Comment on JetKVM's Source Code is now public! ✨

Lemjukes@lemm.ee ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  KVM also allows access if the machine isn’t booted up, so like mounting remote recovery images, re-installing an OS, and changing BIOS settings and that kind of thing.

  source

  • batmaniam@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    I love this. I have a box I’ve been wanting to move to a family members place because they have fiber and I don’t. They’re heavy users of the plex server I have on there, so they’re happy to host it, but if I ever had issues around anything boot related I’d be down until I could physically get there.

    This would also be awesome for troubleshooting some RasPi stuff where I kind of want the DE every now and then but mostly let it run headless.

    source

    • MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Yeah it’s great for that kind of thing!

      Enterprise servers often have it built in, but for everything else this is priced really well.

      source
• monkeyman512@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  As for food functionality it is very comparable to software remote control of a computer. There are 3 key features that stand out:

  • It does not rely on the target machine being booted into the OS. This means you can access it even if it crashes or locks up.
  • It can “push” the power button on the machine. This requires an accessory that plugs into the motherboard. So you can force a machine off or cold boot a system.
  • You can mount a boot ISO. This is like having a bootable flash drive in the target machine so you can install an OS remotely.

  source
• grue@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  If I understand correctly, it’s kinda like an add-on IPMI, in the sense that it doesn’t rely on the target computer’s OS to be running to work.

  source
• doggle@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  ELI5:

  It lets you remotely control a computer.

  It’s different (arguably better) than remote connection software because it is a separate device that basically just forwards your keyboard & mouse inputs. This means that you can control the remote device even if it’s powered off or not able to boot properly, and you can configure the BIOS remotely too.

  You could call someone on-site to connect the KVM to a server, but KVMs, while expensive by regular person standards, are pretty cheap as enterprise hardware goes. So some organizations just keep separate. KVMs plugged into all critical hardware all the time.

  Worth noting here that KVMs are potentially a quite Hugh security risk.

  Their website is probably light on details because “KVM” is fairly common industry parlance. If you normally work with this stuff then just hearing those 3 letters tells you most of what you need to know.

  source

  • vividspecter@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Worth noting here that KVMs are potentially a quite Hugh security risk.

    You can put them behind a VPN and they should be relatively secure. I definitely wouldn’t expose it on the web directly, however.

    source

    • doggle@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Sure, as long as the VPN itself is secure. Strong passwords/keys, etc. A VPN itself can be a potential security risk, as if it’s compromised an attacker can tunnel traffic directly into a network straight past a firewall.

      The risks can definitely be mitigated, but if someone’s asking for an ELI5 on KVMs, then it may be best to stay away until they have a better understanding of IT infrastructure altogether.

      source
• WolfLink@sh.itjust.works ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  I have a similar project called PiKVM. I can remotely turn on my computer from a full shutdown, navigate the BIOS to select an OS, and log in, after which I typically switch to a software-based Remote Desktop which is more performant. But you can’t power on a computer and navigate a BIOS with a software solution.

  source
• AtariDump@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  ELI5

  Remote KVM lets you access the machine as if you’re in front of it, including pre-boot / BIOS / BSoD’s / Etc (when software isn’t / can’t run) because the device (usually) connects to the computer’s USB/VGA port.

  source
• AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  For me, they’re also useful because a lot of my jobs don’t allow remote software to be installed on laptops, so I use something like this to be able to remote in still.

  source
• Ulrich@feddit.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Like call up someone in another building ‘hey plug the jet into tower X so I can remote in?’

  The whole idea is you don’t need anyone local. You leave it plugged in 24/7 so that’s it’s accessible remotely, as needed.

  source