Using multiple monitors/keyboard/mouse on one PC

[Rathji]

I have my main PC in my basement that I occasionally share in some ways with other people.

For example, my wife might need to log into work, my kids occasionally watch netflix or want to draw, and my nephew likes to play some simple video games (normally on my Steam account).

What I would like is the ability to have someone come by, do their thing for a few minutes without making me stop working/surfing CP/etc. This means they would need to have their own keyboard, mouse and be able to use one of (or a portion of) my monitors, without them having the ability to mess up what I am doing.

Bonus points if my nephew and I could both play games on my Steam account at the same time.

[PsYcNeT]

Does your PC run UNIX? Because UNIX can do that.

There are also ways to setup Windows Pro/Enterprise/Ultimate PCs to allow multiple simultaneous remote users to use different programs on multiple desktops, but you would need to do some wonky VM stuff to get it working locally I assume.

[ken0042]

I wonder if it would just be easier to have a second computer there. Assuming your monitor has 2 inputs your main PC could use DVI and the guest PC could use VGA. Then if somebody needs to drop by they you can just switch inputs on the monitor.

[Hack&Lube]

Host a VM on your machine that others can log into with a thin client. Multiple sessions with individual keyboard/mice will not work in Windows 7 even with a KVM. The other option is the Linux side of course if you want multiple sessions.

If they have to share the same monitors in your own space, I'd build a guest PC that is an el-cheapo thin client that runs off the resources and horsepower of the VM on your main machine. I have done a similar thing with all my family members. It helps make use off all the excess old junk lying around that can't be used in modern PCs like old ram, cpus, motherboards, videocards, etc. Makes me feel better about not wasting stuff that still works.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

Does your PC run UNIX? Because UNIX can do that.

There are also ways to setup Windows Pro/Enterprise/Ultimate PCs to allow multiple simultaneous remote users to use different programs on multiple desktops, but you would need to do some wonky VM stuff to get it working locally I assume.

As much as installing TS on my Server 2008R2 VM would be interesting (and completely simple to accomplish) , the main issue is still having input from one keyboard/mouse going to the RDP session while mine are still focused on my tasks.

Originally Posted by ken0042

I wonder if it would just be easier to have a second computer there. Assuming your monitor has 2 inputs your main PC could use DVI and the guest PC could use VGA. Then if somebody needs to drop by they you can just switch inputs on the monitor.

That's kind of what I do now, physically switching cables on my 2nd monitor, but the second PC is really outdated and dying and I would much rather put money into upgrading my PC than replacing it.

I am really sure I have heard of a product that does what I want for Windows, but for the life of me I cannot remember what it is called.
edit: I think it might be a MS product, I recall seeing a video talking about a single PC in a classroom being used with multiple sets of monitors/keyboard/mouse all connected through USB.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I am really sure I have heard of a product that does what I want for Windows, but for the life of me I cannot remember what it is called.
edit: I think it might be a MS product, I recall seeing a video talking about a single PC in a classroom being used with multiple sets of monitors/keyboard/mouse all connected through USB.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/dualmousekeyboa/

There you go.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

http://sourceforge.net/projects/dualmousekeyboa/

There you go.

That would be exactly what I need, if it was in more than just the planning stages.

[Buff]

http://www.ncomputing.com/

Tried this at work one year. It worked but the computer my boss wanted to use it for was not quite powerful enough and he was too cheap to upgrade the computer too. He just brushed it off as an inexpensive failure. We tried it after he moved on with newer computers and it worked fine, but we just didn't have a need for it so we got rid of it.

[Hack&Lube]

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=123452

A guide for a VM solution

[Bob]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=123452

A guide for a VM solution

++

USB passthrough of a second KB/M pair to a VM is probably the simplest way.

[Rathji]

That might be the best option.