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  3. Looking for Software Recommendations: Sharing a mouse/keyboard between PC/Mac

Looking for Software Recommendations: Sharing a mouse/keyboard between PC/Mac

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  • C CodeWraith

    Six words: "How is that supposed to work?" By what means are the keystrokes and mouse events to be sent to the other computer(s)? And how do they figure out which one the messages are currently for? Both at once could be somewhat awkward. You still would need some kind of control or switch to select that.

    I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
    Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
    wrote on last edited by
    #10

    CodeWraith wrote:

    How is that supposed to work?

    On each computer there is a service (the same one), where the service on the computer have the mouse/keyboard connected acts like a master... You can switch computers by moving the mouse out of the screen (left-right and according to the order you have, just like in multi-monitor environment) or using keyboard shortcuts like ALT+1/2/3... The master will delegate the mouse/keyboard events to the 'current' services...

    Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.

    "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

    C 1 Reply Last reply
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    • C CodeWraith

      Six words: "How is that supposed to work?" By what means are the keystrokes and mouse events to be sent to the other computer(s)? And how do they figure out which one the messages are currently for? Both at once could be somewhat awkward. You still would need some kind of control or switch to select that.

      I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

      D Offline
      D Offline
      Dan Neely
      wrote on last edited by
      #11

      The same way mousing from one monitor to the next works. 0) Install the software on both computers. 1) Set your config so that Computer 1 is to the left of computer 2. 2) Then when your mouse cursor reaches the rightmost edge of computer 1's screen the software on comp1 starts intercepting and sending mouse and keyboard data to computer 2 which sends keyboard/mouse input commands to that systems OS. 3) Then when you attempt to mouse past the leftmost edge of computer 2's screen it stops sending the input too computer 2 and allows computer 1 to handle it again. The one I used years ago also shared the clipboard contents the same way. Under the hood I suspect in windows it just used global input hooks to capture the user input, that's what I did when I wrote an app to send them to another system over RS232 (yay for proprietary input standards on custom hardware). I'm not sure if you can inject the input the same way or would need to write a driver to do so. I never looked into the technical details though; it just worked.

      Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

      C 1 Reply Last reply
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      • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

        CodeWraith wrote:

        How is that supposed to work?

        On each computer there is a service (the same one), where the service on the computer have the mouse/keyboard connected acts like a master... You can switch computers by moving the mouse out of the screen (left-right and according to the order you have, just like in multi-monitor environment) or using keyboard shortcuts like ALT+1/2/3... The master will delegate the mouse/keyboard events to the 'current' services...

        Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.

        C Offline
        C Offline
        CodeWraith
        wrote on last edited by
        #12

        Between the lines I thought I read 'WIN laptop and mac'. He would need these services on both.

        I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

        Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK 2 Replies Last reply
        0
        • D Dan Neely

          For my sins I'm currently splitting my working time between two computers but don't have room on my desk for 2 keyboards (and would rather just use one anyway); is there something - preferably free - I can install to share them between the two systems? It doesn't matter (much) if the keyboard and mouse are plugged into my windows laptop or the mac.

          Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

          R Offline
          R Offline
          Ron Anders
          wrote on last edited by
          #13

          Stardock synergy?

          L A 2 Replies Last reply
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          • C CodeWraith

            Between the lines I thought I read 'WIN laptop and mac'. He would need these services on both.

            I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

            Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
            Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
            Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
            wrote on last edited by
            #14

            Just right... There are solutions for that...

            Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.

            "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • D Dan Neely

              The same way mousing from one monitor to the next works. 0) Install the software on both computers. 1) Set your config so that Computer 1 is to the left of computer 2. 2) Then when your mouse cursor reaches the rightmost edge of computer 1's screen the software on comp1 starts intercepting and sending mouse and keyboard data to computer 2 which sends keyboard/mouse input commands to that systems OS. 3) Then when you attempt to mouse past the leftmost edge of computer 2's screen it stops sending the input too computer 2 and allows computer 1 to handle it again. The one I used years ago also shared the clipboard contents the same way. Under the hood I suspect in windows it just used global input hooks to capture the user input, that's what I did when I wrote an app to send them to another system over RS232 (yay for proprietary input standards on custom hardware). I'm not sure if you can inject the input the same way or would need to write a driver to do so. I never looked into the technical details though; it just worked.

              Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

              C Offline
              C Offline
              CodeWraith
              wrote on last edited by
              #15

              Did he not write something like one computer being a PC and the other being a Mac?

              I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

              D 1 Reply Last reply
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              • C CodeWraith

                Between the lines I thought I read 'WIN laptop and mac'. He would need these services on both.

                I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

                Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
                Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
                Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
                wrote on last edited by
                #16

                YouTube[^]

                Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.

                "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

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                • C CodeWraith

                  Did he not write something like one computer being a PC and the other being a Mac?

                  I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

                  D Offline
                  D Offline
                  Dan Neely
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #17

                  Yes I did.

                  Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                  C 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                    OriginalGriff wrote:

                    not too sure how that would work

                    It works as a master-slave service-ring... However in contrasts to the hardware solution you have to have separate monitors for each computer...

                    Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.

                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                    OriginalGriff
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #18

                    You can get KM switches which are a lot cheaper than the KVM versions, if you want separate monitors (which can help, and can be confusing, all at the same time!). I'd certainly prefer it to the software solution, if only because it'll work even if the master computer isn't switched on, or even working.

                    Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                    "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • D Dan Neely

                      For my sins I'm currently splitting my working time between two computers but don't have room on my desk for 2 keyboards (and would rather just use one anyway); is there something - preferably free - I can install to share them between the two systems? It doesn't matter (much) if the keyboard and mouse are plugged into my windows laptop or the mac.

                      Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                      J Offline
                      J Offline
                      Jorgen Andersson
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #19

                      Use a virtual machine. :~

                      Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

                      D 1 Reply Last reply
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                      • D Dan Neely

                        Yes I did.

                        Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                        C Offline
                        C Offline
                        CodeWraith
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #20

                        Oooops. :-) Sorry, I was distracted by the boss. He rambled about something he calls work.

                        I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

                        D 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • J Jorgen Andersson

                          Use a virtual machine. :~

                          Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

                          D Offline
                          D Offline
                          Dan Neely
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #21

                          A VM can't: 0) use the screen in my second laptop. 1) Be OSX on my PC. 2) Have access to all of my configured windows software on my PC if running on the mac. 3) Run acceptably fast as a windows VM on the old macbook I've got.

                          Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                          OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                            You can get KM switches which are a lot cheaper than the KVM versions, if you want separate monitors (which can help, and can be confusing, all at the same time!). I'd certainly prefer it to the software solution, if only because it'll work even if the master computer isn't switched on, or even working.

                            Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                            Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
                            Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
                            Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #22

                            ...and a nice reliable cable solutions cost half of the price of the supported (not free) version of the software one...

                            Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.

                            "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • R Ron Anders

                              Stardock synergy?

                              L Offline
                              L Offline
                              Lost User
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #23

                              Synergy - Mouse and Keyboard Sharing Software - Symless[^] Here is a link for the lazy among us... ;P

                              1 Reply Last reply
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                              • C CodeWraith

                                Oooops. :-) Sorry, I was distracted by the boss. He rambled about something he calls work.

                                I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

                                D Offline
                                D Offline
                                Dan Neely
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #24

                                Ugh, how rude. :rolleyes:

                                Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                                C 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • D Dan Neely

                                  For my sins I'm currently splitting my working time between two computers but don't have room on my desk for 2 keyboards (and would rather just use one anyway); is there something - preferably free - I can install to share them between the two systems? It doesn't matter (much) if the keyboard and mouse are plugged into my windows laptop or the mac.

                                  Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                                  R Offline
                                  R Offline
                                  Ravi Bhavnani
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #25

                                  Remote desktop? /ravi

                                  My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com

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                                  • D Dan Neely

                                    Ugh, how rude. :rolleyes:

                                    Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                                    C Offline
                                    C Offline
                                    CodeWraith
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #26

                                    Not really. A good boss was just what I needed after some really bad ones.

                                    I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • D Dan Neely

                                      A VM can't: 0) use the screen in my second laptop. 1) Be OSX on my PC. 2) Have access to all of my configured windows software on my PC if running on the mac. 3) Run acceptably fast as a windows VM on the old macbook I've got.

                                      Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                                      OriginalGriff
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #27

                                      Well, if you're going to be picky ... :laugh:

                                      Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                      "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • D Dan Neely

                                        For my sins I'm currently splitting my working time between two computers but don't have room on my desk for 2 keyboards (and would rather just use one anyway); is there something - preferably free - I can install to share them between the two systems? It doesn't matter (much) if the keyboard and mouse are plugged into my windows laptop or the mac.

                                        Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                                        S Offline
                                        S Offline
                                        S Douglas
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #28

                                        I've used Synergy in the past, works well (Im now using Mouses without boarders from MS) [Synergy - Mouse and Keyboard Sharing Software - Symless](https://symless.com/synergy)


                                        Common sense is admitting there is cause and effect and that you can exert some control over what you understand.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • D Dan Neely

                                          For my sins I'm currently splitting my working time between two computers but don't have room on my desk for 2 keyboards (and would rather just use one anyway); is there something - preferably free - I can install to share them between the two systems? It doesn't matter (much) if the keyboard and mouse are plugged into my windows laptop or the mac.

                                          Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

                                          M Offline
                                          M Offline
                                          Marc Clifton
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #29

                                          As others have recommended, Synergy. Awesome product.

                                          Latest Article - Code Review - What You Can Learn From a Single Line of Code Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802

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