This guest tutorial was written by Gilberto J. Perera from LaptopLogic.com. Go there to read the latest Sony laptop reviews and check the best rated netbooks.
The first item on Synergy’s website is the definition of synergy:
[noun] a mutually advantageous conjunction of distinct elements
If the definition is not clear enough, then allow me to describe what this software does.
Synergy allows you to share a mouse and keyboard between multiple computers without any hardware. The beauty of this program is the ability to use it among different operating systems while managing to seamlessly switch from computer to computer by simply moving the cursor off screen. One of my favorite features is the ability to share clipboards among the designated computers.
Once installed, the software is simple to use – simply open the program by double-clicking the Synergy icon on the desktop:
Once the program opens you will need to define whether or not the computer you are using will be the host or another computer on your network will host the keyboard and mouse. In this example I chose to Share this computer’s keyboard and mouse (server). This computer will become the server hosting the keyboard and mouse.
Note: Make sure to setup the server prior to setting up the clients. This way the clients can connect to the server.
When the server configuration is selected, click on configure to setup the screens that will be used on this shared setup:
Click on the (+) sign under Screens to add computers (screens) to the program. The Add screen window will allow you to configure settings and name your screens appropriately. When completed, click OK.
Once you have added several screens, you will need to create the correct links between the screens to ensure a seamless transition between them. In the example above, I’m linking a Windows XP installation with a Linux installation. I’m setting the parameters so that the Windows XP monitor is left of the Linux monitor. After setting up the links to your monitors, click OK to proceed.
Note: you can add additional screens by clicking on the (+) sign.
Once all the screens and links are configured, click on the Start button. The application should start and you should be able to switch seamlessly between screens. If you have any comments please post them below.
More information can be found in Synergy’s website: http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/
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