Sean Walther's Blog

Synergy: Multiple Computers and One Keyboard/Mouse

 About a week ago I posted about useful tools for web development.  Today I wanted to make sure everyone knew about a great application for almost every web developer.

If you’re like me, you have multiple systems set up.  My workspace includes a Windows XP (laptop), Windows Vista, and a Mac running OS X.  When doing web development, we all have to test our web pages with every platform out there.  This is why I have this many computers.  

The annoying part is that to use the Mac, I have to either hook up my extra keyboard to it, or move my USB key for my Logitech diNovo keyboard (I love it by the way).

Synergy, is a great app for that.  Synergy allows you to install a client or server on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista (I have tested this myself, even though it isn’t listed on the site), Mac OS X 10.2 or higher, and Unix (X Windows version 11 rev 4 or higher — or XTEST extension).

Basically Synergy sets up your mouse and keyboard on the “server” machine, and lets clients connect.  The server requires you to configure it, telling the server where each clients resides in relation to your server monitor.  

I found the setup very easy.  It isn’t as intuitive as you would like, requiring you to say things like “Computer X is to the left of Computer Y”.  I like the multiple monitor configuration in windows, where I can drag windows to where I want them.

To use it, you just run the client / server — and move your mouse.  Move it off the screen to another machine.  

It works.

Tags: 2000, keyboard, mac, ME, mouse, multiple, sharing, synergy, testing, Vista, Web Development, windows, XP