# PiKVM

Open and inexpensive DIY IP-KVM based on Raspberry Pi

Repository: https://github.com/pikvm/pikvm
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/pikvm
Homepage: https://pikvm.org
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: raspberry-pi, kvm, ipmi, vnc, mass-storage-device, ip-kvm, ipkvm, pi-kvm, pikvm, video-capture-device, hdmi, vga, atx, raspberrypi, hardware
Last push: 2026-08-22T19:49:04+00:00
Link (homepage): https://pikvm.org
Link (site_page): https://docs.pikvm.org/
Link (site_page): https://pikvm.org/about

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 77/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2543, "days_push": 11, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 10271, forks 567 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:41.411029+00:00)

## What it is
PiKVM is an open-source KVM-over-IP solution built on Raspberry Pi that lets you remotely control servers and workstations (keyboard, video, mouse, power) even when the OS is down. It ships as a ready-made OS with a web UI and VNC access, virtual media emulation, ATX power control, and very low-latency H.264 video streaming.

## Use cases
- remotely access a server's BIOS without physical access
- reinstall an operating system on a headless machine using a virtual CD/DVD
- power cycle a frozen server remotely via ATX control
- manage multiple servers out-of-band like an IPMI BMC
- troubleshoot a workstation whose OS won't boot
- build a DIY IP-KVM from a spare Raspberry Pi
- watch a remote machine's screen with low latency over the network

## When to choose
- you need out-of-band remote control of servers or workstations without installing software on the host
- you want an open-source, inexpensive alternative to commercial IP-KVM/IPMI solutions
- you need BIOS-level access, OS reinstall, or power control for remote machines
- you want very low-latency video streaming of a remote display

## When to avoid
- you only need SSH or remote desktop into a healthy OS - simpler tools suffice
- you have no Raspberry Pi hardware and don't want to buy a PiKVM device
- you need multi-host KVM switching at scale without additional hardware
- you require vendor-certified enterprise support contracts from a large vendor

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: ssh, monitoring, auth, http-server
- domain: hardware, self-hosted, developer-tools, networking, embedded-systems
- platform: iot, self-hosted, embedded
- tags: kvm-over-ip, ipmi, out-of-band-management, vnc, webrtc, hdmi-capture, atx-control, virtual-cd-dvd, raspberry-pi, server-management, video-streaming, virtual-media, linux, web-server

## Member repositories
- pikvm/pikvm (main) score 77
- pikvm/ustreamer (backend) score 77

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:41.411029+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:19:21.729580+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/pikvm/pikvm (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:41.411029+00:00, sha 05db3b9b6652)
  - homepage: https://pikvm.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:19:08.665724+00:00, sha 3b3e29ded1f5)
  - site_page: https://docs.pikvm.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:19:08.672678+00:00, sha 3783599a9aae)
  - site_page: https://pikvm.org/about (fetched 2026-08-29T08:19:08.670363+00:00, sha 3c13a929f837)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.