Just a quickie, does anyone know wether machines like a Sun Sparcstation, SGI Indy and Acorn RiscPC will work with a normal PS/2 KVM switch? I know the UNIX boxen have the different video connectors so I'll have to buy adaptors. I'm pretty sure the SGI and Acorn will support normal PS/2 keyboards and mice but I'm not certain about the Sun.

Anybody had any experience with this?

I've used my Acorn keyboard on a PC and on the SGI so I'm certain that keyboard-wise they're okay and I'm pretty sure I stuck an old intellimouse on the SGI and it worked too. Looking at the Sun (not literally, you should never do that ) it certainly looks unlikely that it would work without an adaptor. I also have a cunning plan to do the video conversion on the cheap.

Belkin have KVM's specifically for cross platform (including Sun) use. They have a KVM selector wizard on their web site.

Rob

At home, the machine I don't run fully through KVM is an SGI O2 - because on bootup it gets upset with the keyboard. So I have the video through the KVM, but a dedicated keyboard and mouse. The older SGI boxes are completely independent - with their own monitors and network (coax Mmmmmm)

Suns do not use PS/2 keyboards and mice. The adapter is the only way to go. Of course, newer Suns use USB for keyboards and mice, so if you're getting new equipment, you should be okay there. Sun has a list of verified-compatible third-party equipment you might want to take a look at. (Sorry. It used to be easier to look at.)

Of course, this all begs the question of why your Unix consoles are graphical and not text-based serial, which are much more accessible.

No. If you're using them as workstations, I understand, and that would help explain the KVM part. But if you're using them as servers, framebuffer consoles are the wrong way to go. They're simply not (or, lately, I suppose only marginally) remotely accessible, whereas text consoles are easy. To remotely access a framebuffer console, you'll have to spend a lot on a remote-access KVM. To remotely access an RS232 console, you still have to spend a decent amount for a good device, but much less. And, let's face it, the only time you're going to be using the console is during an outage where you're going to be at a text prompt anyway, so you're blazing that 1280x1024@24bpp over a network so you can see big-ass black letters on white. Not to mention that you'll have to have some specialized graphical KVM client software to access it, whereas a good RS232 console server will require a secure shell client, which is much more easily accessible. And an easy-to-access client is a big plus during an outage when you're an hour away from the premises.

Sorry, should've put a smiley on the end.

The machines are all in my study and currently have a monitor, keyboard and mouse each. I suppose I could just use the serial console, it would certainly be cheaper. Although I still need to connect up the Risc PC.

I'm not sure if you can force a Sun to have its console on the screen/keyboard if it doesn't have a keyboard attached. In fact, I'm pretty sure you can't.

On the other hand, there's nothing that requires that the console be the screen/keyboard to run an X session.

But it'd be harder to get to the console that way on all of the computers, especially the Windows machines. If his network went down, he'd have to temporarily recable everything.

Aren't you glad I'm here to answer your questions, Andy?