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DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

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Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#181

Post by scrapcode »

conqrr wrote: post #178

I use a single monitor, keyboard, mouse for both work and personal and need to switch between these pain free. I haven't come across a seamless solution as most of the software ones rely on mulitiple displays. My current solution is 3 button press on each device (monitor, keyboard, mouse) to switch.

What hardware do you use to split the keyboard and mouse? I have the same situation but have different input devices for each machine and just change monitor inputs as needed.

Also, is it possible for one device to keylog when the keyboard is switched to the other?

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#182

Post by kentoss »

sheepscreek wrote: post #122

I’ve been using a software solution for this for over a decade. It’s called Synergy ( https://symless.com/synergy ) and it is fast - switches instantly over wifi and also works across Windows/Mac/Linux.

Synergy, Barrier, and Input Leap are all pretty good software solutions stemming from the same ancestor. The latter two are free and open source. Synergy has a nice way of organizing the boundaries between your machines.

I wish any solution had custom monitor interleaving. My personal setup is such that the monitors are not set up linearly, and each monitor can independently switch to each machine. Specifying the boundaries on a per-monitor and per-machine basis would be amazing, but it doesn't seem to exist in software or hardware form.

I spoke to Synergy recently and they said it is on the road map as a popular feature request. Hopefully soon!

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#183

Post by throwaway892238 »

Meanwhile I'm over here wishing I could make my Mac switch virtual desktops and windows quickly and seamlessly, but compared to Linux and even Windows, it feels dog slow. There's also a weird quirk of the AltTab app where sometimes you try to alt+tab back to a previous window, and the previous window+desktop appears, but the focus is actually still on the first window, so keyboard shortcuts go to the wrong app. You have to not only alt+tab, but then click on the window you just switched to, to change focus. Kind of insane that this basic desktop functionality doesn't work well on a $2,000+ machine.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#184

Post by sfilmeyer »

AtlasBarfed wrote: post #166
sheepscreek wrote: post #122

I’ve been using a software solution for this for over a decade. It’s called Synergy ( https://symless.com/synergy ) and it is fast - switches instantly over wifi and also works across Windows/Mac/Linux.

With VR headsets and increasing 8k TV affordability, screen real estate is really getting big. Technies almost always have a laptop, phone, and home desktop up at once, often have some media/fileshare, and then there are VMs to further the complexity. Here's what I've been wanting for years: a big ass 8k wraparound monitor, and it has clickable widgets in the desktop to turn on the computer/VM and activate the displa…

>Techies almost always have a laptop, phone, and home desktop up at once

What definition are you using here? I like tech and worked as a software engineer (not working now), and I haven't owned a desktop in over a decade. If we're talking "almost always", I think these days I have 0 phones/laptops up most of the time followed by 1 in pretty close second place, and even having 2 (let alone 3 or more) is uncommon for me.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#185

Post by Sander3Utile »

conqrr wrote: post #178

I use a single monitor, keyboard, mouse for both work and personal and need to switch between these pain free. I haven't come across a seamless solution as most of the software ones rely on mulitiple displays. My current solution is 3 button press on each device (monitor, keyboard, mouse) to switch.

A kvm switch can reduce that down to 1 button press.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#186

Post by bryanlarsen »

colordrops wrote: post #92

I used to use Synergy for this until switching to Wayland, which isn't supported. Last time I checked there was a project called RKVM attempting to do the same thing for Wayland but it was very buggy at the time. I should check again to see if there has been any progress.

"lan-mouse" works for me on Wayland.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#187

Post by bryanlarsen »

ryukafalz wrote: post #173
apitman wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much ongoing development is needed for something like this? I've been using synergy/barrier for years and the features I need have changed barely if at all during that time. Seems like a prime candidate for "finished" software.

Barrier doesn't support Wayland, which is a pretty big missing piece at the moment for Linux users.

I use "lan-mouse" on Wayland.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#189

Post by conqrr »

scrapcode wrote: post #181
conqrr wrote: post #178

I use a single monitor, keyboard, mouse for both work and personal and need to switch between these pain free. I haven't come across a seamless solution as most of the software ones rely on mulitiple displays. My current solution is 3 button press on each device (monitor, keyboard, mouse) to switch.

What hardware do you use to split the keyboard and mouse? I have the same situation but have different input devices for each machine and just change monitor inputs as needed. Also, is it possible for one device to keylog when the keyboard is switched to the other?

My Targus keyboard/mouse support multiple devices and have a physical button to switch.

Re: DeskHop – Fast Desktop Switching

#190

Post by jtriangle »

worldsayshi wrote: post #87
michaelmior wrote: post #3

Synergy works well for this purely in software. Unfortunately it's not free or open source, but it's relatively inexpensive. https://symless.com/synergy

Does Synergy work with multi monitor setups? I've enjoyed Barrier but it doesn't work when any of the machines have multiple displays so I've ditched it for now.

I use barrier across 4 monitors and three devices, works fine.

Nowadays you have to look at the logs and search through a pile of github issues to find the right solution to make it work, but once it's up it's pretty trouble free.

Only real pain point is clipboard sharing, which works for small clipboards, but, copy too much text and it takes forever to switch.

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