Poor-mans-IPMI (IP-KVM) with raspberry pi and serial

[nullredvector]

I found this thread and I'm wondering if anyone has done it.

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=119356

 

also, since almost no modern hardware comes with a serial port (at least not home (non server) consumer stuff), will the recommended usb to serial adapter on the host (pc to grab the screen from) be able to display the BIOS/EFI/POST over the usb/serial connection? If so this seems to be an excellent and much cheaper solution than a $300 IP KVM module.

 

or maybe a male to male usb cable can used but using a serial connection protocol/signaling?

[Electronics Wizardy]

5 minutes ago, nullredvector said:

since almost no modern hardware comes with a serial por

almost every motherboard has a header, it just isn't used

 

What are you trying to do? wake on lan and remote desktop will work fine for most uses.

 

Otherwise, how about something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/AVOCENT-Model-DSR1021-8-PORT-KVM-OVER-IP-SWITCH-520-350-001-/272495889987?hash=item3f72054e43:g:OpAAAOSwnHZYXXx0

[KuJoe]

I'm going to try this now (assuming my RPi detects my USB to Serial cable). I might try it with an ODroid U2 though, it's much more reliable than an RPi in my experience and much smaller.

[KuJoe]

Also if you just want remote reboot functionality, this is what I use for my desktop: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Swann-120-Volt-White-Smart-Plug/1000135207

[nullredvector]

Quote

What are you trying to do? wake on lan and remote desktop will work fine for most uses

yeah i was thinking that an unlisted header might be my only chance.

i want to get console redirection of the bios/post. its an asrock z68m itx board that ive repurposed as a pfsense machine, so its headless and id like to keep it that way if it ever needs maintenance.

i found this thread: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/249624/create-serial-console-on-plug-in-usb-serial-device
might not be possible unless its the aforementioned serial header exists on this board. any idea how to find it? i guess just search the pcb for a label...

[nullredvector]

2 minutes ago, KuJoe said:

Also if you just want remote reboot functionality, this is what I use for my desktop: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Swann-120-Volt-White-Smart-Plug/1000135207

yeah i would need to add that as well.

[nullredvector]

30 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

almost every motherboard has a header, it just isn't used

 

maybe this highlighted header is serial? though the header connectors seem to be 10 pin and this is 12pin
header connector: https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Serial-Motherboard-Header-PLATE9M16/dp/B001Y1F0HW

 

its also not listed here: (it seems it would a be a 9 pin though like a usb header  )

[Electronics Wizardy]

10 minutes ago, nullredvector said:

maybe this highlighted header is serial?

that looks like a tpm header, but not listed for some reason.

[nullredvector]

38 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Otherwise, how about something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/AVOCENT-Model-DSR1021-8-PORT-KVM-OVER-IP-SWITCH-520-350-001-/272495889987?hash=item3f72054e43:g:OpAAAOSwnHZYXXx0

oh wow that thing normally retails for $400. it seems large and inelegant but it would get the job done!

[nullredvector]

this is exactly what i'd want to do, but i dont think there is a serial connection on this board

this uses GPIO for a 'reset' switch

http://blog.macronet.fi/2016/02/20/raspberry-pi-as-a-remote-kvm/

[SCHISCHKA]

so are you saying you want to access bios over network?

[nullredvector]

1 minute ago, SCHISCHKA said:

so are you saying you want to access bios over network?

yes. i supposed i could have said it that simply

[SCHISCHKA]

5 minutes ago, nullredvector said:

yes. i supposed i could have said it that simply

maybe a video capture card could work to get the screen and i have seen articles of people using the pi zero as a usb slave

[nullredvector]

2 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

maybe a video capture card could work to get the screen and i have seen articles of people using the pi zero as a usb slave

yeah that was another idea floating around. probably have to do that since i dont think ill be able to get serial on this mobo

[SCHISCHKA]

1 minute ago, nullredvector said:

yeah that was another idea floating around. probably have to do that since i dont think ill be able to get serial on this mobo

I'm trying to find a description of the pi camera serial interface. it seems to go to waste. if a capture card is expensive get a cheap old < $10 LCD monitor and a web cam haha

[nullredvector]

2 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

I'm trying to find a description of the pi camera serial interface. it seems to go to waste. if a capture card is expensive get a cheap old < $10 LCD monitor and a web cam haha

lol!!!

[renne]

Hardware:

- RasperryPi Zero WH    ~$15,-

- HDMI->CSI Converter ~ $35,-

- 2 optical couplers to connect

  power and reset button on

  housing to RPi GPIOs ~ $ 3,-

---------------------------------------------

                                         ~$53,-

 

1. Connect the GPU output of your workstation to the HDMI->CSI converter

2. Connect the USB-OTG port of the RPi Zero to your workstation

3. Put some node.js webserver on the RPi Zero which streams the h.264 encoded video in a HTML5 web-interface, grabs keyboard and mouse input in the browser window and forwards it to the USB OTG HID device

[lal12]

6 hours ago, renne said:

Hardware:

- RasperryPi Zero WH    ~$15,-

- HDMI->CSI Converter ~ $35,-

- 2 optical couplers to connect

  power and reset button on

  housing to RPi GPIOs ~ $ 3,-

---------------------------------------------

                                         ~$53,-

 

1. Connect the GPU output of your workstation to the HDMI->CSI converter

2. Connect the USB-OTG port of the RPi Zero to your workstation

3. Put some node.js webserver on the RPi Zero which streams the h.264 encoded video in a HTML5 web-interface, grabs keyboard and mouse input in the browser window and forwards it to the USB OTG HID device

I would have suggested something like this, though I am not sure If the zero has enough power to passthrough a potentional FullHD stream, so a Pi3/Pi4 might be better suited.

 

Alternatively just use the zero for controlling, and there are some HDMI to Ethernet adapters available which could be used to receive the stream (at least in a local network).