Setup to work remotely

Operating Systems & Open Source Linux
1

Hi guys,
I just build a new pc and wanted to do something with my old one. Because I'm working from home and right now, using my current pc for work too, I would like to use my old pc for work only. Is there a way to still use my new pc but work on my old one, because I don't want to have 2 mouse and keyboard on my desk. I guest the easiest way would be like a vnc or any remote desktop, but I'm sure there is a better way. Is it possible to host a virtual machine on my old pc and launch it from the new one?

Any crazy idea or suggestion would be great!
Thanks

2

If you have a monitor on each machine you can use synergy to share the mouse and keyboard between the two.

3

I work from home as well. I do have 2 keyboard and mouses for each. not sure how to overcome that. It makes it easier for my work. But my work PC hardware

Intel Core 2 duo E8400. I think thats the numbers its a 3.0 dual core. Right now I am using onboard graphics and it sucks I only have 1 monitor support. Once 480 comes out I am upgrading and then placing my r7 260x in my work computer. I am using VPN with Remote desktop. I dont have to have an amazing computer since everything is done on the server side. I just have to have enough bandwith to send the information back and forth. Now before that I had a virtual machine setup on my good computer. I did this because once I connected to the VPN it blocked all my internet connections. I tried adding a wireless card but it would block that. I set up a Virtualbox used that as my work computer on my TV and then I still have internet access on my main rig to play games, or browse the internet.

4

You can prevent this by not using the VPN as the default gateway and instead setting a route for the VPN network and leaving your home router as the default gateway. This way all traffic to the VPN network goes over the VPN but everything else (internet and local traffic) does not.

5

I have a dual pc setup, but I hooked all of my monitors up to my main and just remote into my secondary pc. I do text work so I don't suffer from any low FPS issues that comes up from some of the remote desktop solutions.

My setup is win10 with ultra vnc --> debian with tight vnc server

6

You could you a program called Synergy to have just one mouse and keyboard but being able to go from a machine to another seamlessly.

7

Have you used that program? work good?

8

Never but look promising. Check the rieviews online.

9

When I used to WFH for my old job, I would just RDC into my work laptop from my main PC and work that way. Worked well aside the usual audio/video downside of Windows RDC.

10

I've used it for a few years now, it's great.

11

Virtual KVM should work well for this application.

http://okvm.sourceforge.net/virtualkvm.html

12

You and @Dexter_Kane mentioned Synergy and the price is cheap, I may try it. Thanks!

13

I guess Virtual kvm is an open source of Synergy? I will try it too, thx!

14

Synergy is open source, you can get it for free. http://www.techspot.com/downloads/4978-synergy.html

15

I'm getting redirect to buy it on http://symless.com/synergy/#purchase

16

Right, well you can get it I just don't remember where. I have it on all my machines.

17

I was doing more research on it, you still need to have the pc connected to a monitor, it doesn't act like a vnc right?

18

No it just shares a mouse and keyboard (and clipboard) between multiple computers over a network. If you need remote desktop then you can use remote desktop or VNC or one of those.

19

you can get the free version Github. there is a link from synergy forum. You have to compile it since its source code

20

Hardware Solution:

I bought this cable for like $30. It has 3 VGAs, an adapter with two USBs and a button. Basically you plug in two of the VGAs to your computers - the other goes to your monitor. Then you plug your keyboard and mouse into the adaptor. You press the button and it toggles the monitor, mouse and keyboard between the two machines. It's alright.

Let me find a link....

https://www.iogear.com/product/GCS22U/

Software Solutions:

On the other hand, you could go beast mode and put VNC on your machine then run that thang headless. That's pretty cool. Also, if you wanted to go beast mode to the extreme, ditch VNC and just run a CLI and ssh in to that bad boy.

Everything I've suggested should work in ascending order of difficulty.