lan-mouse

Lan Mouse is a program that lets you control multiple computers using a single keyboard and mouse. Instead of physically unplugging and reconnecting peripherals, you move your cursor to the edge of one screen and it slides over to the next machine, just like Apple's Universal Control feature. The project is an open-source alternative to paid tools like Synergy and ShareMouse, and it works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

On Linux, it supports the major desktop environments including GNOME, KDE Plasma, and compositors like Sway and Hyprland. The software encrypts all network traffic between computers, so your keystrokes and mouse movements are not sent in plain text over your local network. There are a few known limitations: X11 on Linux can only receive input, not send it, and Windows machines without a physical mouse connected will show no cursor while being controlled.

To use it, you install Lan Mouse on each computer you want to connect. You then configure which machines are neighbors, for example telling your main computer that the laptop sits to the right of it. From that point on, pushing the cursor past the right edge of your main screen hands control over to the laptop. A graphical settings window is included and runs as a menu bar item on macOS.

Installation is straightforward on Arch Linux and Fedora through their official package repositories, and precompiled binaries are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux on the releases page. For developers who want to build from source, the project uses Cargo, the standard Rust build tool, and instructions for installing the required system libraries are included in the README for each operating system. There is also an unofficial mobile proof-of-concept app for Android and iOS that can act as a remote control device.