Option 1 doesn’t have a link
I followed option 2.
But it’s working well
page is updated. fine good
Thanks for reporting the broken link on our installation page! You’re right, I just fixed it. We now recommend “Download from GitHub Releases” as the primary installation approach, which is more reliable and always up-to-date.
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Hi Rex. I haven’t been able to see the usb c or usb 2.0 port at all. Is there a way to test these ports or turn them on independently? I’m using your Debian Trixie 6.12.67 image and the 0..5.20.084 version of openterfaceQT with 16gb CM5 lite.
They should just work with the software, I never had to turn them on.
Hey everyone! Picking up where we left off in this thread.
First, our Openterface KVM Ext. v1 shipped and sold out. A lot of that started right here. Shout-out to everyone who shared stories of using the uConsole with our KVM extension in the field: BIOS checks, headless servers, paste workflows. That meant a lot to us and to the work we put into this. Seriously.
A year ago I asked what you’d want on this board. @Greg_E called ethernet on day one, and a lot of you echoed that. So, we’ve been heads-down on v2 since: uConsole KVM Extension Module v2 is open for pre-order. Same slot-in idea, bigger ops toolkit:
- KVM: HDMI BIOS control, same open-source Openterface QT app on your uConsole
- Two network insert cards in the box: 100M works on any uConsole board out of the box; 1000M card included if you have the uConsole Upgrade Kit from HackerGadgets
- SD card: flash images, grab logs, move files without extra dongles (same switchable mount idea I teased back in November)
- 1080p at 60Hz on the uConsole screen, lower latency than v1
v1 is done. v2 is the only path for new orders.
We’re running a 2-week pre-order window to lock the production batch. Early bird pricing for 14 days only, and the price will goes after. The more orders in this window, the easier it is for our small team to organize manufacturing without over- or under-building.
Expected ship: early August.
Pre-order: https://shop.techxartisan.com/products/openterface-kvm-ext-for-uconsole
Software: still Openterface QT. Install from GitHub Releases, same path we’ve been fixing together in this thread. @Rex, thanks again for packaging openterfaceqt for your distros!
@Greg_E, you asked to be in the first batch. Here it is.
@Cafe_Lab_Arty_Day, glad v1 is working on your side. v2 adds the ethernet + SD combo a lot of you asked for 
Also appreciate @Richard_Castro @Jon-bar @bored99 @Battledancer for keeping this thread alive. Your feedback shaped v2.
What would you want to see in a demo clip? I’ll film some soon. Also happy to answer install questions here. Thx!
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Thanks for the heads up, just ordered.
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Awesome — I haven’t bought it yet, but I already have the Openterface KVM add-on V1, and V2 looks like a solid upgrade. The added RJ45 Ethernet on V2 makes it especially appealing to me, because I’d love to use my uConsole as a KVM-over-IP as well, not just KVM-over-USB. I noticed that IP-KVM (VNC) support is on your official roadmap, which is exactly the direction I’m hoping for.
My ideal setup is this: I’d keep the uConsole on a 10-inch homelab rack shelf as a KVM-over-IP, and take it out to use as a KVM-over-USB whenever I need to. The one thing I really wish for is onboard power on the add-on itself — PoE or any power input on the module. Right now it’s a bit annoying to power the uConsole from one side while running the KVM cables from the other. Having power and KVM on the same module — ideally over a single PoE Ethernet line — would make this rack setup much cleaner.
So my question / request: is there any plan to add onboard power (PoE or similar) to the KVM Extension Module? Combined with the upcoming VNC support, it would make the uConsole a fantastic portable + rack-mounted hybrid KVM.
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@sayanova Really appreciate you supporting us from v1!
Totally get why KVM-over-IP is appealing for homelab rack life. PiKVM, JetKVM, that kind of thing is great when the box stays put and you reach it from anywhere. We’ve mostly chased KVM-over-USB instead: plug HDMI in, BIOS in hand, move on quick. Not turn your stunning uConsole into a permanent shelf ornament lol. You sure you just leave it there and walk away??? 
But yeah, I got you, ideally we want BOTH. Super hacking tool and all 
The RJ45 on v2 should help a lot for SSH, switch web UI, log pulls, that LAN-side stuff. Even though v2 isn’t a PiKVM-style hardware IP-KVM, if that makes sense. PoE or onboard power on the module so the uConsole runs cleanly off one cable? a great idea, of course, just honestly gnarlier than it sounds in hardware land, which requires quite some extra dev and tests behind the scenes to make it solid, like power budget, making sure the uConsole can sip safely for long runs, all that. I’ve got it in my notes, maybe a fun v3 surprise, but v2 design is locked there.
VNC on your uConsole: yes, on the roadmap, team is actively on it. Some experimental bits already exist. We’re working to bring that path to Openterface QT on uConsole too. Can’t pin an exact day in a forum reply, but it’s real work, not a promise yet.
Thanks again for the thoughtful write-up. Rack + portable hybrid is exactly the kind of workflow we love hearing about.
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@Greg_E Legend. Seriously. Day-one support and twice now. Thank you! 
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I did say that if you added ethernet, it would be the exact thing I needed. Probably going to have to buy the Hackergadgets board so I can get gigabit, but that will probably be later.
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While I wait for this v2 card to be built, what is the most compatible OS to run with it? I currently have Parrot 6.4 with Pi4/8gb, and with the mini it is not a great experience. Should I be switching to Debian or something else?
I’m probably just going to keep it on the stock mainboard and live with the 100mb ethernet, I found an SFP module that works in my 10g switches and goes down to the 100mb speeds, so the gigabit is lower priority right now, and I don’t want to spend more money on this device right now. Things at work may be changing, and I may not be able to even use this device.
My money for stuff like this is also kind of earmarked for a waveshare pocketterm35 if I can get my hands on one, I have a pi4/8gb B sitting here idle, and it would be neat to see how this compares, especially with relatively stock Pi OS options. Yes the display is a bummer!
in general the debian images are the best supported
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Got a shipping notice on mine today.
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Hey guys! Yes, we’ve finally shipped out the V2 boards! 
It’s great to see the first batch heading out to you. Thanks so much to everyone who supported this V1 from the beginning and V2 now. We really couldn’t have done it without your trust, patience, and feedback.
I know the documentation site is still a bit behind… I’ve been focused on getting all the boards shipped first, but I’ll do my best to keep adding more guides, examples, and information as I catch up.
Also, I’ll be heading to San Francisco next week for Open Sauce 2026: https://www.opensauce.com/exhibits/openterface-kvm-control-any-devices
If you’re going too, come say hi. I hope to meet some of you there!
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Mine arrived today, got it installed with the 100mb Ethernet since I don’t have the hacker gadgets board. It powers up but that’s as far as I went, still need to flash a newer OS and do all the other things.
What is the little push button for?
What is the little ufl connector for?
The small push button is used to put the onboard CH32 MCU into firmware update mode for updating the keyboard/mouse firmware.
As for the U.FL connector, it’s for an external antenna for the onboard CH32 Bluetooth module, not for the Raspberry Pi’s Wi-Fi/Bluetooth.
At the moment, it’s a reserved hardware feature. We plan to make use of it in a future firmware update for experimental Bluetooth functionality, potentially enabling wireless keyboard/mouse-related features. It’s not available yet.
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For the OS, I’d recommend using Rex’s latest image: ClockworkPi-Ubuntu-24.04-6.12.67.img: Ubuntu 24.04 6.12.y for the uConsole and DevTerm
The main reason is that it already includes support for the onboard Gigabit Ethernet on the Upgrade Kit. The stock ClockworkPi image doesn’t enable the onboard Gigabit NIC by default, so if you want Gigabit networking on that image, you’d have to rebuild the kernel yourself, which I wouldn’t recommend.
You can quickly check which Ethernet interfaces are available by running: ip link
Expected results:
-
Rex Ubuntu image + Gigabit module (or no module installed) →
eth0(onboard Gigabit) -
Rex Ubuntu image + 100 Mbps module →
eth0(onboard Gigabit, not active in fact) +eth1(100 Mbps expansion module)
Does the Debian Trixie image work “good enough”? That’s what I was planning to use, and just stay with factory main board and 100m interface.
@BILLY_WANG Hi, I received the device today and immediately replaced the first-generation board with it. I also updated the software to the latest version.
However, when I connected it to the host, I got no video output. I then tried to update the firmware and noticed that the current firmware version was displayed as 000000000. After that, I discovered that the device firmware version could not be detected, nor could the display port.
I also tried rolling back to the previous software version that I had been using with the first-generation board. That didn’t help either, although the host detected the display for a brief moment.
Could you please tell me what I am doing wrong?
UPDATE
The problem was caused by a missing driver. Before running make, you need to replace <asm/unaligned.h> with <linux/unaligned.h> in the ch341.c file.
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