I went and got myself a new side project. I know I need another not-for-profit project like I need a hole in the head, but I really like Synergy. And its author, Chris Schoeneman, is a nice guy.

So what does Synergy do? It's basically like a software KWM (keyboard video mouse) switch. Normally KVMs are these boxes that you run sets of cables to from other computers and then you can select which computer you want to use on the box. But they are pretty expensive and the cables are a real pain. Synergy solves that by using client and server software components.

You set up the server (the machine with the actual, real keyboard and mouse and monitor) software to lay out where you want the screens for the clients to go, and then you tell the clients what server to connect to. They all talk over the network, and when you want to switch over to another computer, you move the mouse in that direction. For example, if I have my linux fileserver client set in the server to display at "the top" of my Win2K server screen, then moving the mouse off the top edge of my Win2K desktop switches over to the Linux fileserver screen. It sounds weird but it's actually quite intuitive. If you have more than one machine that is normally always running, then it's real handy.

Anyway, I happened to see an article inb Linux Journal about the software, went and looked at it, liked it and then noticed that in his to-do list, Chris listed a windows installer as something he needed. I was bored at the time (late one night), so I went and found my copy of InstallShield and built an installer.

It's nice to be able to give back, in whatever small way, and I hope it helps someone.