rant.gulbrandsen
Send me mailAbout meAbout this blog
2010-07-02

Oxca KVM over IP

Oxca makes a range of KVM products, including one to provide remote KVM access via TCP/IP. The latter uses a java applet and runs in the browser, and isn't very fine at all. The basic KVM is okay. It has the usual LEDs and buttons, and does the job. The remote KVM applet is a different story.

First, it lacks essential functionality. There's no menu or button to select a particular port, no way to see which port you're connected to, and no way to see which ports are live.

Second, it suffers from jumping button syndrome. The UI has five push buttons and one menu. The menu and four of the buttons move suddenly and unpredictably. I hate buttons that move just when I'm going to to click on them. (And I'm not happy about icons that look like my mouse cursor either.)

Third, and perhaps worst, it doesn't handle focus changes sensibly. Type e.g. ctrl-f1 to change window, then later alt-tab to change back, and the host will think that ctrl is still pressed, so if you now type sudo foo the host will see control-s udo foo and stop responding to your commands and wild curses. Oops.

Fourth, the manual does not mention how to select a particular port. The manual is 99 pages long and does explain how to burn CDs with Nero, but not how to select a KVM port. The secret is to type e.g. capslock capslock 1 1 2 shift (thanks) to change to port 12 and disable the host's screensaver, if any.

Fifth, using capslock for commands means that all too often, capslock is enabled inside the KVM and disabled outside, or the other way around.

Update: I forgot to mention that the remote KVM/IP applet eats all the CPU it can get. Leave it overnight, and it will spend twelve hours of CPU time displaying the linux console screensaver. Even closing the window doesn't make it relax.

Link: rant.g/hardware/oxca-kvm-over-ip • Tags: hardware, rant

Recent posts

By Arnt Gulbrandsen, arnt@gulbrandsen.priv.no