Synergy: Use one mouse/keyboard to control multiple computers
This program is amazing. If you ever run (or wish you ran) more than 1 computer from the same desktop then this program is for you.
First, lets get some links out of the way. The program is free and open source. These are the two main pages about the program:
http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/index.html
http://sourceforge.net/projects/synergy2/
This page has downloadable binaries for multiple operating systems:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...ckage_id=58013
Here are mirrors for the windows version:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/s...1.zip?download
Second, I'll explain how I am using the program. I have my main desktop computer and monitor in the middle of my desk. To the left of my monitor I have my laptop that I use for various extra tasks. My usual method of operation is an external mouse that I wrap around behind my computer and keep next to my main mouse. This way I can use both mice somewhat easily. If I need to type on my laptop I have to turn to the side a bit and hunch forward to use the laptop keyboard.
Those days are over.
Now I use one keyboard and one mouse. If I move my mouse cursor to the LEFT edge of my main computer monitor, the mouse cursor automatically moves over to my laptop screen and I am still controlling it with the same mouse! Now if I type on my keyboard it types on the laptop.
To move back, I just move the mouse cursor to the RIGHT edge of the laptop screen.
Even better, I can COPY and PASTE text between the laptop and desktop DIRECTLY.
The system works flawlessly and there are no lags or anything. I was worried that it might not be able to keep up with my typing speed on the laptop but it works perfectly. I've actually had feature-packed USB keyboards that cannot keep up with my typing speed so this was very impressive.
The system even works between different operating systems. For example: if you have a windows and a linux box with monitors on your desk you can move the mouse cursor between them, type on both, and even copy and paste text between the different operating systems!!!! Amazing!
The way the program works is you run it as a "server" on one machine and as a "client" on as many other machines as you want. You set the clients up to run to the left, right, above, or below your main monitor.
The connection between computers is not currently encrypted so you would only want to do this behind a firewall. Since the program uses hostnames (whatever name you have given to your computers) there is no way for someone outside your network to try to talk to the computers using this program.
I have read that some of their future plans are to make it work on more OSes, to encrypt the connection, and possibly to allow dragging and dropping of files.
I LOVE this program and have a feeling it might be a godsend to some of you all as well.
