jr conlin's ink stained banana

Ok, i finally got around to installing Synergy on my work computers, and i'm seriously digging it.

Ah, i can hear you now. "What the hell is Synergy?" Well, the quick answer is that it's like having VNC without the need for a remote display. A longer description is that it is a program that allows you to remotely control a computer that happens to be within eyesight of another computer. (Think two machines sitting next to each other and being able to slide between them.)

For what it's worth, i'm running it across two windows XP clients, and since Mr. Cutts did the Unbuntu version, i figure i should probably describe my setup, as well mention a few complicated, additional aspects.

Ok, so my primary work box is on a protected network, my dual screen laptop is on an unprotected network. To make things more interesting, my work machine is on a fixed address, while my laptop is on DHCP, meaning no fixed address. Not a big deal since my main box has a bigger screen than the other two, but i still want to control things there.

So, here are the steps:

1. grab a copy of Synergy for windows and copy to both machines. (i used a commonly accessible directory that i SCP'd to).
2. Install and config it on my main box.
   It's a bit counter intuitive, but what i want to do is share my main work computer's keyboard and mouse, effectively putting it in "server" mode. This means that this machine is the primary controller.
   1. hit the [Configure] button and add Screens: for the machines that are connecting up. For this, i used the windows lmhost names for the machines. (That's the name that you give your computer when you set things up. An easy way to get it is to go to |Run… "cmd" and then run "hostname") Add one for the local machine and the remote machine. i'll call them "foo" (the server) and "bar".
   2. Under Links: add links between the screens you defined above. In my case, i have two links:
      bar is left of foo
foo is right of bar

      Remember to add both directions otherwise one screen will act like a roach motel. Pointers go in, but they don't come out.
   3. For what it's worth, i left most of the other server options as is.
3. Now, set up the client:
   1. Since i'm going from unsecure to more secure, i need to use a protected tunnel to do it. i'm using putty, but any tunneling agent will work.
   2. Under putty, i created an ssh tunnel from port 24800 to foo:24800. Considering the large number of tunnels i have, adding one more wasn't a huge issue. ;)
   3. Start up synergy and pick (*) Use another computer's shared keyboard and mouse (client)
      For the Other Computer i specified "localhost".
   4. Now for the proof. Click [Test]. You should get a window that says:
      INFO: Synergy client 1.3.1 on Microsoft Windows Server XP
NOTE: started client
NOTE: connected to server
      If you don't, you've got some fixin' to do.
   5. Clear that window, and the one behind it that says "Click stop to end test"
   6. Make fixes, or click [Start]

   From your main desktop, you should be able to move your mouse to the client and back again. You're done, and now have amazing control over another computer.

   Oh, and one last step: try to avoid the obvious temptation to install a client on someone else's computer so you can dork with them.

So far, it's amazingly cool and works surprizingly well. The only kind of strange hiccup is that minimizing the putty shell seems to cause "issues" with synergy. Nothing fatal, but the process seems to stall. All i can think of is that the temporary bump in CPU is causing the connection to skip, but there may be something else going on.

Of course, the other problem is the crick i'm getting craning my neck around to see two monitors that are slightly behind me, but that's something i'll get used to.