pikvm/pages/Community FAQ

Can I power the Pi via POE?
    Yes! But you will still need to ensure you isolate the 5v connection between the Raspberry Pi and host PC to prevent backpower issues that can cause instability or damage to either the host PC or the Pi.
Do I need a power splitter? Why do I need one?
    Yes for RPi4, No for Zerow
    Yes otherwise you could back power the pi and or the target
    You can get a Y cable from amazon and mod one of the leads - Please see getting start guide
    You can get a power splitter board from Tindi or PiShop (Links provided below)
    If you have the v3 HAT - This is built in
I can't get the KVM KB to work on my ZeroW!
    Make sure that you did NOT modify your config.txt file, this is the default: 
      # See /boot/overlays/README for all available options
      initramfs initramfs-linux.img followkernel
      hdmi_force_hotplug=1
      gpu_mem=64
      enable_uart=1
      dtoverlay=tc358743,i2c_pins_28_29=1
      dtoverlay=disable-bt
      dtoverlay=dwc2,dr_mode=peripheral
Can I use a KB on my ZeroW?
    Yes but kb/mouse passthrough will not work. Its one or the other
      Host mode - Comment out dtoverlay=dwc2
      Passthrough mode - Uncomment out dtoverlay=dwc2
Can you have the pi-kvm(RPi4) connected along with a monitor?
      If you have two outputs, you may be able to use screen mirroring from the OS but not BIOS
      If you have one output or need access from both a local monitor or Pi-KVM at boot time, one of the following options may work:
        Passthrough HDMI capture devices (sometimes referred to as a loop capture device). The Elgato devices DO NOT WORK! Look for Linux OS support when choosing a device, the expected price range is about $35-$70 US.
        Depending on your capture device, an HDMI splitter may work but will need what is called an EDID (Extended Device ID) generator, the monitor and capture device both generate EDID so the splitter must produce its own separate EDID for the host.
        Look for HDMI splitters - although there have been reports that these are not stable
          Please use the search function in Discord, some users have has sucess in getting this to work but your mileage may vary
        The better solution is to capture the stream in a dir and then use VLC to stream to that capture on another computer. This will result in fps loss.
Wouldn't it be good to have different hostnames for your multitude of pi-kvms?
      Enter read write mode of the PiKVM by executing the `rw` command
      Execute: `hostnamectl set-hostname yournewhostname.domain`
      Optional: Edit `/etc/kvmd/meta.yaml` to alter the displayed hostname in the web UI
      Reboot the pikvm
I can't make edits?!?!?
      Did you issue a `rw` before updating/editing?
In the Web Terminal, how do I get root?
      Type `su -`
      Put `root` for the password
Why are you using Arch Linux?
      The developer was more familiar with Arch Linux so this was chosen as the base operating system. As a Linux distribution, it has more in common than not with other distributions.
      As an appliance, users are not expected to interact with the host operating system often, if at all. There are some distribution-specific differences, by default networking is done using either systemd-networkd or netctl but NetworkManager can be used as a replacement if one prefers.
Is Pi-KVM an OS?
      No, this is merely riding on top of an existing OS
I want to do something not related to Pi-KVM
      It's recommended that you review Arch documents related to what you want to do, while there are several folks in discord who can help, there is no obligation...they do it for the feels. So if you don't get an answer within the time frame you are looking for, it's advised you start google searching for what you want.
Can this be used in any other distro’s like Rasbian?
      Not at this time, maybe in the future
My Pi keeps disconnecting from my wireless! What do I do?
      Edit "/etc/conf.d/wireless-regdom" and look for your region and uncomment it. Example: WIRELESS_REGDOM="US"
I want a static IP!!
      You can configure systemd-networkd for a static address for ethernet NIC. Config file is /etc/systemd/network/eth0.network
      For wireless adapter, config file is /etc/netctl/wlan0-<wifiname>
      See pikvm/wifi_config.md at master · pikvm/pikvm · GitHub for details on how to get basic wireless config with DHCP going.  Afterwards, you’ll need to edit the /etc/netctl/wlan0-<wifiname> file changing the IP=dhcp line with the following lines updated to reflect your network:
        IP=static
        Address=('192.168.X.XXX/24')
        Gateway=('192.168.X.X')
        DNS=("192.168.X.X 1.0.0.1 1.1.1.1")
      You can also reserve the IP in your dhcp server (Quicker)
Why do I keep getting a different IP?
      The most likely reason is piKVM root FS is RO, so it cannot cache its lease and ask for the same one next time
      DHCP servers look at a variety of things to determine if the same host is asking for the same IP, some look at MAC addresses, some look at the session string
      Add to, /etc/systemd/network/eth0.network
        [DHCP]
        ClientIdentifier=mac
Help! I ran out of room! What now?
      You’ve cached package updates you no longer need.
      Enter read/write mode by executing rw as root
      Execute the following as root to clear the package cache
         rm -rf /var/cache/pacman/pkg/*
      Exit read/write mode by executing ro as root
      You can also use gparted to resize partitions without losing data, although
Can you connect a camera to this and still make pikvm functional?
      Yes, any cheapo webcam can be used in place of the usb dongle, please use the usb image
I have a question that is not answered here!! Now what?
      Please look at all pins on Discord
      Please look in #news on Discord
I want the v3 hat!! Where do I get it??
      At this time it is not available, due to the current pandemic the factories are running at a much slower rate
HELP!! I can't find the IP on the ZeroW
      Open a browser and type: pikvm, still doesnt work?
      Use the FING mobile app to scan your network, its free
      Install Angry IP scanner, tools/preferences/Display results in the results list/Select Alive hosts, modify IP range, hit start
      Using FF, navigate to https://pikvm
        Open web terminal and go to root, rw then nano /etc/issue
        add ‘IP: \4’
        Once you reboot, you will now see the IP in the upper right
HELP!! Something isn't working!!
      What was the last thing or most recent thing you did? Did you undo it?
      Did you hook this to anything else? If not why not?
      Did you try different cables?

Troubleshooting

Did you connect a monitor to the target? Does it work?
Did you connect the PIKVM to the target directly? Does it work?

Common Commands for troubleshooting Pi-KVM
	journalctl -u kvmd
  journalctl -u kvmd-vnc
  journalctl -u kvmd-ipmi


Common ARCH commands
	search - pacman -Ss `the thing`
	install - pacman -S `the thing`

Common wifi commands
	iwconfig manipulate the basic wireless parameters
  iwlist  allow to initiate scanning and list frequencies, bit-rates, encryption keys…
  iwspy allow to get per node link quality
  iwpriv allow to manipulate the Wireless Extensions specific to a driver (private)
    Some examples
      iw dev wlan0 scan | egrep "signal:|SSID:" | sed -e "s/\tsignal: //" -e "s/\tSSID: //" | awk '{ORS = (NR % 2 == 0)? "\n" : " "; print}' | sort
	    iwlist wlan0 scan | egrep "Cell|ESSID|Signal|Rates"
      iwlist wlan0 scan
      iw wlan0 info

Bootup/power issues
    PiKVM won’t boot past “rainbow” screen
    Are you plugged into the right HDMI port? Needs to be the one next to the power
    Have you reflashed your SD card?
PiKVM Complains about low power warnings
    Are you using a `proper` power supply? Not one you hacked together
    Some USB power bricks advertise 5V @ 2.1A or higher, but can’t deliver consistent 5V.  Best to use rpi foundation recommended power supplies
USB Video Capture Issues
    TBD
HDMI-CSI Capture issues
	Are you sure it's a bridge and not an extender? There is a difference
	Did you make sure it's plugged into the right port? It needs to say Camera NOT Display
	Did you try another ribbon cable?
	Did you reseat the ribbon cable?
	Is the ribbon cable facing the right way? Needs to be towards the PCB (Green or Black)

Capturing video from non HDMI sources
    TBD
Keyboard/Mouse Issues
    TBD
OTG Keyboard/Mouse Connection
    TBD
Arduino Keyboard Mouse Connection (UART wiring)
    TBD
Arduino Keyboard/Mouse Connection (SPI Wiring)
    TBD
ATX Control Issues
    TBD
HDMI KVM Interface Issues
    TBD

Connection issues


Fully working example of a Pi4 USB-HDMI KVM attached to AIMOS 4-port HDMI KVM switch, with keyboard hotkey switching between inputs, and mass storage media emulation on a Pi Zero W
	https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wgBZHxwpbJWkJBD3I8ZkZxSDxt0DdNDDYRNtVoL_vK4


Misc stuff
Very good article on PI-KVM setup - https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/kvm-over-ip-raspberry-pi
Useful links
	Pi-KVM Power/Data OTG splitter boards
https://www.pishop.us/product/usb-pwr-splitter/
https://www.pishop.us/product/usb-c-pwr-splitter/

Out of Stock or hard to get, all have exceptionally long shipping dates - Could try AliExpress
Ezcoo KVM
CSI2-HDMI bridge w/ TC358743XBG chip
	Alternative names for the same devices:
Tiamu	  	Sling	    	Yazan	    	Ningwang	Essenc	  	Geekworm
Fauge	  	Haudang	  	AKAT	    	Docoop	    	Katigan	  	Lyusa (recommended by mdevaev)
LNIMI	  	cherrypop	Lopbinte	Uang	      	Tuneway	  	Mustwell
Facibom		Binchil	  	Cobeky	  	Ctzrzyt	    	Davitu	

Contributors -
	Accalia
	Arch1mede
	Baddog
	Srepac

Developers
	Mdevaev - Software 
	Amt921 - Hardware