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synergy: [noun] a mutually advantageous conjunction of distinct elements
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Synergy lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between
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multiple computers with different operating systems, each with its
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own display, without special hardware. It's intended for users
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with multiple computers on their desk since each system uses its
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Redirecting the mouse and keyboard is as simple as moving the mouse
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off the edge of your screen. Synergy also merges the clipboards of
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all the systems into one, allowing cut-and-paste between systems.
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Furthermore, it synchronizes screen savers so they all start and stop
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together and, if screen locking is enabled, only one screen requires
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a password to unlock them all.
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Synergy is open source and released under the GNU Public License (GPL).
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The synergy home page is:
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http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/
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The synergy project page is:
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http://sourceforge.net/projects/synergy2/
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http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=add&group_id=59275&atid=490467
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Please see the following files for more information:
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AUTHORS -- The list of synergy's authors
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BUGS -- A list of known bugs and limitations
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COPYING -- The license synergy is release under
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FAQ -- Frequently asked questions about synergy
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HISTORY -- A brief history of synergy
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INSTALL -- Detailed build and installation instructions
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NEWS -- News about the synergy project
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PORTING -- Porting guide for developers
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TODO -- List of things to add to synergy
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* All operating systems:
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* Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me (the Windows 96 family);
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* Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP (the Windows NT family);
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X Windows version 11 revision 4 or up with the XTEST extension
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(use `xdpyinfo | grep XTEST' to check for XTEST).
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In this document, "Unix" means any of the following: Linux, Solaris,
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Irix. Synergy may compile and run on other Unix variants, too. Patches
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for other platforms are welcome (including patches that package binaries);
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See the contact information available off of the synergy home page or use
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the patch page on sourceforge.
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See INSTALL for detailed build and installation instructions and for
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more information on configuring synergy.
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Synergy lets you use one keyboard and mouse across multiple computers.
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To do so it requires that all the computers are connected to each other
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via TCP/IP networking. Most systems come with this installed.
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The first step is to pick which keyboard and mouse you want to share.
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The computer with that keyboard and mouse is called the "primary
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screen" and it runs the synergy server. All of the other computers
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are "secondary screens" and run the synergy client. The Windows NT
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family, starting with NT 4 with service pack 3, and Unix are the best
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choices. The Windows version provides a convenient GUI for
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Second, you install the software. Choose the appropriate package
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and install it. On Windows you should unzip the files into the
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`Program Files' directory; all the files will be put into a new
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directory named `Synergy' under `Program Files'. You must install
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the software on all the computers that will share the mouse and
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Third, you configure and start the server.
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Run `synergy' by double clicking on it. This brings up a dialog.
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* Click the `Server' radio button
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* Click `Add' to add the server to the `Screens' list
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* Enter the name of server (the computer name is recommended)
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* Enter other names the server is known by
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* Use `Add' to add your other computers
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* Using a computer's name as its screen name is recommended
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* Use the controls under `Layout' to link screens together
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* Click (once) on the server's name in the `Screens' list
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* Choose the screen to the left of the server
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* Use `---' if there is no screen to the left of the server
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* Choose the screens to the right, above and below the server
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* Repeat the above steps for all the other screens
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* Use `Options...' to set desired options.
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* If the server's screen name is not the server's computer name:
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* Click `Advanced...'
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* Enter the server's screen name next to `Screen Name'
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Now click `Test'. The server will start and you'll see a console window
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with log messages telling you about synergy's progress. If an error
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occurs you'll get a dialog box telling you synergy is about to quit;
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read the log messages to determine the problem then correct it and try
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Create a text file named synergy.conf with the following:
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Replace each occurrence of `<screen1>' with the host name of the
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primary screen computer and `<screen2>' with the host name of a
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secondary screen computer. In the above example, <screen2> is to
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the right of <screen1> and <screen1> is to the left of <screen2>.
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If necessary you should replace `right' and `left' with `left',
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`right', 'up', or `down'. If you have more than two computers
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you can add those too: add each computer's host name in the
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`screens' section and add the appropriate links.
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Now start the server. Normally synergy wants to run "in the
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background." It detaches from the terminal and doesn't have a
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visible window, effectively disappearing from view. Until you're
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sure your configuration works you should start synergy "in the
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foreground" using the `-f' command line option:
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synergys -f --config synergy.conf
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Check the reported messages for errors. Use ctrl+c to stop synergy,
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correct any problems, and start it again.
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Finally, start the clients.
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Run `synergy' on the client by double clicking on it. Configure the
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* Click the `Client' radio button
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* Enter the server's computer name in `Server Host Name'
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* Do not use any of the server's screen names, unless one of those
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is also the computer name
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* If the client's screen name is not the client's computer name:
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* Click `Advanced...'
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* Enter the client's screen name next to `Screen Name'
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If an error occurs you'll get a dialog box telling you synergy is
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about to quit; read the log messages to determine the problem then
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correct it and try `Test' again.
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To start a client, enter the following:
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synergyc -f <server-host-name>
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where `<server-host-name>' is replaced by the name of the computer
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running the synergy server. If an error is reported use ctrl+c to
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stop synergy, fix the error, and try again.
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Both the client and server should immediately report the connection
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or an error. If successful, you should now be able to move the
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mouse off the appropriate edge of your server's screen and have it
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appear on the client's screen. If you're running the synery server
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on Windows 95, 98, or Me then make sure the synergy log window is
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not the active window; just click on another window, like synergy's
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`Running Test...' window, if it is. Use the mouse and keyboard
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normally except use the edge of the screens to jump to other screens.
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You can also cut-and-paste across computers. Currently, only text
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transfers between computers. Start the remaining clients.
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Once the configuration is verified, see the instructions in INSTALL
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under `Starting Automatically on ...' for details on running synergy
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in the background and on starting synergy automatically when you start
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* Be aware that not all keystrokes can be handled by synergy. In
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particular, ctrl+alt+del is not handled. However, synergy can
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convert ctrl+alt+pause into ctrl+alt+del on the client side.
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(Synergy must be installed as a service on the client for this to
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work on the Windows NT family.) Some non-standard keys may not
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work, especially "multimedia" buttons, though several are
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* A screen can be its own neighbor. That allows a screen to "wrap".
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For example, if a configuration linked the left and right sides of
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a screen to itself then moving off the left of the screen would put
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the mouse at the right of the screen and vice versa.
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* You cannot switch screens when a key or mouse button is pressed.
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* You cannot switch screens when the scroll lock it toggled on. Use
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this to prevent unintentional switching.
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* Turn off mouse driven virtual desktop switching on X windows. It
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will interfere with synergy. Use keyboard shortcuts instead.
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* Synergy's screen saver synchronization works best with xscreensaver
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under X windows. Synergy works better with xscreensaver if it is
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using one of the screen saver extensions. Prior to xscreensaver 4.0
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you can use `-mit-extension', `-sgi-extension', or `-xidle-extension'
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command line options to enable an extension (assuming your server has
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the extension). Starting with 4.0 you must enable the corresponding
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option in your .xscreensaver file.
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* Synergy automatically converts newlines in clipboard text (Unix
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expects \n to end each line while Windows expects \r\n).
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* Clients can be started and stopped at any time. When a screen is
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not connected, the mouse will jump over that screen as if the mouse
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had moved all the way across it and jumped to the next screen.
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* A client's keyboard and mouse are fully functional while synergy is
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running. You can use them in case synergy locks up.
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* Strong authentication and encryption is available by using SSH. See
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the INSTALL file for more information. Synergy does not otherwise
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provide secure communications and it should not be used on or over
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* Synergy doesn't work if a 16-bit Windows application has the focus
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on Windows 95/98/Me. This is due to limitations of Windows. One
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commonly used 16-bit application is the command prompt (command.exe)
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and this includes synergy's log window when running in test mode.
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Synergy is being improved all the time but we can only fix problems
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that we know about. Please let us know of any problems you encounter,
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including confusing or unhelpful documentation. File reports at:
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http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=add&group_id=59275&atid=490467
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