Show HN: TinyPilot – Build a KVM over IP using a Raspberry Pi

This looks awesome. I was looking for a solution like this last year. I budgeted a few hundred bucks but couldn't find anything. Ideally would have a way to handle a few different boxes.

I did see something called Intel AMT, part of Intel vPro. https://www.howtogeek.com/56538/how-to-remotely-control-your... Does anyone have experience with this? (I have AMD box so doesn't help me) - actually looks like AMD has similar https://developer.amd.com/tools-for-dmtf-dash/

It works, however you need a non-free special client called VNC Viewer Plus [1]. Afaik it is Windows only. You can enable regular VNC protocol capabilities for AMT[2], but then you can't use the interesting stuff anymore.

[1] https://www.realvnc.com/en/products/viewerplus/ [2] https://blog.michael.kuron-germany.de/2011/10/using-intel-am...

//edit: link [2] added.

This seems to show a reasonable option from Linux: https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/remotely-access-intel-amt-kvm-...

vPro is error prone and may require multiple setup attempts. If you want to use it on anything but the same LAN there is a built-in VPN. If you can find anything about the AMD version I'd be interested, they don't seem to publish anything unless you are a partner.

AMT is great. I use it with https://www.meshcommander.com/ - though learning how to provision the machine correctly in Admin Mode so it doesn't pop up a pin-entry screen on the remote end is "fun"!

I just set up AMT for a bunch of servers.

It is possible but extremely tricky to set up AMT headless on a self built Intel. You basically need to press keyboard keys at the right time. Too challenging without a display.

Devices don’t load AMT configuration from USB by default unless a vendor configured them to. In which case the vendor just ships you AMT enabled in the first place.

Better to just image the disk on a different computer.

You can use meshcommander[1], which has a nodejs version that runs under linux and mac.

Then you just have to pay attention to your certs (if you are using https), because browser policy will apply.

[1] https://www.meshcommander.com/meshcommander

Here are some AMD tools, docs are thin on the ground. [0]

I have a boatload of Intel vPro machines spread throughout multiple countries (or the basement) and connect to them both via internet (mutual TLS authentication) and VPN. Never had any reliability issues at provisioning or operating. I had an old AMT v2.1 machine that was a bit unreliable, needed to be manually powered on once in a while or the remote connection wouldn't work.

I wholeheartedly recommend Meshcommander [1] for this.

[0] https://developer.amd.com/tools-for-dmtf-dash/

[1] https://www.meshcommander.com/meshcommander

Is it trustworthy, or full of backdoors?

If a machine/server doesn't have built in IPMI, I am using an Adderlink Digital ipeps and control it that way 1). Apart from the built in RealVNC server, it also has HDMI video, USB and virtual media support among other things. I have no relationship with Adderlink, but I am a happy user of this product. Not cheap, but worth the price IMHO.

1) https://www.adder.com/en/kvm-solutions/adderlink-digital-ipe...

At the ~$700 price tag I found for it, I feel like you're missing the spirit of the post.

You could build ~7 devices for as many machines using the article's method.

I was commenting on this thread, where the commenter said: "This looks awesome. I was looking for a solution like this last year. I budgeted a few hundred bucks but couldn't find anything."

So I only wanted to point out that there are good solutions out there, even though they might not be cheap. The solution have saved my bacon, and has been worth the money.

Looking at the original project, authentication, mouse support and audio are not supported (maybe in the future?), so if those things are important; a solution like the ipeps might be worth it as well.

But your mileage may of course vary . . . :-)

Edit: Grammar

I've used instructions similar to those to get AMT KVM working with a normal VNC client, it works fine. The only catch is that the AMT seems to intercept all traffic to port 5900 coming in through the NIC, not just that addressed to the IP of the AMT. It's only the "legacy" port 5900 VNC which is affected, the other ports such as 16992 for AMT's web admin are unaffected.