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Synergy works well for this purely in software. Unfortunately it's not free or open source, but it's relatively inexpensive. https://symless.com/synergy https:

Synergy works well for this purely in software. Unfortunately it's not free or open source, but it's relatively inexpensive. https://symless.com/synergy https://symless.com/synergy

thedookmaster 3y ago
https://github.com/debauchee/barrier https://github.com/debauchee/barrier is the free open source version of this
figmert 3y ago
Prior to Synergy going to closed source, it was forked into Barrier[0], which then was forked into input-leap[1]. Both open source. [0] https://github.com/debauchee/barrier https://github.com/debauchee/barrier [1] https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap
- ddalex 3y ago
  Unfortunately there is no simple way of makeing this work on a Chromebook
- stavros 3y ago
  Input leap was forked two years ago and the Readme still says "we hope to have a release ready very soon", which doesn't sound very hopeful. Too bad, Synergy was always a very useful project.
  - aystatic 3y ago
    This announcement was only added to the README in early October[1]. In the meantime you can of course compile it yourself/grab a build from GH actions. I'm sure they would appreciate the testing, especially leading up to release :-) [1]: https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap/commit/78ca8f1ef7b662b1e4ae63c4050403aa219f8a53 https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap/commit/78ca8f1ef7b6...
    - stavros 3y ago
      Oh good, thanks, I will!
- loloquwowndueo 3y ago
  I haven’t tried Synergy. barrier and input-leap were useless for me as they don’t capture “ctrl-alt” so my crucial “open a terminal” shortcut always opens it on the primary computer. Maybe Wayland is to blame?
  - elaus 3y ago
    Didn't have any problems with X11 and various computers - so maybe it really is Wayland-specific?
  - ElCapitanMarkla 3y ago
    You might have to change the modifier keys on the server config. I have a Linux server and MacOS client, a few minutes trial and error fiddling those settings until I got it all working.
- michaelmior 3y ago
  Thanks! I had thought I remembered Synergy being open source. I haven't used it in a while, so it's good to know there's alternatives.
rzzzt 3y ago
Synergy is open core, these portions are licensed as GPL: https://github.com/symless/synergy-core/#License-1-ov-file https://github.com/symless/synergy-core/#License-1-ov-file There is an open source fork that branches off version 1.9: https://github.com/debauchee/barrier#what-is-it https://github.com/debauchee/barrier#what-is-it
smcleod 3y ago
And its new version has been rewritten so that it’s no longer a native app but an Electron web app.
_cenw 3y ago
Synergy has some bugs they just don't seem to care about. For instance, if you use a macOS host, the calculation of where your cursor on a Windows/Linux client uses the macOS acceleration curve, but the actual movement of cursors does not. So you end up switching back unintentionally trying to do things on the third of the windows screen closest to your host.
sixothree 3y ago
I have a saying “nothing sucks like synergy but they all do”. Not a single one of these technologies is reliable. But synergy is the one that has multiple times made even the connected keyboard stop working to the point where the machine needs to be power cycled to become responsive.
- bonki 3y ago
  Thing is, I used the old OSS Synergy some 15-20 years ago, across Linux, Windows and I believe OSX as well (although I am not 100% certain about the latter). It worked absolutely flawlessly for several years while I used it and I loved it dearly. Fast forward (I had no need for a software kvm until last year) and I use Barrier now and it barely works. Autostart on Windows doesn't work at all, the installer failed to create certificates so nothing worked until I created them manually and sometimes the keyboard dies completely or exhibits frustrating bugs which only a reboot can solve. It's baffling how this used to work so well and is barely usable 15+ years later.
  - snappysnap 3y ago
    Totally agree. Back in 2004 I used it daily to bridge between two PCs running on one network, behind a firewall with one running the synergy server and the other the client, and a laptop running the client. Both PCs were under my desk with my laptop and two screens from the PCs on top. I had one keyboard and mouse across three screens powered by three computers and could seamlessly not only move my mouse across all 3, but also copy paste text across too. I believe a newer version (which may never have materialized before it went closed source) was going to have drag n drop across too. It was so easy to work with and remember it very fondly. It was magic stuff.
  - jtriangle 3y ago
    Turn off clipboard sharing, use a config file, and barrier works well on most systems. Way too much BS to get it running though.
    - bonki 3y ago
mmwelt 3y ago
Any suggestions for Windows & Android (tablet)? All the solutions seem to only work with desktop OSes.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
smileybarry 3y ago
The fact that TLS connection encryption is gated behind the $60 edition (vs the $30 personal edition) completely turned me off it. Not a fan of basic security being paywalled.
worldsayshi 3y ago
Does Synergy work with multi monitor setups? I've enjoyed Barrier but it doesn't work when any of the machines have multiple displays so I've ditched it for now.
- ProcNetDev 3y ago
  Synergy works with multi-monitor (for me at least). I've been using it for close to two decades. Outside of the Linux kernel, it is probably the single piece of software I've used the longest.
- jtriangle 3y ago
  I use barrier across 4 monitors and three devices, works fine. Nowadays you have to look at the logs and search through a pile of github issues to find the right solution to make it work, but once it's up it's pretty trouble free. Only real pain point is clipboard sharing, which works for small clipboards, but, copy too much text and it takes forever to switch.
airtonix 3y ago
[dead]

Synergy works well for this purely in software. Unfortunately it's not free or open source, but it's relatively inexpensive. https://symless.com/synergy https://symless.com/synergy

thedookmaster 3y ago

https://github.com/debauchee/barrier https://github.com/debauchee/barrier is the free open source version of this

figmert 3y ago

Prior to Synergy going to closed source, it was forked into Barrier[0], which then was forked into input-leap[1]. Both open source. [0] https://github.com/debauchee/barrier https://github.com/debauchee/barrier [1] https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap

ddalex 3y ago
Unfortunately there is no simple way of makeing this work on a Chromebook
stavros 3y ago
Input leap was forked two years ago and the Readme still says "we hope to have a release ready very soon", which doesn't sound very hopeful. Too bad, Synergy was always a very useful project.
- aystatic 3y ago
  This announcement was only added to the README in early October[1]. In the meantime you can of course compile it yourself/grab a build from GH actions. I'm sure they would appreciate the testing, especially leading up to release :-) [1]: https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap/commit/78ca8f1ef7b662b1e4ae63c4050403aa219f8a53 https://github.com/input-leap/input-leap/commit/78ca8f1ef7b6...
  - stavros 3y ago
    Oh good, thanks, I will!
loloquwowndueo 3y ago
I haven’t tried Synergy. barrier and input-leap were useless for me as they don’t capture “ctrl-alt” so my crucial “open a terminal” shortcut always opens it on the primary computer. Maybe Wayland is to blame?
- elaus 3y ago
  Didn't have any problems with X11 and various computers - so maybe it really is Wayland-specific?
- ElCapitanMarkla 3y ago
  You might have to change the modifier keys on the server config. I have a Linux server and MacOS client, a few minutes trial and error fiddling those settings until I got it all working.
michaelmior 3y ago
Thanks! I had thought I remembered Synergy being open source. I haven't used it in a while, so it's good to know there's alternatives.

rzzzt 3y ago

Synergy is open core, these portions are licensed as GPL: https://github.com/symless/synergy-core/#License-1-ov-file https://github.com/symless/synergy-core/#License-1-ov-file There is an open source fork that branches off version 1.9: https://github.com/debauchee/barrier#what-is-it https://github.com/debauchee/barrier#what-is-it

smcleod 3y ago

And its new version has been rewritten so that it’s no longer a native app but an Electron web app.

_cenw 3y ago

Synergy has some bugs they just don't seem to care about. For instance, if you use a macOS host, the calculation of where your cursor on a Windows/Linux client uses the macOS acceleration curve, but the actual movement of cursors does not. So you end up switching back unintentionally trying to do things on the third of the windows screen closest to your host.

sixothree 3y ago

I have a saying “nothing sucks like synergy but they all do”. Not a single one of these technologies is reliable. But synergy is the one that has multiple times made even the connected keyboard stop working to the point where the machine needs to be power cycled to become responsive.

bonki 3y ago
Thing is, I used the old OSS Synergy some 15-20 years ago, across Linux, Windows and I believe OSX as well (although I am not 100% certain about the latter). It worked absolutely flawlessly for several years while I used it and I loved it dearly. Fast forward (I had no need for a software kvm until last year) and I use Barrier now and it barely works. Autostart on Windows doesn't work at all, the installer failed to create certificates so nothing worked until I created them manually and sometimes the keyboard dies completely or exhibits frustrating bugs which only a reboot can solve. It's baffling how this used to work so well and is barely usable 15+ years later.
- snappysnap 3y ago
  Totally agree. Back in 2004 I used it daily to bridge between two PCs running on one network, behind a firewall with one running the synergy server and the other the client, and a laptop running the client. Both PCs were under my desk with my laptop and two screens from the PCs on top. I had one keyboard and mouse across three screens powered by three computers and could seamlessly not only move my mouse across all 3, but also copy paste text across too. I believe a newer version (which may never have materialized before it went closed source) was going to have drag n drop across too. It was so easy to work with and remember it very fondly. It was magic stuff.
- jtriangle 3y ago
  Turn off clipboard sharing, use a config file, and barrier works well on most systems. Way too much BS to get it running though.
  - bonki 3y ago

mmwelt 3y ago

Any suggestions for Windows & Android (tablet)? All the solutions seem to only work with desktop OSes.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

smileybarry 3y ago

The fact that TLS connection encryption is gated behind the $60 edition (vs the $30 personal edition) completely turned me off it. Not a fan of basic security being paywalled.

worldsayshi 3y ago

Does Synergy work with multi monitor setups? I've enjoyed Barrier but it doesn't work when any of the machines have multiple displays so I've ditched it for now.

ProcNetDev 3y ago
Synergy works with multi-monitor (for me at least). I've been using it for close to two decades. Outside of the Linux kernel, it is probably the single piece of software I've used the longest.
jtriangle 3y ago
I use barrier across 4 monitors and three devices, works fine. Nowadays you have to look at the logs and search through a pile of github issues to find the right solution to make it work, but once it's up it's pretty trouble free. Only real pain point is clipboard sharing, which works for small clipboards, but, copy too much text and it takes forever to switch.

airtonix 3y ago

[dead]