Barrier is a free and open-source KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) software designed to manage multiple computers using a single keyboard, mouse, and monitor. It provides seamless control across different operating systems, enhancing productivity for users who work with multiple devices.
Key Features:
Cross-platform Support: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Extensibility: Allows custom commands or scripts for tailored functionality.
Clipboard Synchronization: Enables copy-paste between different OSes.
Remote File Management: Supports SSH/SFTP for file handling across systems.
Audience & Benefit:
Ideal for developers working across multiple operating systems, IT professionals managing several machines, and anyone seeking to simplify their multi-device workflow without physical KVM switches. Barrier enhances productivity by streamlining device management and providing a unified control interface. It can be installed via winget, making it easy to set up on compatible systems.
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iCUE’s single intuitive interface links together supported CORSAIR products, allowing you to quickly and easily fine-tune your settings.
Supported CORSAIR keyboards and mice are fully programmable with macros or key remaps, letting you specify a button or click to do anything from instant shortcuts to complex strings of commands.
iCUE’s robust level of customization helps you create, write, and play faster and more efficiently.
Take charge of your workplace experience wherever you are — at home, in the office or on the go. Webcam and headset settings are all at your fingertips to ensure you look and sound the way you want in video meetings.
In addition, if your organization uses Logitech room and desk booking, you can easily find the right space, with the right tools at the right time and with the right people for better days in the office.
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Project Aurora is a utility that unifies RGB lighting devices across different brands and enables them to work alongside each other, all while adding and improving RGB lighting support for various games that previous had none or little RGB lighting support.
Barrier is software that mimics the functionality of a KVM switch, which historically would allow you to use a single keyboard and mouse to control multiple computers by physically turning a dial on the box to switch the machine you're controlling at any given moment. Barrier does this in software, allowing you to tell it which machine to control by moving your mouse to the edge of the screen, or by using a keypress to switch focus to a different system.
Barrier was forked from Symless's Synergy 1.9 codebase. Synergy was a commercialized reimplementation of the original CosmoSynergy written by Chris Schoeneman.
At the moment, barrier is not compatible with synergy. Barrier needs to be installed on all machines that will share keyboard and mouse.
What's different?
Whereas Synergy has moved beyond its goals from the 1.x era, Barrier aims to maintain that simplicity.
Barrier will let you use your keyboard and mouse from one computer to control one or more other computers.
Clipboard sharing is supported.
That's it.
Project goals
Hassle-free reliability. We are users, too. Barrier was created so that we could solve the issues we had with synergy and then share these fixes with other users.
Compatibility. We use more than one operating system and you probably do, too. Windows, OSX, Linux, FreeBSD... Barrier should "just work". We will also have our eye on Wayland when the time comes.
Communication. Everything we do is in the open. Our issue tracker will let you see if others are having the same problem you're having and will allow you to add additional information. You will also be able to see when progress is made and how the issue gets resolved.
Usage
Install and run barrier on each machine that will be sharing.
On the machine with the keyboard and mouse, make it the server.
Click the "Configure server" button and drag a new screen onto the grid for each client machine.
Ensure the "screen name" matches exactly (case-sensitive) for each configured screen -- the clients' barrier windows will tell you their screen names (just above the server IP).
On the client(s), put in the server machine's IP address (or use Bonjour/auto configuration when prompted) and "start" them.
You should see Barrier is running on both server and clients.
You should now be able to move the mouse between all the screens as if they were the same machine.
Note that if the keyboard's Scroll Lock is active then this will prevent the mouse from switching screens.
Contact & support
Please be aware that the only way to draw our attention to a bug is to create a new issue in the issue tracker. Write a clear, concise, detailed report and you will get a clear, concise, detailed response. Priority is always given to issues that affect a wider range of users.
For short and simple questions or to just say hello find us on the LiberaChat IRC network in the #barrier channel.
Contributions
At this time we are looking for developers to help fix the issues found in the issue tracker.
Submit pull requests once you've polished up your patch and we'll review and possibly merge it.
Most pull requests will need to include a release note.
See docs/newsfragments/README.md for documentation of how to do that.
Distro specific packages
While not a comprehensive list, repology provides a decent list of distro
specific packages.
> A: The most recent release of Barrier is known to work on:
> - Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11
> - macOS (previously known as OS X or Mac OS X)
> - The current GUI does not work on OS versions prior to macOS 10.12 Sierra (but see the related answer below)
> - Linux
> - FreeBSD
> - OpenBSD
Q: Are 32-bit versions of Windows supported?
> A: No
Q: Is it possible to use Barrier on Mac OS X / OS X versions prior to 10.12?
> A: Not officially.
> - For OS X 10.10 Yosemite and later:
> - Barrier v2.1.0 or earlier may work.
> - For Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks (and perhaps earlier):
> 1. the command-line portions of the current releaseshould run fine.
> 2. The GUI will not run, as that OS version does not include Apple's Metal framework.
> - (For a GUI workaround for Mac OS X 10.9, see the discussion at issue #544)
> Note: Only versions v2.3.4 and later of Barrier can be supported by this project.
> - Anyone using an earlier version is advised to upgrade due to recently-addressed security vulnerabilities (and other bug fixes).
> - This is especially important for computers accessible from the public Internet (or from other shared/untrusted networks, such as when using shared WiFi).
Q: How do I load my configuration on startup?
> A: Start the binary with the argument --config
Q: After loading my configuration on the client the field 'Server IP' is still empty!
> A: Edit your configuration to include the server's ip address manually with
>
> >(...) > >section: options > serverhostname= >
Q: Are there any other significant limitations with the current version of Barrier?
> A: Currently:
> - Barrier currently has limited UTF-8 support; issues have been reported with processing various languages.
> - (see #860)
> - There is interest in future support for the Wayland compositor/display server protocol (official site | Wikipedia article) on Linux.
> - As of late 2021, there is no expected completion date for Wayland support.
> - (see #109 and #1251 for status or to volunteer your talents)
>
> The complete list of open issues can be found in the 'Issues' tab on GitHub. Help is always appreciated.
Input Director enables the control of multiple Windows systems using the keyboard/mouse attached to one computer
Switch control between systems either by hotkey or by moving the cursor to the screen edge on one computer for it to appear on the next one
Input Director supports a shared clipboard - copy on one computer, switch control, and paste
Input Director enables the control of multiple Windows systems using the keyboard/mouse attached to one computer
Switch control between systems either by hotkey or by moving the cursor to the screen edge on one computer for it to appear on the next one
Input Director supports a shared clipboard - copy on one computer, switch control, and paste
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Checkmate MP3 Checker is a free program that checks MP3 files for errors. It scans MP3 files to see if the frames are where they are supposed to be, whether the frame headers are correct and whether the frame headers are consistent throughout the file. It reports some information on each file and an indication whether the file is good or bad.
Checkmate MP3 Checker is a free program that checks MP3 files for errors. It scans MP3 files to see if the frames are where they are supposed to be, whether the frame headers are correct and whether the frame headers are consistent throughout the file. It reports some information on each file and an indication whether the file is good or bad.
