Deskflow lets you share one mouse and keyboard between multiple computers on Windows, macOS and Linux. It's like a software KVM (but without video).
Deskflow is a software tool designed to enable seamless sharing of a single keyboard and mouse across multiple computers running Windows, macOS, and Linux. It allows users to control nearby devices with the same input peripherals, eliminating the need for separate hardware solutions.
Key Features:
Cross-platform compatibility: Works seamlessly across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
TLS encryption: Secures data transmission by default.
Clipboard sharing: Enables easy transfer of text and files between connected systems.
Wayland support: Fully compatible with Linux environments using the Wayland display server protocol.
No video switching: Focuses solely on keyboard, mouse, and clipboard synchronization.
Audience & Benefit:
Ideal for professionals working with multiple computers, developers transitioning between Linux and Windows, or anyone seeking to streamline their multi-device workflow. Deskflow helps increase productivity by simplifying the management of multiple systems from a single input source. It is particularly beneficial for users who want secure, cross-platform compatibility without additional hardware.
Available as an open-source solution, it can be installed via winget on supported platforms.
README
Deskflow is a free and open source keyboard and mouse sharing app.
Use the keyboard, mouse, or trackpad of one computer to control nearby computers,
and work seamlessly between them.
It's like a software KVM (but without the video).
TLS encryption is enabled by default. Wayland is supported. Clipboard sharing is supported.
Linux requires libei 1.3+ and libportal 0.8+ for the server/client. Additionally, Qt 6.7+ is required for the GUI.
Linux users with systems not meeting these requirements should use flatpak in place of a native package.
We officially support FreeBSD, and would also like to support: OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly, Solaris.
Repology
Repology monitors a huge number of package repositories and other sources comparing package
versions across them and gathering other information.
Note: We are working with package maintainers to have our new package name adopted.
Installing on macOS
When you install Deskflow on macOS, you need to allow accessibility access (Privacy & Security) to both the Deskflow app and the deskflow process.
If using Sequoia, you may also need to allow Deskflow under Local Network settings (Privacy & Security).
When prompted by the OS, go to the settings and enable the access.
If you are upgrading and you already have Deskflow or deskflow
on the allowed list you will need to manually remove them before accessibility access can be granted to the new version.
macOS users who download directly from releases may need to run xattr -c /Applications/Deskflow.app after copying the app to the Applications dir.
In the open source developer community, similar projects collaborate for the improvement of all
mouse and keyboard sharing tools. We aim for idea sharing and interoperability.
Lan Mouse -
Rust implementation with the goal of having native front-ends and interoperability with
Deskflow/Synergy.
Input Leap -
Deskflow/Synergy-derivative with the goal of continuing what Barrier started, after Barrier
became a dead fork.
Synergy -
Downstream commercial fork. Synergy sponsors Deskflow with financial support and contributes code (learn more).
FAQ
Is Deskflow compatible with Synergy, Input Leap, or Barrier?
Yes, Deskflow has network compatibility with all forks:
Requires Deskflow >= v1.17.0.96
Deskflow will just work with Input Leap and Barrier (server or client).
Connecting a Deskflow client to a Synergy 1 server will also just work.
To connect a Synergy 1 client, you need to select the Synergy protocol in the Deskflow server settings.
Note: Only Synergy 1 is compatible with Deskflow (Synergy 3 is not yet compatible).
Is Deskflow compatible with Lan Mouse?
We would love to see compatibility with Lan Mouse. This may be quite an effort as currently the way they handle the generated input is very different.
If I want to solve issues in Deskflow do I need to contribute to a fork?
We welcome PRs (pull requests) from the community. If you'd like to make a change, please feel
free to start a discussion or
open a PR.
Is clipboard sharing supported?
Absolutely. The clipboard-sharing feature is a cornerstone feature of the product and we are
committed to maintaining and improving that feature.
Is Wayland for Linux supported?
Yes! Wayland (the Linux display server protocol aimed to become the successor of the X Window
System) is an important platform for us.
The libei and
libportal libraries enable
Wayland support for Deskflow. We would like to give special thanks to Peter Hutterer,
who is the author of libei, a major contributor to libportal, and the author of the Wayland
implementation in Deskflow. Others such as Olivier Fourdan and Povilas Kanapickas helped with the
Wayland implementation.
Some features may be unavailable or broken on Wayland. Please see the known Wayland issues.
Where did it all start?
Deskflow was first created as Synergy in 2001 by Chris Schoeneman.
Read about the history of the project on our
wiki.
Meow'Dib (our mascot)
Deskflow Contributors
Synergy sponsors the Deskflow project by contributing code and providing financial support (learn more).
Deskflow is made by possible by these contributors.
