tiny-pilot/tinypilot

Use your Raspberry Pi as a browser-based KVM.


repo name	tiny-pilot/tinypilot
repo link	https://github.com/tiny-pilot/tinypilot
homepage	https://tinypilotkvm.com
language	Python
size (curr.)	13605 kB
stars (curr.)	1351
created	2020-06-16
license	MIT License

TinyPilot

Overview

Turn your Raspberry Pi into a browser-based KVM.

https://tinypilotkvm.com

Features

Video capture (HDMI/DVI/VGA)
Keyboard forwarding
Mouse forwarding
Fullscreen mode
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Official builds

TinyPilot official hardware packages give you everything you need to run TinyPilot and allows you to fund TinyPilot’s development for future improvements.

TinyPilot Voyager

Voyager is TinyPilot’s professional-grade KVM over IP device. Its quiet, compact design makes it a great fit for professional environments such as offices, data centers, and server rooms.

TinyPilot Hobbyist Kit

The TinyPilot Hobbyist Kit is a great fit for home users who want a low-cost, DIY KVM over IP device.

Build your own

All-in-one kits are available from tinypilotkvm.com.

Raspberry Pi 4 (all variants work)
HDMI to USB dongle
- In smaller form factor
- They have no brand name, and there are several variants, but they’re all built on the same MacroSilicon 2109 chip.
- They’re available for $10-15 on eBay and AliExpress.
3 Amp power supply
USB-C to USB-A cable (Male/Male)
microSD card (Class 10, 8 GB or larger)
HDMI to HDMI cable
- Or [other] to HDMI, depending on how your target machine displays output.
(Optional) A USB-C OTG split connector: Supports continuous power when the target computer turns off.
- Requires two additional USB-A to microUSB cables and a 3 Amp power adapter.
- If you’re using this split connector, choose a USB-C to USB-A cable that’s 12" or shorter to minimize voltage drop along the cable.
(Optional) VGA to HDMI Adapter
- If your target computer has VGA output, the above adapter is confirmed to work with TinyPilot.

See “TinyPilot: Build a KVM Over IP for Under $100” for a more detailed tutorial on how to assemble these parts to create a TinyPilot.

Pre-requisites

Raspberry Pi OS Stretch or later
python3-venv

Simple installation

You can install TinyPilot on a compatible Raspberry Pi in just two commands.

curl \
  --silent \
  --show-error \
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tiny-pilot/tinypilot/master/quick-install | \
    bash - && \
  sudo reboot

The installation process:

Creates a service account for TinyPilot with limited priviliges.
Installs TinyPilot as a systemd service so it runs automatically on every boot.
Installs TinyPilot’s dependencies.
Installs TinyPilot to the /opt/tinypilot directory.

When your Pi reboots, you should be able to access TinyPilot by visiting your Pi hostname in the browser. For example, if your device is named raspberrypi:

http://raspberrypi/

Developer installation

See the CONTRIBUTING file.

Other installation options

Updates

To update to the latest version of TinyPilot, run the update script:

/opt/tinypilot/scripts/upgrade && sudo reboot

Diagnostics

If you’re having trouble with TinyPilot, you can retrive logs from the web dashboard by clicking “Logs” in the bottom of the main dashboard.

If you can’t access the web dashboard, you can retrieve the logs by SSHing into the device and running the following command:

/opt/tinypilot/dev-scripts/dump-logs

This log is useful if you file a bug report.

You can read more details about the logs in the wiki.

Security considerations

TinyPilot does not support authentication or transport-level encryption. You should only use TinyPilot on networks that you trust. Anyone who accesses the TinyPilot URL can shutdown or restart your Pi and type arbitrary commands into the device to which your Pi is connected.

To use TinyPilot on untrusted networks, you can upgrade to TinyPilot Pro, which adds password-based authentication and TLS for end-to-end encryption.

As a free alternative, you can adjust your Nginx configuration (included by default with the installation) to require HTTP Basic Authentication and add a self-signed TLS certificate.