Using Synergy to share three monitors across two computers

Question

I have a Mac and a Linux computer. The Mac has one monitor (center) and the Linux machine (Ubuntu 10.04) has two monitors (left and right of the Mac's monitor).

How can I configure Synergy (with the Mac as the server) so that I could use the mouse and keyboard across all three screens?

Answer 1

I do not believe that Synergy supports this arrangement.

As far as synergy is concerned, the dual display of the Ubuntu machine is seen as one single display. You cannot split it.

The only possible way might be to run two separate X servers, one on each screen, and treat them both as separate computers, running synergy twice - one for each screen. This is not something I have ever tried, so it may not be doable.

Answer 2

I don't have three screens to try this with, but I think you should be able to set up Synergy to use one keyboard/mouse between one of your Linux screens and the OS X screen. Then just setup your X server on Linux to let you go off one side of one Linux screen onto the second Linux screen. That might be a little hokey, but it still might work. Thus, the "paths" between screens might be:

• Left screen (Linux1)
  • Off left side -> right screen (Linux2)
  • Off right side -> OS X (via Synergy)
• Middle screen (OS X)
  • Off left side -> left screen (Linux1)
  • Off right side -> nothing?
• Left screen (Linux2)
  • Off left side -> nothing/Linux1?
  • Off right side -> nothing/Linux1?

So... as you can see, that might get a bit annoying with having to traverse Linux1 to get to Linux2, but it could be possible.

As @Matt Jenkins suggested, though, dual screens is possible. HERE is a good summary of Linux offerings (at least with an nvidia card) that I got in response to my inquiries on how to setup dual monitors on Arch Linux. Good luck finding a solution -- can't say the above is ideal, but it's one way (though perhaps obvious and hence why you're asking).