Difference between revisions of "Keyboard and Mouse Sharing"

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= Overview =
= Overview =


[http://synergy-foss.org/ Synergy] is a brilliant piece of software that doesn't require much effort to get going, Though after that it required me some more time to get it to function just how I want it to = faultless autostart.
[http://synergy-foss.org/ Synergy] is a brilliant piece of software that doesn't require much effort to get going, Though faultless autostart did require some configuration.
 
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==So What Does Synergy Do?==  
==So What Does Synergy Do?==  
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I can now use my favourite keyboard & mouse to operate two computers (synergy will do plenty more computers if you have them) one at a time of course...  
I can now use my favourite keyboard & mouse to operate two computers (synergy will do plenty more computers if you have them) one at a time of course...  


The two machines are set up to load synergy when they boot, & it doesn't matter what order the server or the client is booted in, when they are both up, synergy automatically does its stuff, using next to no system resources.
With two machines set to load synergy when they boot it doesn't matter what order the server or the client is booted in.  


Synergy uses next to no system resources and even shares the clipboard as well!
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==The Three B's - BS, Blurb & Bug:==
==Bug Awareness==
 
Years ago I paid a lot of money for a really good quality four machine handling KVM switch box. It worked very well via keyboard command until the day it failed. :(  In those days when I was fixing computers, that KVM was far superior to synergy because it was hardware that was system independent & worked on anything that had a working BIOS.
 
For my needs today, the synergy system shits all over a KVM, though there are varying limitations which are dictated by the display manager / OS you are using.
 
Running Openbox, I can't make use of synergy until OB has loaded. On some Linux display managers you can use it before hand & I'm sure that OS/X & the various Windows all have their strengths & weaknesses in this regard. In the end this doesn't really matter to me as I spend very little time outside of OB anyway. So for my current computer usage synergy is all but gob smacking perfect.
 
All but? Yes, just one tiny bug that effects a few of us. For some users when moving the mouse from one computer screen to another you get a one or (far more rare) a two second black screen.
 
I got the one second one when moving from the client to the server. For most this is fixed by issuing the command  '''xset -dpms'''. This works for me so I issue it in ''~/.xinitrc'' so the problem never appears.
 
This problem has been around for about a year, & someone has written a patch for it inside of the last month, so I'll hang back & wait for the next release which I expect to have killed this bug, in the mean time I no longer know it exists.


I'm sure that this bug no longer exists, don't be put off by it.
Running Openbox, I can't make use of synergy until OB has loaded. But some Linux display managers you can use it before hand.


While it should already be fixed, there is an old bug that can produce 1-2 second black screens. For most this is fixed by issuing the command 
xset -dpms
If necessary, the command can be placed in ''~/.xinitrc'' so the problem never appears.
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==The Synergys Server:==
==The Synergy Server:==


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===Installation:===
===Installation:===


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===Configuration:===
===Configuration:===


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This '''synergyc.conf''' file suits my uses perfectly, I found it on the Arch wiki, & it needed no functional modification. I put it in /home/handy as a <.dot> file i.e. ~/.synergy.conf .
This '''synergyc.conf''' file suits my uses perfectly, I found it on the Arch wiki, & it needed no functional modification. I put it in /home/handy as a <.dot> file i.e. ~/.synergy.conf .
OK, that is the server taken care of above, now its time for;-


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==The Synergy Client(s):==


==The Synergy Client(s):==
Install synergy


Install synergy.
sudo pacman -S synergy


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  192.168.1.6    leftpc.localdomain              leftpc          ## the iMac client
  192.168.1.6    leftpc.localdomain              leftpc          ## the iMac client
  192.168.1.3    rightpc.localdomain            rightpc        ## the HP server [/code]
  192.168.1.3    rightpc.localdomain            rightpc        ## the HP server [/code]
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====Synergy shares the clipboard too!!!====
''(By the way, due to synergy I could just use the keyboard shortcuts to copy the above from the Terminal on the client & then move my mouse over to the server where I'm typing this & then use the keyboard to paste it! '''Synergy shares the clipboard too!!!''' Which is brilliant.)''


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  synergyc -d ERROR rightpc
  synergyc -d ERROR rightpc
No need for the xset -dpms bug fix on this machine thankfully (It extremely likely that this bug is now long dead).


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==Conclusion:==
==Conclusion:==


The server is where the hardest work is, beyond that it comes down to getting your auto-start sorted so that it just works no matter which machine(s) come on in what order. For me the above works in that regard perfectly, (once Openbox has loaded).
The server is where the hardest work is, beyond that it comes down to getting your auto-start sorted so that it just works no matter which machine(s) come on in what order. For me the above works in that regard perfectly once Openbox has loaded.
 
I hope the above makes the info that is already on the net just a little easier to optimise for your usage.
 
I'm SO happy to at last not be swapping the ***king keyboards & mouses all the time, it drives me ***king nuts.
 
 
=Support=
 
Create a page on the Manjaro forum if you need to pursue this further.
 


[[Category:Contents Page]]
[[Category:Contents Page]]
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