Using a USB switch as a full KVM
8 hours ago
- #productivity hack
- #desk setup
- #KVM alternative
- The author shares a quality-of-life improvement using display-switch to switch between two computers (a work MacBook and a personal Linux workstation) without manual cable unplugging.
- Previously, the author used a USB switch for peripherals and manually toggled monitor inputs, but the USB switch broke, leading to an upgrade to a UGREEN 2-in, 7-out USB 3.2 switch.
- Display-switch is a software tool that uses DDC/CI to switch monitor inputs via software, allowing a cheap USB switch to function like a full KVM with a single button press.
- Tips include using display-switch for high-resolution or refresh-rate monitors unsupported by most KVMs, installing it via Homebrew on macOS with an updated plist path, finding USB device IDs without lsusb using Python and pyusb, installing on Linux via cargo with updated systemd service paths, and using on_usb_disconnect to reduce switch latency by parallelizing monitor input switching and USB handoff.
- The setup provides a KVM-like experience for under $100, improving convenience and speed when switching between computers at a desk.