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_02_00.1>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
owner module: 4
properties:
alsa.card = "0"
alsa.card_name = "HDA Teradici"
alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Teradici at 0xdbffc000 irq 52"
alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
device.bus_path = "pci-0000:02:00.1"
sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:05.0/0000:02:00.1/sound/card0"
device.bus = "pci"
device.vendor.id = "6549"
device.vendor.name = "Teradici Corp."
device.product.id = "1200"
device.string = "0"
device.description = "HDA Teradici"
module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
profiles:
output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6000)
output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6060)
input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 60)
off: Off (priority 0)
active profile: <output:analog-stereo>
sinks:
alsa_output.pci-0000_02_00.1.analog-stereo/#0: HDA Teradici Analog Stereo
sources:
alsa_output.pci-0000_02_00.1.analog-stereo.monitor/#0: Monitor of HDA Teradici Analog Stereo
>>>
aplay output
And aplay -l similarly only lists the Teradici device:
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Teradici [HDA Teradici], device 0: ALC883 Analog [ALC883 Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
alsa-details script output
I've run the alsa-details script, the results are available in this paste.
Source: (StackOverflow)
I am currently running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit with a dual monitor setup with an NVIDIA 7950 GT graphics card. One monitor is dedicated to this machine and the other monitor is connected to a DVI KVM switch.
When I switch to my other computer, Windows 7 disables the monitor. However, when I switch back it does not re-enable the monitor. The only circumstance that automatically re-enables the second monitor is when I switch back after Windows has put the monitors into power save mode. I am continually having to bring up the NVIDIA control panel to have it re-enable the monitor.
Under Windows XP I would just disable the NVIDIA service to prevent it from auto-detecting the monitor (which doesn't solve the problem under Win7), and in Vista there was a registry hack that would prevent this. It looks as though that has been removed in Windows 7.
I have found similar questions posted on this site, but nothing that matches my problem exactly. The following link is the question that comes the closest, but does not provide a solution to the problem.
http://superuser.com/questions/96683/how-to-fix-monitor-detection-on-windows-7
Is there a way in Windows 7 to disable monitor auto-detection?
Update: I just added a second graphics card to my Windows 7 64-bit machine. I plugged one monitor into each graphics card. Now, when I use the KVM switch to switch back and forth it will re-enable the second monitor like it should. There are however, a few quirks with this. If I have a program maximized on the second monitor and it has focus, when I switch it will move to monitor 1. If I have a program maximized on the second monitor and it does not have focus, when I switch it will behave like it is minimized and when I bring it back up it will show up maximized on monitor 1.
Definitely better than it was, but still looking for a way to disable the auto-detection.
Source: (StackOverflow)
Has anyone come across software that can do this successfully/reliably?
I would like to set up my Nexus 7 tablet on a stand under my monitor and use it with the mouse/KB hooked up to my desktop so I can continue to use it while using my desktop without having to pick it up.
I was able to find one application which claims to do this (PC Loves Android), but reviews on the Google Play store do not seem to favor it.
Source: (StackOverflow)
Is anyone aware of a USB Switch that is programmable or controlled via the PC?
I am writing a test application that requires the device (a mobile phone) to be plugged in via USB to a PC for initialization and then plugged in to a wall charger for a particular test.
Ideally I'd be able to have the phone plugged into the switch and then have two outputs from the switch - one to the PC and one to the wall charger. And then be able to set which connection to use from the PC.
Any thoughts?
Source: (StackOverflow)
I'm trying to install Windows 7 on a virtual machine on my 64 bit Ubuntu Karmic box. I get to the point of selecting my language settings and clicking 'install now', but a short while later I get a blue screen of death.
I've tried a few variations, including using the 32 bit (fails very quickly). The virt-install command I've tried includes this:
sudo virt-install --connect qemu:///system -n ksm-win7 -r 2048 \
--disk path=/home/kief/VM-Images/ksm-win7.qcow2,size=50 \
-c /var/Software/Windows7/Full/64bit/SW_DVD5_SA_Win_Ent_7_64BIT_English_Full_MLF_X15-70749.ISO \
--vnc --os-type windows --os-variant vista --hvm
The limited info I could find suggested that 'vista' should work as the --os-variant, I haven't found any values specific to windows 7.
Here's my blue screen:
I've found very little by Googling, so I'm guessing this isn't a case of KVM simply not supporting Windows 7.
Thanks for any help.
Update:
I have been able to successfully create a Windows 7 VM using the graphical "Virtual Machine Manager" app, although I don't really understand the cause of the problem with the VM created with virt-install. Comparing the configuration files under /etc/libvirt/qemu provides some clues, although I don't know enough to interpret them properly. The interesting differences in the two VM configurations are:
--- win7-virt-install.xml
+++ win7-vmm.xml
-<domain type='qemu'>
+<domain type='kvm'>
@@ -21 +21 @@
- <emulator>/usr/bin/qemu-system-x86_64</emulator>
+ <emulator>/usr/bin/kvm</emulator>
@@ -23 +23 @@
- <source file='/home/kief/VM-Images/ksm-win7.qcow2'/>
+ <source file='/var/lib/libvirt/images/ksm-win7x64.img'/>
I'm not sure if this means the working VM is not using qemu at all, or if there is some other difference in the way it's used with kvm.
Update2:
So I've answered my own question (mostly) below. A KVM VM needs to use KVM's own CPU emulation rather than qemu's in order for me to get Windows 7 installed. I'm not sure whether there is something that can be done to get it working on a qemu-emulation CPU, or whether a newer version will support it. But at least it is possible to get it running on a KVM VM.
Source: (StackOverflow)
I have two desktops, side by side. The 2nd desktop is for guests. About once a week a friend comes over and plays games on it next to me.
So anyway, I have two identical 23 inch Hanns-g monitors, one of which is being wasted most of the time.
I have two video cards in my main computer, so I'm thinking of going dual-monitor. I already know how to do this and do it at work (two monitors on one computer)
BUT
Is there a way for me to have the monitor plugged into both computers, and just press a button to have it switch between computers? That way I wont have to unplug and switch plugs every time.
Source: (StackOverflow)
I have synergy client 1.4 running on a Linux machine and same version server running on either Linux or Windows laptop (both have the problem described below).
My Linux client is Dual-Monitor setup. There is one video card (NVidia with proprietary driver) which has two monitors connected: one to DVI output another - to HDMI. Dual-Screen is configured via KDE Display configuration and HDMI output is set to be Left-of-DVI. Both monitors have 1920x1080 resolution.
The setup works flawlessly by itself. But when I try to use synergy to control the client, I can only enter one of the screens (The HDMI output) with the mouse cursor.
Relative position of the monitors are as follows:
+--------------+ +--------------+
| | | |
| client 1 | | client 2 |
| | | |
| | | |
+--------------+ +--------------+
↖
+-------------+
| |
| server |
| |
+-------------+
The arrow indicates which monitor is accessible via synergy.
Is there anything that can be done?
Source: (StackOverflow)
I just found out that my IOGEAR KVM switch (GCS22U) doesn't work with my Apple slim aluminum keyboard. This is really frustrating because I now have a KVM that works with Ubuntu and Snow Leopard, except that the keyboard isn't recognized by Snow Leopard when it's connected to the KVM. Of course it works when it's plugged in directly, but defeats the purpose of using a KVM switch.
So I thought maybe I can just get a keyboard switch. Like a cable that switches a single USB device between two computers. This would mean I would have to click two buttons in order to switch them, but I think that's my only option at this point. Know of any super cheap ones that will work for the Apple slim aluminum keyboard in this scenario?
Or...I could just make one from scratch. I'd love to make one but I don't have any experience in that area. Switching 4 wires (instead of just positive and neutral) sort of baffles me. Know of any good tutorials that I can follow?
Source: (StackOverflow)
I currently have two computers connected to a KVM. One of the computers is connected to a spare display. Both computers are connected to an audio mixer. The KVM has DVI for video, and USB for the keyboard/mouse.
Anyway, sometimes I will start up a movie/video on the computer with the spare display, and put the window on the spare display, and then with the KVM switch to the other computer. Once I switch to the other computer Windows decreases all the audio volume for some reason, so the video which was playing great is barely audible.
Is there any way to disable this behavior, so I can have a video running on one computer, and be playing a game, or doing something else on the other?
The behavior seems to have nothing to do with the model of KVM attached since I have seen the behavior on 3 different KVMs, but since all the comments I have have gotten so far bring that up, I have included links to the models below. To repeat, I am NOT using the KVM audio ports, I have the audio from the computers directly routing into a mixer.
The audio does not return to the levels when I have reselected the computer. Here are some captures of the mixer before and after the switch. After a KVM switch I have to manually adjust the Windows mixer settings to get audio back to the normal level.
The Windows mixer before a KVM switch.
The Windows mixer after a KVM switch.
Ok, I have an update with an additional fact, but I really don't understand why it should be making a difference. The audio output from the on-board audio device in my computer is connected the mixer. Additionally, I have the USB audio adapter that comes with a logitech USB headset. I have a microphone connected to the adapter. So if I disconnect that adapter the audio levels do not change when I use the KVM to switch between computers. With that adapter connected, when I switch between computers the audio to the speakers drops to nearly 0, but not quite.
In the computer I have the on-board audio. I also
Source: (StackOverflow)
I routinely work in Windows, Linux, and Mac, so I obtained this KVM switch:
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=404586
Now, whenever I switch between Linux (Ubuntu 9.04) and Windows (XP SP3), I have to auto adjust my monitor, as everything appears fuzzy.
How do fix this problem?
Source: (StackOverflow)
I use a KVM switch to jump between my tower and laptop, both placed on my desk. With Ubuntu 9.04 this worked perfectly. In 9.10, when I switch to the tower, then back to the laptop, the mouse is detected (as shown by /var/log/messages) but moving it has no effect. If I use Ctrl-Alt-F1 to switch to the TTY, then Alt-F7 back to Xorg, the mouse starts working.
The tower is running Windows 7, but that shouldn't matter.
Sometimes, but not other times, the USB keyboard on the KVM switch is also not usable and I have to use the laptop's built-in keyboard to switch to the TTY.
The laptop has two monitors, the built-in and an external. It's (obviously) the external panel that is attached via the KVM switch.
Any suggestions? Report to Canonical as a bug?
Source: (StackOverflow)
Awhile ago I changed the switch port key to left control on my IO Gear USB Switch and I'd like to change it back to Scroll Lock. When I did this, I have some memory of believing that I had found an error in the documentation for the switch regarding how to enter Hotkey Mode.
Per the instructions in the manual(PDF), I'm supposed to be able to enter Hotkey Mode by Holding Scroll Lock for 2 seconds, adding Minus on the keypad for one second, and then release Minus first and within a second release Scroll lock. Ignoring the strangeness and fragility of this process, I'm looking for confirmation that this indeed works for anyone else. I can't remember why I thought it was wrong but I clearly remember that I did (I even had a blog post that I was going to write about but it got lost in the sands of time).
As an aside, I'd be interested in seeing if there is any way to force a reset for the switch without entering Hotkey Mode as that would do exactly what I'm trying to do and I wouldn't have to mess with Hotkey Mode.
Thanks in advance!
Source: (StackOverflow)
I have two computers at home (Windows XP and Windows 7), but one monitor for both of them. They are connected to this monitor using different interfaces: DVI and VGA.
I'm also using one keyboard and one mouse to control both PCs with the help of Synergy or Input Director. But I still need to manually switch between monitor interfaces.
Is there some way (software) that will switch the interfaces (turn off the monitor), when reaching the edge of the screen with the mouse?
Until now I found several answers, which help to avoid pressing hardware buttons, but still can not do the job automatically based on mouse pointer coordinates.
Source: (StackOverflow)