How can I access USB devices in a cloud workstation setup

Posted by Kate_f25 on Wednesday November 13, 2024 @07:07PM
from the self-post dept.

I recently moved my workstation to a cloud setup and I’m struggling to access my USB devices remotely. I need to use specific hardware like my POS scanner but the cloud environment doesn’t support USB devices directly, and it’s been a real headache. Has anyone managed to connect their USB devices to a cloud OS? Any tools or methods that have worked for you? Thanks!

( 6 comments | 2 points | on HN )

Re:How can I access USB devices in a cloud workstation setup by mcsniff on Wednesday November 13, 2024 @11:08PM (#42133093)

https://github.com/corellium/usbfluxd

I have used this before, it works in a pinch.

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Re:How can I access USB devices in a cloud workstation setup by solardev on Wednesday November 13, 2024 @08:15PM (#42132129)

It's not super clear to me what you're trying to do. Is the POS scanner a simple barcode reader? If so, many of them can operate as a plain keyboard instead, so it would just enter whatever it scans into whatever text field has focus.

If the POS reader is something more advanced, like an integrated POS tablet system (Square, etc.), are there any APIs you can use?

Where does the "cloud setup" come in to play here... like are you on a local computer, with a POS attached, but mostly working in a remote desktop through an app? Or is the POS system itself attached to some other computer in the cloud (like in a colo datacenter or something)? Sorry for the confusion. What data are you trying to send, and to what?

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Re:How can I access USB devices in a cloud workstation setup by NCaffer on Thursday November 14, 2024 @05:32AM (#42134844)

I had a similar issue but with a 3D mouse, which I rely on heavily for design work. Most remote desktop setups don’t support USB connections. After some research, I found a tool that turned out to be exactly what I needed. You can find more details here https://www.net-usb.com/features/usb-to-cloud/

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Re:How can I access USB devices in a cloud workstation setup by atmanactive on Thursday November 14, 2024 @01:09PM (#42139193)

https://virtualhere.com

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Re:How can I access USB devices in a cloud workstation setup by MaxAFriedrich on Friday November 15, 2024 @08:13PM (#42153278)

It can be a pain to set up, but works very well once it has been. It is paid, but the free tier is very generous. I have used it to pass a wacom tablet through from a Linux host to a Windows host. It is designed for use over the local network, however, this can be solved with Tailscale (set the IPs to the tailscale IP of each host).

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Re:How can I access USB devices in a cloud workstation setup by atmanactive on Friday November 15, 2024 @09:10PM (#42153513)

I believe I saw cloud use instructions on their site.

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