setting up a linux computer have a few questions

ok, it has been a while since i messed with linux, and the last time i did it was FreeBSD ... this time around i am going to go with one of the more simple installs ...

the question i have is this though, my space is at a premium ... i would like to setup the computer where it does not have a monitor or keyboard / mouse hooked directly to it ... but instead i connect to it remotely ... would this even be possible? ...

i was going to be using a 2 computer KVM switch, but the one i have has the ps/2 connectors on it and my new main computer uses USB only for keyboard and mouse. and my main computer is hooked to the monitor with a HDMi cable (tho the monitor does have a VGA input as well that i can switch over to (the dell 20" widescreen)

i am open to suggestions on this setup so i can get it going ... i already tried hooking my USB keyboard up to the kvm switch using an adapter but it would not recognize the keyboard at all ... (was hoping to use it for switching the keyboard / mouse and just switching the monitor when i wanted to or running in PiP mode when i needed both displayed...)

i guess the question is ... what versions of linux would support a 'remote desktop' that has the GUI ...

FreeBSD is actually a BSD, not a linux (it doesn't run a linux kernel). Any *nix that runs Xwindows (wich is pretty much everything with a GUI) can support remote graphical logins, you just need X on the computer you're connecting with.

In college, I used to occasionally log on to my computer (Gentoo) from the Red Hat boxes in the CS labs.

when you say HDMi, do you mean DVI? DVI cables allow you to connect an LCD screen to a computer completely digitally. HDMi is generally reserved for HDTV's. DVI cables still have pins, while i believe HDMI is more of a slot type plug, similar in style to a USB plug as in it has no pins.

Is this computer going to be used as a desktop with X windows? Because if it is going to be used more as a server, you can simply use SSH to connect to it over the lan and have a command line interface. I have never done it, but there are ways to run remote X windows sessions, also. There is even an app that is very similar to windows remote desktop called NX ( http://www.nomachine.com/ ). I think the client is free but the server costs money. Also, you can get usb to ps/2 adapters as well as dvi to dsub adapters to fit your current kvm switch if you do not want to buy a new one.

yes i ment DVI didn't realize i had typed the wrong connector name sorry.

as for the DVI to Dsub adapter... using that wouldn't it loose the advantages of using that connector in the first place? ...

already tried the USB female to male PS/2 adapter to hook the usb keyboard up to KVM and it didn't recognize the keyboard at all by doing that ...

the computer will be used as a desktop ... a bit more then just a fileserver which is why i want to have a GUI interface from time to time not just a commandline ...

i knew freebsd wasnt linux ... that is the only experience i have (which i guess is better then none) ...

also check out okvm ( http://sourceforge.net/projects/okvm/ ) KVM over IP.

I've tried remote desktops and was disapointed. IMO, you are better off hooking up a kvm.

But since the remote desktop approach will only cost time, and YMMV. There are several ways to do it.

There is a method for remote x built into x. But everyone recommends not using it. I don't know what it can or cannot do, and I think it is notorious for security problems.

NX, or freenx, is one solution, as previously mentioned.

Another is VNC. This link is Gentoo specific, but it covers the basics and links to other places. It should lead you where you need to go.

X11 is perfectly fine to run over the network. And no, VNC derivatives are no remote X.

If you feel it's too slow, use FreeNX (clients available for Windows too).

A Linux box can run fine without keyboard, mouse, monitor and videocard and still run X11 GUI programs.

Projects which are specially made for remote X are e.g. LTSP: http://wiki.ltsp.org/twiki/bin/view/Ltsp/WebHome

A Linux box can run fine without keyboard, mouse, monitor and videocard and still run X11 GUI programs.

Click to expand...

question on this part, what would be done to bypass the halt on error for not having a keyboard connected to the computer on bootup? ... never tried the error halt part of the BIOS is that all that would have to be changed to stop it?

and on the video card part you mentioned ... i can see where connecting through the network would use the vid proc of what ever computer i use to connect to it ... but in my case i can hook my monitor directly up to the box ... (my monitor will let me switch between the different intputs on it) ... it is the keyboard and mouse that i am running into the issue with ... tho i guess i should just do the simple thing and get another keyboard and try it with the USB adapter and see if the KVM switch will recognize it (it wouldn't recognize my current one... on that note i guess half of my question is a general hardware issue. not just specific to linux)

There's usually a bios setting for that, and a simple change lets you boot up without anything (except your PSU) plugged in. I was not dissappointed with remote X sessions, they worked very well.