up vote 4 down vote favorite
1
share [g+] share [fb]

I have a mac as a secondary machine at work. Currently I use synergy on my main machine to share its keyboard and mouse with the mac.

I created a launch agent for my user to launch synergy when I log in, and that's working. However, this means I still have to pull out the mac's keyboard and mouse in order to log in.

I tried making a user daemon so that it would launch on boot, but I get the following errors in the console:

LaunchSynergy[52] Tue Jul 14 12:41:44 testmacpro.local synergyc[52] <Warning>: 3891612: (CGSLookupServerRootPort) Untrusted apps are not allowed to connect to or launch Window Server before login. 
LaunchSynergy[52] Tue Jul 14 12:41:44 testmacpro.local synergyc[52] <Error>: kCGErrorRangeCheck : On-demand launch of the Window Server is allowed for root user only. 
LaunchSynergy[52] Tue Jul 14 12:41:44 testmacpro.local synergyc[52] <Error>: kCGErrorRangeCheck : Set a breakpoint at CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are returned 
LaunchSynergy[52] _RegisterApplication(), FAILED TO establish the default connection to the WindowServer, _CGSDefaultConnection() is NULL.

Is there a way to get this to work? Looks like the Mac's security doesn't want to allow anything to take control of the window while at the login screen. I can understand that, but I'd like a way to override it, as it would make my life a lot easier.

link|improve this question
95% accept rate
Maybe add tag, synergy-plus? – nbolton Aug 20 '09 at 0:10
feedback

5 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

Have you tried the explanation here (scroll down to the bottom) about autostart on the mac?

I've got it to work that way, and I can log on using the keyboard of my pc.

link|improve this answer
I assume you mean the first entry in the list. According to the article that would cause copy/paste to not work, and that wouldn't work for me. Though I kind of have a feeling that might be the only way. – Herms Jul 15 '09 at 17:57
1  
If you read further you'll find he explaines how to use the 2 first methods symultneously: "The text below describes how to implement a Synergy client using the first two methods simultaneously. This way, Synergy is always running, and the clipboard is available when someone is logged in. A Mac OS X Synergy server setup will be quite similar." – fretje Jul 15 '09 at 18:38
Ah, interesting. I missed that. I'll have to try it out when I get time. – Herms Jul 15 '09 at 19:21
I've followed the instructions in the link and it works perfectly. I can log in remotely and have full access to clipboard once I am logged in. – Darren Greaves Jul 18 '09 at 14:45
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

Is there a unix executable of the synergy daemon itself? If so can you put it in /Library/Startupitems?

I can think of a lot of workarounds, none of which sound particularly appealing to me:

  • Automatically boot into an additional account, which launches the synergy tools, then use fast user switching to get to your account.
  • Enable VPN/screen sharing, use VPN to login, then switch to synergy
  • Put a KVM on the system
  • Sleep the mac (with password on wake) instead of shutting it down at the end of the day.
link|improve this answer
I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to turn on auto-login. KVM defeats the purpose of synergy (and would cost money). VNC would work, but it would be faster to just grab the keyboard from the machine. Sleep might work though. I'll have to test it to make sure synergy is properly active when the password opened up. – Herms Jul 15 '09 at 18:00
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

Check out the Synergy+ tips and tricks page. We'll soon be bundling a GUI with the application that works on all platforms, meaning that soon you'll be able to do this without any complicated configuration.

link|improve this answer
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

I use the SynergyKM extension to the preferences and it works quite well.

link|improve this answer
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

The synergyc and/or synergys files have to be owned by root. "On-demand launch of the Window Server is allowed for root user only", the message says.

chown root:wheel /wher/ever/synergy* and then Synergy will be regarded as root.

Also see http://ajaydesai.blogspot.com/2009/03/setting-up-synergy-client-mac-os-x-1056.html

link|improve this answer
feedback

Your Answer

 
or
required, but never shown
discard

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.