This is an AppImage builder for the Java client for the first and second generation of Avocent IP KVMs. These are often available relatively cheaply on Ebay and other surplus sites. This makes these IP KVMs affordable for small scale use.
The downside of these units is that 1) They don't support modern security protocols, all the units I've had have been locked to no hight than TLS1.0, which is generally considered insecure. If you do use the devices and this App bear in mind that the security is not good enough to protect your self if these are on the open internet. This client only supports username/password authentication. This means most modern version of linux and Java will refuse to connect with the default settings. Additionally the Duffie-Helmann key exchange offered is also apparently limited to 512 bits, many security policy require 768 bits or higher.
The second downside is the only client software only seems to work with ancient versions of Java. The latest version I've had success with is 1.60u27 . Any thing later than that doesn't update the screen, after fetching the initial image. Oddly it does seem to send the keypress information.
Due to all of the above, it very easy to have get a working environment for the Java application, which just apparently appear to stop working when you update Java or other operating system elements. So the tools here create a single binary with known good confguriation files and java binaries.
This repository contains a YML build file suitable for the pkg2appimage binary builder.
You will also need copy of the Java 6u27 installer which can (at the moment anyway) be downloaded from Oracle, and the jar files used by the client.
The java runtimes should be available from the Oracle Java Archive at this address https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/oracle-java-archive-downloads.html , under Java SE 6. Your looking for jre-6u27-linux-x64.bin , although earlier versions work the builder is configure for this one.
There are two Jar files which seem be needed as a minimum , these are:
- avctVM.jar
- avctVideo.jar
The easily place to find these jar files is from the onboard web interface (OBWI) of the KVM device itself. Unfortunately not all of the units I have found have this enabled. (I suspect it was an extra cost option at some point). If you don't have access to the OBWI, I suggest you try to find your oem support site to find some sort of management client. Often all the needed JAR files are in such a client.
- If you have access to the webinterface they should be downloadable from
- http://device/webstart2/<filename>
Once those three files are in the root directory of this repository you should just be able to run pkg2appimage to create a single built executable you can use to connect to your KVM.
You nee to provide a server name, and host name or IP address to connect to the KVM device, and a reference for the appropriate server connected to that KVM.
The simplest way is to keep a record of the DSRQ-Id of the Server interface module for the serves you are interet in and use the -r form of the command line below.
./<AppImage> SERVERNAME KVMHOST -p portnumber ./<AppImage> SERVERNAME KVMHOST -r DSQRId
- Options:
-p Portnumber that the required server is connected to. -r Unique Id of servers KVM 'dongle' -t Alternate title for window -u Username ( default: Admin) -P Password (default is blank)