Client-server software to share USB devices over the network.
| Source | https://github.com/epics-containers/usb-remote |
|---|---|
| PyPI | uvx usb-remote --version |
| Docker | docker run ghcr.io/epics-containers/usb-remote:latest |
| Documentation | https://epics-containers.github.io/usb-remote |
| Releases | https://github.com/epics-containers/usb-remote/releases |
usb-remote allows USB devices to be easily shared over a network using the Linux usbip service.
A usb-remote server runs on a machine with physical USB devices attached and shares its devices to clients. Clients can connect to multiple servers to access and control their USB devices as if they were locally connected.
usb-remote is a FOSS alternative to commercial USB-over-Ethernet solutions like Digi's AnyWhereUSB.
Advantages of Digi's AnyWhereUSB:
- Commercial product with support and warranty
- Dedicated hardware servers for USB device sharing
- Excellent security features controlling access to USB devices
Advantages of usb-remote:
- Good support for UVC isochronous Webcams that do not work with AnyWhereUSB
- Very simple to setup and use in trusted network environments
- Free and open source software (FOSS)
- The server runs on standard hardware such as a $55 Raspberry Pi
See the Server Setup and Client Setup guides for installation instructions.
# List devices on all configured servers
usb-remote list
# List devices on a specific server
usb-remote list --host raspberrypi1
# Attach a device (scans all servers, fails if multiple matches)
usb-remote attach --desc "Camera"
# Attach first matching device across servers
usb-remote attach --desc "Camera" --first
# Attach a device based on serial number - recommended for guaranteed unique match
usb-remote attach --serial=5072D8DF
# Detach a device
usb-remote detach --serial=5072D8DFSee the Architecture Reference for full details.
See https://epics-containers.github.io/usb-remote for more detailed documentation.