Using Synergy under Linux

Synergy allows a single keyboard and mouse to be shared by multiple systems on a network. This article describes how to get Synergy up and running under Linux. For a background of what Synergy is and how it works, see Installing and Using Synergy under Windows.

By definition the Synergy Server is the system which has the keyboard and mouse physically attached and which is running the Synergy connectivity application. The client is the system which will connect and use the server's keyboard and mouse, as if it was connected to the client itself.

Under Debian-based Linux distros, the user-friendly apt-get command can be used to download and install the Linux version of Synergy..

sudo apt-get install synergy

This will install into /usr/bin/synergyc. As it is in the system path, the synergyc executable (or binary) can be run from anywhere in the file system.

Start the Synergy server on another system. To execute the Synergy client, type the following command on the Linux system..

synergyc -f -n gateway 192.168.0.1

..where -f runs the client on the foreground, so that connection and other messages can be observed..

.. -n defines the screen name of the client connecting (gateway)..

..followed by the IP Address of the Synergy server.

If things are running smoothly, remove the -f switch and the client will disappear into the background, without echoing any mesages.

Synergy through a firewall

Synergy uses port 24800 to connect to another system. If this means connecting through a 'nix firewall, the following IPTABLES rule might prove useful..

$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i $INTIF -p tcp -s 192.168.0.0/24 --dport 24800 -j ACCEPT

The rule assumes systems from a Class C network are attempting to connect. Use a single IP Address to increase security.

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