Synergy (Software)
1.4.14 (beta)
Synergy (English for synergy) is a KVM open source program that allows the use of a mouse and keyboard on multiple PCs via a computer network.
Function
The program enables you to use each a single keyboard and mouse to multiple computers. It derives input from mouse and keyboard from the host PC to the appropriate clients again once the cursor one edge of each desktop is exceeded. There is any number of PCs couple in this way and the connections at the edges of the desktops order as the different devices are installed. For the user, this results in the impression that the desktops of all connected PCs are connected to a work surface. A special feature of Synergy is that it is for Windows ( Win 95/NT ) and all Unix operating systems (Mac OS X, Linux, Solaris, etc. ) is available and this can network with each other. In addition, Synergy can synchronize the clipboard contents to the PC, but this is only for plain text and bitmaps are possible. However, it is not possible to copy files between the connected computers by dragging and dropping directly.
The forwarding of the mouse and keyboard input is handled via TCP / IP (port 24800 ).
Since the program was no longer being developed from 2006 to 2010, a group of developers formed a Fork called Synergy , have been corrected in the numerous errors and flowed into the already new features (eg are true dual monitor support on the host machine, as well the ability to temporarily store the mouse on a single monitor ). The support for legacy Windows systems (Win 9x line) was abandoned.
2010 Synergy was merged back into the original project Synergy. The developers also want to include additional projects, such as what with QSynergy, a Qt GUI for Synergy, has already happened.
Similar programs are Maxivista, Multiplicity and Input Director on Windows and ScreenRecycler and teleport on Mac OS X. Maxi Vista and ScreenRecycler can use the screen of another computer as an additional monitor. Share Mouse is a cross-platform alternative that also provides for transferring files between Mac OS X and Windows using drag and drop.