Weird need for Keyboard Lock Application

[amos]

This is a bit of a weird one. I have two machines, one windows, and one linux, both dual headed to the same two monitors, and both radio connected to the same logitech keyboard and mouse.

This is handy, except that obviously anything I do happens on both machines at once. What I really want are two applications (one windows, one linux) which will lock the keyboard and mouse on the press of some keypress, (preferably without doing anything to the desktop) and wait for another different keypress to release the keyboard and mouse (basically I want to emulate a KVM - or at least a KM - without suffering a KVM)

Any helpful hints from anyone would be great.

Hey I can't be the only person wanting to do this... cough! cough!. :-)

Amos

[just_a_nobody]

Because they are radio controlled, there is no solution, in fact, you can have your computers in different locations (upstairs and downstairs), of your house, and the mouse may still function, on both computers, at the same time. I would just get a ps/2 mouse for one computer, and remove the, or get a KVM box.

[amos]

I believe you misunderstand. Yes the mouse and keyboard will work on both computers. But if on each computer there is an application which locks the keyboard and mouse until some key is pressed (a screen lock program) ideally without disrupting the desktop image shown, then I can hotkey the application to kick off on the windows machine when I hit f9 say, which waits for f10 before releasing the keyboard. Then on the linux machine, if I can hotkey (or have a daemon wait for) f10 before locking the keyboard, and then the lock released on f9, then hey presto I can swith between machines.

There are many many screenlock programs, but most clear the screen and with for a pawword entry. I need one that just works with keypresses.

The thing that hinders me from coding it is knowing how to claim control of the keyboard/mice from the whole desktop, not just my application.

At the moment I just have to bring up a screen lock with password on each computer. A bit of a pain if you are quickly switching from one to the other.

Of course the best of both worlds would be to make the keyboard and click functions dependent on where the cursor is. Then you could give both screens to either computer or one screen to one, and the other to the other, but have a cursor control that pans across both. But that would be way too cool, and in fact fairly useful given how much cross platform stuff I do...

[Rootstonian]

Basically, he needs a TSR that traps the BIOS keyboard interrupt and just trashes the keystrokes.

However, my assembler is so rusty, it would take me a while to write this. And then I would have to charge you and copyright it and sell it to Gates and I'm just kinda tired right now and don't feel like it LOL

Try an Internet search...I'm sure someone, somewhere has written something close.

[golfcart]

Not what you are looking for but might solve your troubles...

http://www.cablesnmor.com/usb-switch-box.html

[amos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rootstonian

Basically, he needs a TSR that traps the BIOS keyboard interrupt and just trashes the keystrokes.

However, my assembler is so rusty, it would take me a while to write this. And then I would have to charge you and copyright it and sell it to Gates and I'm just kinda tired right now and don't feel like it LOL

Yeah. Just my feeling and I'm the one who wants it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rootstonian

Try an Internet search...I'm sure someone, somewhere has written something close.

[Rootstonian]

Yep, and on second thought, this would probably not be assembler. A Win32 program that you can run that "hooks" the keyboard would be better.

http://www.kbalertz.com/kb_33690.aspx

[just_a_nobody]

I would just go with a KVM switch, with the keyboard and mouse connected, and the monitors, not connected, going directly to the computers. It would suffice, till you found your program...lol. KVMs are pretty cheap on eBay.

[amos]

Thanks. Yes you are probably right. If the KVM works it'll do most of what I want. I was put off KVMs cause there was no way it would support the monitors, but I can get a cheap one to do the KM, and just check it out. If it doesn't work, well it can hit the large graveyard I already have

[just_a_nobody]

How do you mean a KVM would not support the monitors? You don't have to have any monitor connected, just the one mouse, and one keyboard, then have each monitor connected directly to its designated computer.