Synergy: a software based KVM. Excellent. not spam

Hey folks,

I recently installed a great freeware utility called
Synergy.

it acts as a software based KVM tool (one keyboard & mouse set for several comps) and is just awesome. Allows me to control all 3 of the comp on my lan with the implest of ease. Just move the mouse to the side of the screen and it rolls over to the next machine. Brilliant tool, easy to use and setup.. and Sourceforged !

works wih windows linux and MACs

Thanks to Ishnid on devshed who introduced it to me. Saved me a pot of quid, as my KVM broke...

By the way, its easy on Ram and network bandwidth.

No this is not spam.

So, would give me access to, say, an x-window app from my XP machine?

yes it would. But synergy is not KVM but rather just KM.. so no video forwarding.. but the synergy protocol runs over tcp/ip.. so its completely platform independant. I got it hooked between two linux boxes, (fed core 3 and knoppix 3.8) and my windows xp pro sp2 box.

Allows me to control all three machines.. and all three are sitting here on my table.. and negligible/non existant network load.

it actually cart's over mouse co-ods and keyboard inputs over the network to the target machine.. you need to have the monitor to that machine hooked up where you can see it coz synergy has not implemented video sharing yet.

would be awsome if it supported Video sharing too

its on the todo list , but i figure that would take away the advantage of the light weight network protocol and the exceedingly low bandwidth cost of using synergy.

At the moment its the perfect solution for me.. its allows me to use my 3 machines, and when i boot 2 of em into xp, i can use it as a dual monitor setup.

plus there are obvious complications with supposrting video..

yeah, i have a kvm switch anyway so im not too worried. I don't want two monitors on my desk!!

Just waiting for it to be replaced cus it broke

yeah thats how i got hooked to Synergy.. my 4 port KVm from dlink konked out, and its out off warranty.. the netx option was to buy a new one.. and that would have have put me back quite a bit. This is an awesome zero cost solution. God bless the developers. Thinking of downloading the source and seeing if i can add any functionality.

The one things i did come up with is perhaps get synergy to transfer audio input/output from soundcards..that way if I'm using my head set on the xp box, i could use the same headset on the linux box. might be impossible.. but its on my hobby-to-do list

My problem is that I have three computers in hte garage and one in the house... I want to be able to interface with the linux GUIs from in the house.

hmm.. sounds like you'll need either a spare monitor hooked via avery very long cable to your linux box, or else get a hardware KVM and get really long cables

Sorry mate.. but I dont think synergy is the answer for that.. its useful to control two comps that are next to each other from the same keyboard/mouse set for a very low cost solution.

Yeah... or throw away a bunch of stuff when Dngrswife isn't looking so I can have room enough to work in the garage.