A 60 DOLLARS RASPBERRY PI LETS YOU FIX ANY COMPUTER FROM ANYWHERE — EVEN IN BIOS
A Raspberry Pi 4 and an HDMI capture bridge turn into a KVM-over-IP that works at hardware level — BIOS, power control, OS reinstall — for about 60 dollars instead of 500 dollars.
by Maxim Devaev
AutomationOpen-hardware
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- a weekend
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE10,211 stars
●●●○○ · a weekend · GPL-3.0 · 10,211 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
PiKVM is a serious piece of infrastructure disguised as a weekend Pi project. It streams a target computer's video, keyboard and mouse to a web interface, and because it sits between the hardware — not inside the OS — it reaches BIOS, boot menus and machines that have completely locked up. The V2 platform build uses a Raspberry Pi 4, a cheap HDMI-to-CSI capture bridge, and a USB splitter. The software is a custom Linux image that boots ready to serve. The documentation is thorough, the community is active, and 10,200+ stars suggest this is not vaporware. The catch: a working build still demands careful part selection (the wrong HDMI bridge will not initialize), soldering if you want ATX power control, and patient troubleshooting if video does not appear on first boot. The HDMI capture chip is the single most common failure point — multiple models exist and not all are compatible, even when they look identical. If you need remote hardware access and have dealt with Pi GPIO or HATs before, this will work. If you have never reflashed an SD card or diagnosed HDMI handshake issues, expect a learning weekend, not a quick win.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —GPL-3.0 licence, permits commercial use.
- —Complete OS image and firmware in the repository.
- —Shopping list and assembly instructions present.
- —Prebuilt hardware boards sold separately by the project (V3 HAT, V4 Plus), but the V2 DIY platform build costs roughly $60 and is fully documented.
- —No 3D-printed enclosure files in the repository; assembly is open-air or user-sourced case.
- —ATX power control requires an optional add-on board or relay wiring.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Partner · KickstarterHeyGears G1: 10M+ colors and transparent parts in one print, plus UV printing on flat objects. Figures, parts and labels — no painting.
Videos
PiKVM! What is it?!
No official YouTube channel; community walkthroughs exist but vary in quality and hardware version
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the V2 platform guide in the official docs (Start here, not the README — it lists compatible capture bridges by name and shows the wiring)
- 2.Order parts using the documented shopping list(The Auvidea B101 and Geekworm C779 bridges are confirmed working; generic clones are a gamble)
- 3.Flash the OS image to microSD and boot (Use the official image builder or prebuilt release; do not try to install on Raspberry Pi OS)
- 4.Connect to the web interface and test video(If no video appears, reseat the CSI cable and check the bridge is detected in dmesg)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
- Official documentation docs.pikvm.org
- V2 platform build guide docs.pikvm.org
- Build video youtube.com
- Build video youtube.com
- Project site pikvm.org
KNOWN ISSUES
- Buying an incompatible or counterfeit HDMI-to-CSI capture bridge — this is the number-one showstopper and you will not know until you boot.
- Assuming any Raspberry Pi 4 will work — the 1GB model is not supported, and older Pi 3 boards lack the bandwidth for smooth video.
- Skipping the part where you set a strong password on first boot — the web interface is open to your network by default.
- Expecting plug-and-play ATX power control — you need an extra relay board or the official power HAT, and it requires GPIO wiring or soldering.
- Not checking HDMI cable quality — cheap or long HDMI runs to the target machine cause capture dropouts that look like a software bug.
- Trying to capture HDCP-protected content or 4K sources — PiKVM is for servers and workstations, not Blu-ray players, and the bridge maxes out at 1080p50.
Does this work on machines that are completely off?
Not without ATX power control. The optional add-on lets you simulate the physical power button press, which works on most ATX motherboards.
Can I use a Pi Zero?
No. The Pi Zero does not have the CPU or memory bandwidth for video capture. Pi 4 (2GB or higher) only.
What is the video quality like?
1080p at up to 50 fps, H.264 encoded. Enough to read BIOS text and interact; not good enough for watching video content on the target.
Do I need to install anything on the target computer?
No. PiKVM is completely hardware-level. The target machine sees it as a keyboard, mouse and monitor. No drivers, no agent, no OS dependency.
Can I access it over the internet?
Yes, but you need to set up port forwarding or a VPN. The project documentation recommends Tailscale for secure remote access.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
10,200+ stars and deployments in real data centres — this is not a toy. If you have built one, which HDMI-to-CSI bridge did you use, and did it work on the first try?
Maxim Devaev
Maxim built PiKVM to manage headless servers in a home lab without spending $500 on commercial IP KVM hardware. The project grew into a full platform with optional prebuilt HATs, a thriving community, and deployment in data centres. He continues to maintain the firmware and hardware designs.
Keep building — related projects
Same category, picked by how close they are to this build.
NO CAD FILESThe Texting Network for the End of the World
AutomationOpen-hardware●●○○○starter
FULL CADOpen-source ECU replaces your car's factory brain — you tune it from a laptop
AutomationOpen-hardware●●●●●expert
Partner · KickstarterCodeeBot: build the robot from Lego-compatible bricks and program it by hand; a GPT tutor explains each step.
NO CAD FILESStep-by-step instructions to build your own repairable smartphone from scratch
Open-hardwareAutomation●●●●○advanced
FULL CADA module that reads your electric car directly, so the tracking and preheating do not go through the manufacturer
AutomationOpen-hardware●●●●○advanced
DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM24d agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the repository contains firmware, OS images and assembly docs, but no STL files for an enclosure — most builders leave it open-air or 3D-print a generic Pi case. The official shopping list is in the docs, not the README. The single biggest decision is the HDMI capture bridge: the Auvidea B101 and Geekworm C779 are documented as working, but cheaper clones with identical product photos exist and may not initialize. If you buy the wrong one, you will not see video, and the failure mode looks exactly like a software bug. The repo was last updated two days ago, the project site sells official HAT-based kits for around $100, and the V2 DIY build genuinely does cost about $60 if you already have a Pi 4.