On Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:32:16 -0800, prk wrote:

> I know this subject has come up many times before, but it's new to me.
> I am having trouble getting a KVM switch to reliably switch between my
> Windows XP laptop and my two Linux boxes. The PC's are as follows:
>
> 1. IBM Thinkpad T60 laptop with port replicator, running Windows XP.
> It accepts one PS/2 device only, but a Y connector with PS/2 inputs
> for
> keyboard and mouse and a USB output to the PC works just fine, with
> or
> without the KVM switch.
> 2. Dell Precision 3 GHz desktop, about 3 years old, running SUSE Linux
> 10.0.
> 3. Old Dell Dimension 500 MHz desktop, about 8 years old, running
> SUSE Linux 10.1
>
> I have tried many combinations of keyboards, mice, and KVM switches,
> and
> I still can't get the system running reliably. Here are some of the
> results:
>
> 1. The most promising configuration is a Belkin F1DB104P 4-port PS/2
> switch,
> used with a standard Dell PS/2 keyboard and Microsoft PS/2 wheel
> mouse.
> The problem is: when I switch to either Linux box, the mouse goes
> crazy.
> If I move it, it clicks on things randomly, writes nonsense to the
> console windows,
> generally mucks everything up. The cure: unplug the mouse for a few
> seconds,
> then plug back in. How can I avoid having to do this? What might be
> the cause?
> 1a. I also bought a new KVM switch of this model, but it doesn't work
> at all!
> 2. The next most promising configuration is an old Belkin F1D102 2-
> port PS/2
> KVM switch. This works fine, but I want to get to all three PCs.
> 3. I also tried an IOGEAR GCS632U 2-port USB switch, with new USB
> keyboard
> and mouse. This worked OK for a while, but it started going flaky:
> both the
> keyboard and the mouse would drop out. Shaking the mouse for 15
> seconds woke
> it up. Unplugging all USB connections repeatedly got the keyboard
> working.
> Unacceptable.
> 4. I have purchased two new 4-port USB KVM switches: a Belkin OmniView
> SOHO
> model F1DS104U and a StarTech Starview model SV431USB . Should I
> spend the
> time trying to get these to work? Does Linux have a problem with USB
> ports?
>
> Any help or recommendations would be appreciated.

I may be way off base here, but it seems to me that most of the KVM
problems I've seen posted had to do with Belkin. I'm not into USB
peripherals, but I use a couple of el cheapo IO/Gear KVMs and have never
had a moments problem.

ray wrote:

> On Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:32:16 -0800, prk wrote:
>
>> I know this subject has come up many times before, but it's new to me.
>> I am having trouble getting a KVM switch to reliably switch between my
>> Windows XP laptop and my two Linux boxes. The PC's are as follows:
>>

>>
>> Any help or recommendations would be appreciated.
>
> I may be way off base here, but it seems to me that most of the KVM
> problems I've seen posted had to do with Belkin. I'm not into USB
> peripherals, but I use a couple of el cheapo IO/Gear KVMs and have never
> had a moments problem.

I agree. I had a Belkin 4 port KVM and had all sorts of problems, and not
just limited to Linux, it wouldn't switch reliably between Windows machines
either.

Now I have an ATEN CS-1764 KVM and it rocks. Switches perfectly every time,
and does audio & USB as well. You can even have the audio running on one
machine and the keyboard & mouse switched to another.

Dump the Belkin **** and get yourself an ATEN (or other quality brand).

Mackin

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

prk@alcatel-lucent.com wrote:
> I know this subject has come up many times before, but it's new to me.
> I am having trouble getting a KVM switch to reliably switch between my
> Windows XP laptop and my two Linux boxes...

Based on my experience with KVM switches, it sounds like a firmware
problem. I had similar symptoms to yours with my ATEN 1734A KVM switch
until I downloaded and installed a new firmware file from their website
- everything worked fine after that. I go back and forth between my
Linux machines and the XP machine without any problems now.

Why don't you check to see if there is a newer firmware version for your
switch and see if that doesn't help.

RJ

prk@alcatel-lucent.com wrote:
> I know this subject has come up many times before, but it's new to me.
> I am having trouble getting a KVM switch to reliably switch between my
> Windows XP laptop and my two Linux boxes. The PC's are as follows:
>
> 1. IBM Thinkpad T60 laptop with port replicator, running Windows XP.
> It accepts one PS/2 device only, but a Y connector with PS/2 inputs
> for
> keyboard and mouse and a USB output to the PC works just fine, with
> or
> without the KVM switch.
> 2. Dell Precision 3 GHz desktop, about 3 years old, running SUSE Linux
> 10.0.
> 3. Old Dell Dimension 500 MHz desktop, about 8 years old, running
> SUSE Linux 10.1
>
> I have tried many combinations of keyboards, mice, and KVM switches,
> and
> I still can't get the system running reliably. Here are some of the
> results:
>
> 1. The most promising configuration is a Belkin F1DB104P 4-port PS/2
> switch,
> used with a standard Dell PS/2 keyboard and Microsoft PS/2 wheel
> mouse.
> The problem is: when I switch to either Linux box, the mouse goes
> crazy.
> If I move it, it clicks on things randomly, writes nonsense to the
> console windows,
> generally mucks everything up. The cure: unplug the mouse for a few
> seconds,
> then plug back in. How can I avoid having to do this? What might be
> the cause?
> 1a. I also bought a new KVM switch of this model, but it doesn't work
> at all!
> 2. The next most promising configuration is an old Belkin F1D102 2-
> port PS/2
> KVM switch. This works fine, but I want to get to all three PCs.
> 3. I also tried an IOGEAR GCS632U 2-port USB switch, with new USB
> keyboard
> and mouse. This worked OK for a while, but it started going flaky:
> both the
> keyboard and the mouse would drop out. Shaking the mouse for 15
> seconds woke
> it up. Unplugging all USB connections repeatedly got the keyboard
> working.
> Unacceptable.
> 4. I have purchased two new 4-port USB KVM switches: a Belkin OmniView
> SOHO
> model F1DS104U and a StarTech Starview model SV431USB . Should I
> spend the
> time trying to get these to work? Does Linux have a problem with USB
> ports?
>
> Any help or recommendations would be appreciated.

I have an Iogear GCS62 that work fine, but I found this in its manual:

"Some notebooks, notably the IBM ThinkPad and Toshiba Tecra, have trouble
when their mouse and keyboard ports are used simultaneously. To avoid this,
only connect the mouse port or the keyboard port. If you connect the mouse port,
you will need to use the notebook's keyboard when the notebook becomes
the active computer."

Bill Pfeifer wrote:
> prk@alcatel-lucent.com wrote:
>> I know this subject has come up many times before, but it's new to me.
>> I am having trouble getting a KVM switch to reliably switch between my
>> Windows XP laptop and my two Linux boxes. The PC's are as follows:
>>
>> 1. IBM Thinkpad T60 laptop with port replicator, running Windows XP.
>> It accepts one PS/2 device only, but a Y connector with PS/2 inputs
>> for
>> keyboard and mouse and a USB output to the PC works just fine, with
>> or
>> without the KVM switch.
>> 2. Dell Precision 3 GHz desktop, about 3 years old, running SUSE Linux
>> 10.0.
>> 3. Old Dell Dimension 500 MHz desktop, about 8 years old, running
>> SUSE Linux 10.1
>>
>> I have tried many combinations of keyboards, mice, and KVM switches,
>> and
>> I still can't get the system running reliably. Here are some of the
>> results:
>>
>> 1. The most promising configuration is a Belkin F1DB104P 4-port PS/2
>> switch,
>> used with a standard Dell PS/2 keyboard and Microsoft PS/2 wheel
>> mouse.
>> The problem is: when I switch to either Linux box, the mouse goes
>> crazy.
>> If I move it, it clicks on things randomly, writes nonsense to the
>> console windows,
>> generally mucks everything up. The cure: unplug the mouse for a few
>> seconds,
>> then plug back in. How can I avoid having to do this? What might be
>> the cause?
>> 1a. I also bought a new KVM switch of this model, but it doesn't work
>> at all!
>> 2. The next most promising configuration is an old Belkin F1D102 2-
>> port PS/2
>> KVM switch. This works fine, but I want to get to all three PCs.
>> 3. I also tried an IOGEAR GCS632U 2-port USB switch, with new USB
>> keyboard
>> and mouse. This worked OK for a while, but it started going flaky:
>> both the
>> keyboard and the mouse would drop out. Shaking the mouse for 15
>> seconds woke
>> it up. Unplugging all USB connections repeatedly got the keyboard
>> working.
>> Unacceptable.
>> 4. I have purchased two new 4-port USB KVM switches: a Belkin OmniView
>> SOHO
>> model F1DS104U and a StarTech Starview model SV431USB . Should I
>> spend the
>> time trying to get these to work? Does Linux have a problem with USB
>> ports?
>>
>> Any help or recommendations would be appreciated.
>
> I have an Iogear GCS62 that work fine, but I found this in its manual:
>
> "Some notebooks, notably the IBM ThinkPad and Toshiba Tecra, have trouble
> when their mouse and keyboard ports are used simultaneously. To avoid
> this,
> only connect the mouse port or the keyboard port. If you connect the
> mouse port,
> you will need to use the notebook's keyboard when the notebook becomes
> the active computer."

I have a JustCom KVM 4 port PS2 switch which works with Mandrake Linux,
OS2/ECS and Windows XP (Model JC 104P)