Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

tony5429 · 2010-07-23 14:23:41

This may sound like a weird question. I have a laptop and a server (both running Arch64) and I am wondering if I can use my laptop's keyboard to control my server over a USB cable. So I'm looking for a way to output characters from my laptop to a USB port. Does anyone know if this is possible? As an example, to do a system upgrade on my server, I want to connect a USB cable between my laptop and server and type something like this on my laptop...

echo "pacman -Syu" > /dev/ttyUSB0

What would be really awesome if it is possible is to run a command or daemon which pushes over every keystroke on my laptop to a USB port. Does anyone have any ideas?

karol · 2010-07-23 14:28:58

Maybe try ssh?

tony5429 · 2010-07-23 14:46:13

Yeah; I typically use SSH to control the server. But I am looking for a solution when the server goes down and can't be reached over the network or when I need to edit the BIOS config.

Trent · 2010-07-23 15:50:36

A solution besides just buying a keyboard for the machine?

karol · 2010-07-23 15:52:32

Trent wrote:

A solution besides just buying a keyboard for the machine?

Or a KVM switch.

Trent · 2010-07-23 22:36:12

karol wrote:

Trent wrote:
A solution besides just buying a keyboard for the machine?
Or a KVM switch.

Because, you know, buying a keyboard would just be too easy.

But yeah, that's a solution I'd try before using my laptop as a keyboard.

tony5429 · 2010-07-24 04:31:57

Haha; I already have a keyboard for the machine. I am just wondering if it is possible to use my laptop keyboard somehow. Really I have the server, the laptop, one USB keyboard, and one flat panel monitor. I know I can replace the monitor with a VGA frame grabber and see the output on my laptop (via VLC) so I am wondering if I can't throw out my keyboard as well by simply using my laptop keyboard. It surprises me that no one has ever done that...

mikesd · 2010-07-24 07:18:49

You might be better going with a serial cable. GRUB and the Linux kernel can both output to a serial console during boot. Server grade hardware can also output the BIOS screen to a serial console as well.

whacath · 2010-07-24 07:45:40

Synergy is the solution!

Arch Linux

#1 2010-07-23 14:23:41

Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

#2 2010-07-23 14:28:58

Re: Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

#3 2010-07-23 14:46:13

Re: Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

#4 2010-07-23 15:50:36

Re: Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

#5 2010-07-23 15:52:32

Re: Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

#6 2010-07-23 22:36:12

Re: Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

#7 2010-07-24 04:31:57

Re: Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

#8 2010-07-24 07:18:49

Re: Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

#9 2010-07-24 07:45:40

Re: Can I "Emulate" a Keyboard?

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