Using Laptop as keyboard and mouse

[frank26080115]

So, I own just one laptop and one monitor that I use to extend my laptop. So I envision myself working on Raspberry Pi projects using the monitor right beside my laptop most of the time. I think it'll be great if I can avoid having to buy another keyboard and mouse in order to operate the Raspberry Pi by using my laptop.

I am totally capable of creating a device that will do this for me. I would create a double ended USB device, one end with behave as an USB keyboard and mouse combo device, while the other end receives commands from the laptop. It'll be all open source, probably a combination of V-USB code with one/two ATtiny4313 or LUFA code with one/two ATmega32u4. To me this stuff will be a walk in the park.

But before I begin on this project, does a similar solution already exist? I don't want to waste time to reinvent something. I am aware of existing programs that will do this through a network, but I don't want to use them because the Raspberry Pi may not always be connected to a network.

If no such solution already exist, then is anybody else interested in my own double-ended USB solution? Is there any interest in it being a solder-it-yourself kit? Is there any interest in a complete ready-to-go-out-of-the-box product? Or should I just do it quick and dirty (think perfboard with wires instead of a PCB)?

[Thor_sonofodin]

Sounds all good if you can do it, but seems a bit of a 'Heath Robinson' approach just to get your Pi working when you can pick up a basic keyboard and mouse very cheaply these days.

I'm just going to hook up the Pi basically to start with and get familiar with it.

Good luck with it, be interesting to see your results.

[bredman]

This is a very roundabout solution.

Much easier is to connect the RPi to the laptop using a simple Ethernet cable and use VNC software for remote control.

[Chris.Rowland]

Doesn't Synergy provide a way to share a mouse and keyboard between several systems?

It seems to be in the armel Debian distribution so may need nothing more than installing and configuring.

[frank26080115]

Right, Synergy and remote desktop both require a network connection. I think some of my projects will not involve networking, which is the problem I'm trying to solve.

[meltwater]

You could probably setup something similar to laplink (from the old days) which will do everything through a serial connection.

But yes, Synergy is a nice way to do things, don't forget you can always use a direct network cable between computers if you don't want to setup a full network. (the RPi lan chip will automatically deal with the crossover too, so don't even need a special cable).

[Joe Schmoe]

Heh heh - This thread is yet another classic instance of that old Net/onlineForum phenomenon, that goes like this:

(OP = Original Poster, FP = Forum Participants)

OP: I am planning to do X - what do you think?

FP:  You don't want to do X.  X is immoral and fattening.  Here's how to do Y instead.

OP: I don't want to do Y.  I want to do X.

FP: No, you don't.  X is illegal in most states.  Do Y instead.

OP: Y doesn't help me.  I want to do X.

FP: Here's how to do Y.  Here, I'll even help you.

OP: Arghhhhhhhh!

Having been there myself many a time, I have the utmost sympathy for the OP in these sorts of cases.

That said,  it is also true that we've been down this road before.  There was a thread a few months ago involving someone who wanted to do something (details escape me, but I think it was something similar to what is being proposed in this current thread) via USB that most of us (myself included) thought was much easier done by a network cable.  The point was also made that you can run a simple (ethernet) cable between the two machines and think of it is as just a fancy serial or USB type cable.  You don't have to think of it as "networking" if you don't want to...

[Burngate]

Yeah - but when model A comes out, without a network port, what then?

[frank26080115]

My laptop's network controller thing has a problem, it won't wake up with the rest of the computer. This means once I put it to sleep (to go to class or something), come back, the RJ-45 just won't work any more unless I reboot. But that's not the focus here.

Trust me, I know networking it is the best way to go, but hypothetically, let's say it's not there.

[Chris.Rowland]

No disrespect but something I see is that people often present a problem not as a problem but as a solution.

It's often useful to dig down and find out what the problem really is because there can be a much better solution than the one the user wants. That's where the networking suggestions are coming from, it seems like a simpler solution to the problem of using a different system's keyboard and mouse.

The obvious way using USB would be two USB to serial interfaces and a cross over cable.  Then write software on the laptop to intercept the keyboard and mouse communication and send it to the serial port. The Pi would need sortware - or hopefully just configuring - to use the serial data.

One possibility would be to set up a narrow window on each display and when the mouse is detected in that it switches the mouse and keyboard data to the other system. I did that some years ago to control a KVM switch box.

[frank26080115]

Honestly I'm looking for an excuse to build this project but I just don't want to do it if it"s already been done before.


set up a narrow window on each display and when the mouse is detected in that it switches the mouse and keyboard data to the other system



This can be done easily on the laptop but the Raspberry Pi side will only see a standard HID keyboard and mouse without any special drivers, so switching to the Raspberry Pi is possible but switching back to the laptop won"t be as easy. I plan on having a simple button to do the switching.

I'll consider using the serial port directly but I'd rather avoid writing any background running processes for the Raspberry Pi.

[frank26080115]

Progress report



Album of build:
http://imgur.com/a/eyjci

I'm still writing the firmware and software, but the bootloader works.

[perpe]

Isn't Bluetooth a choice?
There are some application, that can turn your laptop into a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, like
http://anselm.hoffmeister.be/computer/h ... ex.html.en
http://code.google.com/p/diyps3controller/
http://mulliner.org/bluetooth/xkbdbthid.php
You need only a Bluetooth dangle for the pi(most laptop have built in Bluetooth card)

Another easy way ist to use usbnet. I don't know if usbnet is activated in the pi's kernel, if not you have to recompile it. With enabled usbnet you can create a network connection between your pi and laptop over USB, this means you can use all the network applications to share what you want between the two.

[frank26080115]

honestly didn't know I could do that, thanks

hidclient and xkbd-bthid uses a Linux computer as the sender, but I'm on Windows, however, it's nice to know that it's possible

the PS3 thing is actually more complicated than what I am trying to do

Gotta finish what I started, this small project has been good practice for me. I've gotten libusb working this morning with a program that captures keystrokes and mouse events using user32.dll hooks, the "laptop side half of the stick" is talking to libusb but still require real testing, the Pi enumerates the "keyboard half of the stick" just fine. I've gotta make the two half of the stick talk to each other next. I'm almost done.

[frank26080115]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXMBKlIrzQs

Project posted to my website

http://frank-zhao.com/cache/nehebkau.php

[jbeale]

Very nice project! Thanks for putting up the details.

[shiekh]

I'm so confused; VNC achieves this. You say because the Pi may not be connected to the network, but then just use an Ethernet cable and no network.

[B.Goode]

I'm so confused; VNC achieves this. You say because the Pi may not be connected to the network, but then just use an Ethernet cable and no network.

Maybe there was no simple implementation of vnc for Raspbian 5 years ago, which is the age of the topic you have chosen to ressurrect.

[Martin Frezman]

Maybe there was no simple implementation of vnc for Raspbian 5 years ago, which is the age of the topic you have chosen to ressurrect.

If you go back and re-read the entire thread, carefully, from start to finish, as I just did, you will see why any networking-based solution is a no-go for the OP. It is clear that his reasons for wanting to do it this way are:
1) Because the networking port on his laptop doesn't work correctly. Details are there if you need to refer back to them.
and
2) Because he really just wants an excuse to build the thing. He's itching to do it (and has, now 5 years ago, done so).

A couple of other comments:
1) I wonder where Frank is today. Wonder if he ever reads this board anymore.
2) Great post by that Joe Schmoe guy!

[B.Goode]

I prefer Martin's response...

[mlepage]

I think it's awesome that Frank did eventually build this.

[Martin Frezman]

I think it's awesome that Frank did eventually build this.

Indeed. One wishes that it was somehow publicly available. Would be fun to play with.

[frank26080115]

Hi everybody

The files for have been up on my website but I moved my site years ago, the old site should have redirected, it's here http://eleccelerator.com/nehebkau-lapto ... and-mouse/ , files are up too I just checked

I built something similar after I graduated college to do a small hack/cheat on the PS4 controller over Bluetooth and Sony hired me when they saw it.

I'm not active here or play with the R-Pi very much, still sticking with microcontrollers more often than not. My rLoop team did put a bunch of Pies in our hyperloop pod though.