2008-02-05

Proper Mapping of Modifer Keys for Synergy with Windows Server and Mac Client

Synergy is a great program that allows you to use one keyboard and mouse to drive a number of computers whose monitors are next to each other. See http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/. I have it set up so that my keyboard and mouse connected to my Windows box can be used on my Mac mini whose monitor is to the right of my Windows box monitors. When I move the mouse off the right edge of my Windows monitor it magically shows up on my Mac mini monitor, and if I then use the keyboard it magically sends to the Mac mini instead of the Windows box its physically connected to. I can also block and copy text between the two systems. At free its a heck of a lot cheaper than a KVM switch, and since switching between computers is as easy as moving the cursor from one monitor to the other, its a lot more convenient than hitting a switch to move.

In any event, the real purpose of this post is to show how to correctly map the modifier keys (Ctrl, Alt, Windows etc) when your Synergy Server is on a Windows box and your client is a Mac. By default, for me, the Alt key on my keyboard was acting like Command on my Mac. Here is how to get the Windows key on a keyboard connected to a Windows box to map to the Command key on a Mac.

Start up Synergy on the Windows box.
Click on the Configure button next to Screens & Links.
In the Screens box click on the name of your Mac, and then click the Edit button below the screens box.
In the Modifiers area assign Alt to Super and Super to Alt.
Click OK, exit Synergy, restart your Synergy server and it should work.