A piece of must have software...

markoibook · Feb 15, 2005

Hi guys,

I stumbled upon an absolutely awesome piece of software today - which is an absolute must for all of you that use multiple computers on your desk - which for me is my pc (till i get a mini) and my ibook.

Basically its like a software kvm that works over your network - so allows you to use one keyboard and mouse with multiple machines. All you do is move your mouse cursor off the edge of one screen and it appears on the other machine, so you can then use the mouse and keyboard with that machine. The best thing is that it is crossplatform, so i can move my pc mouse cursor on to my ibook's screen and use my pc's keyboard and mouse with mac os x!

Of course this may even be useful to those people who have a mac mini - as they will not need to buy a mouse and keyboard for it!

It's called Synergy and you will find it at sourceforge:

http://synergy2.sourceforge.net

Enjoy!

PS. it even allows you to copy and paste between computers (well text at least!)

edesignuk · Feb 15, 2005

Sounds good, I'll be trying this when I get home. Thanks!

markoibook · Feb 15, 2005

edesignuk said:
Sounds good, I'll be trying this when I get home. Thanks!

Let us know how you get on - but I think you will be pleasantly pleased!
It's a must for us people with multiple computers!

PlaceofDis · Feb 15, 2005

hmmm something new for me to try at last, thanks for letting us know about this

benwa02 · Feb 15, 2005

sounds pretty cool. would be pretty good for web designers to test cross-platform.

Brize · Feb 15, 2005

Thanks for passing that along, markoibook.

I sent the link to a friend who alternates between his PowerBook and PC at work, and he reports that it works flawlessly. I don't have a use for the software myself, but it sounds awesome.

markoibook · Feb 15, 2005

OK, well I've been running it all day between my PC and iBook and it rocks (tho a few bsod on pc :S)
So has anyone else used it yet, and if so, how do you use yours?

edesignuk · Feb 18, 2005

This thing is really cool. I'm using it with my iMac and PowerBook. My PowerBook is to the left of my iMac, and now iMac and PowerBook screens seem as one with regards to keyboard and mouse control. When the cursor hits the left-most side of the iMac screen is passes straight over to the PowerBook screen.

Very, very neat!!!

plinden · Feb 18, 2005

I use tightvnc for the same kind of thing (to operate two PCs, a linux machine and a solaris machine at work from my laptop). Has anyone tried both to compare? If not I'll download and compare it myself.

dejo · Feb 18, 2005

Weird that it has the same name as another Synergy

killuminati · Feb 18, 2005

I am having trouble setting it up. I am trying to use the pc as the server as my powerbook as the client. It is simple setting up the pc but I am having trouble with the mac. I have never used this terminal before and I have no idea what to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated

mymemory · Feb 18, 2005

Dude thanx!!!

markoibook · Feb 21, 2005

Yo, glad you ppl are finding it useful - not sure about tightvnc as i haven't tried it yet, but would be interesting if someone could post a comparison

edesignuk · Feb 21, 2005

plinden said:
I use tightvnc for the same kind of thing (to operate two PCs, a linux machine and a solaris machine at work from my laptop). Has anyone tried both to compare? If not I'll download and compare it myself.

VNC and this are nothing like each other. This is not a remote desktop solution. It shares one keyboard and mouse across multiple machines.
If you have a PC on a monitor to your right, and a Mac on a monitor to your left, you can just drag your mouse over from one to another. It really is amazing.

Phatpat · Feb 23, 2005

I installed it a couple days ago. That first time you drag the mouse from your PC screen to your mac screen....

. Simply awesome.

An added benefit; Synergy gives me a reason to keep my PC on, which means I have returned to the world of Folding for team macrumors.

Synergy makes me happy.

IDANNY · Feb 24, 2005

killuminati said:
I am having trouble setting it up. I am trying to use the pc as the server as my powerbook as the client. It is simple setting up the pc but I am having trouble with the mac. I have never used this terminal before and I have no idea what to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Yah me to if anyone is willing to help that would be great.

Platform · Feb 24, 2005

Thanks that look's very good.
But how does the program acually work, you said it goes over the network so you have to have the two comp's hocked up to a router or

redeye be · Mar 6, 2005

Thx for pointing out that app.

mini serves my XP hog. This is Great!
And it rocks for showing of as well

Platform:
The app indeed uses TCP/IP (the network) to send mouse movement and keyboard input from the server to the client(s).
A router is not needed. A switch or a hub will do fine.

IDANNY and killuminati (from http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/running.html)

Unix or Mac OS X
To start a client, enter the following:
synergyc -f server-host-name

where server-host-name is replaced by the host name of the computer running the synergy server.

put the downloaded synergy folder in your home directory.
open the terminal application (you can find it in utlilities). Given you downloaded the latest version, type:

Code:

cd synergy-1.2.2

and press enter
to start the client now type

Code:

synergyc -f ipaddressofserver

find out the ip address of your windoze server by typing ipconfig in a dosbox on that windoze machine

You should get a lot of info onwhat is happening through the terminal now.
I use my mac as server and it works like a charm. Good luck.

killuminati · Mar 6, 2005

Thank you for that explanation, I will try it as soon as I get home

tersono · Mar 6, 2005

I've been using this for some considerable time as part of my day-to-day workflow, controlling a Windows box from my Mac Keyboard/Mouse. There are a few little glitches, but it works very well.

Another alternative is a VNC-based solution called OSX2X, which uses a regular VNC server on the secondary machine, but only uses it for keyboard/mouse support. It's easier to get working and in some respects is better behaved than Synergy - unfortunately it doesn't work if you're running RDC on a remote Windows box (which is why I'm using Synergy - my windows box spends all day logged into a terminal server session at the office). Check it out at: http://www.opendarwin.org/projects/osx2x/

DickArmAndHarT · Mar 6, 2005

Hi

I have so much use for this, and yet no knowledge on clients, code, terminal. I have a mac and dell, on a linksys wireless network. Hopeing to use my apple w/kb and mouse between both screens. Please help...

redeye be · Mar 6, 2005

DickArmAndHarT

download both the packages.

Install the exe onto the windoze
on the mac:
Put the synergy folder in your home directory
in that directory open the synergy.conf file with text editor. Mine looks like this:

Code:

section: screens
	mini.local:
	destynova:
end

section: links
	mini.local:
		right = destynova 
	destynova:
		left  = mini.local 
end

mini is the name of my mini (keep the .local)
destynova is the name of my XP hog
destynova sits to the right of my mini
change the file to your needs and save

On the mac open a terminal (in applications - utilities) and type

Code:

cd synergy-1.2.2

press enter and type

Code:

./synergys -f --config synergy.conf

press enter.

on the windoze machine start synergy and klick the 'advanced' button put your name for my destynova as screen name.
In the main screen activate the client radio button. As server host name you put the ip of your mac (the server) - you can find this in your network preferences (on the mac).

Now press the test button in synergy on the PC. If this works press stop and then start.

I'm getting more into terminal and linux myself so this is deffinetly not the cleanest nor best way to start synergy on your mac. There's nothing wrong with it and it can't hurt your Mac, it could be more purdy though.
I'm not to familiar with daemons and ./ yet - i'm learning here to

Good luck.

elliotay · Mar 6, 2005

This sounds exactly like a piece of software that was released a long time ago: http://abyssoft.com/software/teleport/

Although, Teleport definitely needs more work. Synergy seems to be a superior program because it's cross platform and much less buggy than Teleport. The developer of Teleport stopped doing any work on it a long time ago and just recently announced he's got some free time and a new mac mini to compell him to fix up his app.

ChrisFromCanada · Mar 8, 2005

I saw this thread not too long ago and meant to try it but couldn't get to it till tonight.

I am having lots of trouble!

I am so frusturated with this!

I have my synergy.conf in the folder in my user directory and I have enetered:

Code:

section: screens
	powermac.local:
	ibook:
end

section: links
	powermac.local:
		right = ibook 
	ibook:
		left  = powermac.local 
end

Then in terminal when I enter cd synergy-1.2.2 then ./synergys -f --config synergy.conf I get:

INFO: synergys.cpp,857: Synergy server 1.2.2 on Darwin 7.8.0 Darwin Kernel Version 7.8.0: Wed Dec 22 14:26:17 PST 2004; root:xnu/xnu-517.11.1.obj~1/RELEASE_PPC Power Macintosh
DEBUG: synergys.cpp,866: opening configuration "synergy.conf"
ERROR: synergys.cpp,883: cannot read configuration "synergy.conf": read error: unexpected data after section name
synergys: no configuration available

Chubypig · Mar 8, 2005

Holy Duck! That is awesome!!! I think this is really cool!

redeye_be thanks for the easy instructions!

A piece of must have software...

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