Input Leap 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.
Input Leap 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.
Input Leap is a fork of Barrier, by Barrier’s active maintainers.
This is free and open source software.
- Install and run Input Leap 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’ Input Leap 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.
This is free ad open source software.
Key Features
- Aims to be simple.
- Use your keyboard and mouse from one computer to control one or more other computers.
- Clipboard sharing is supported.
- Cross-platform support – runs under Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, and Windows.
Website: github.com/input-leap/input-leap
Support:
Developer: The InputLeap Developers
License: GNU General Public License v2.0
Input Leap is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Software KVM Switches | |
|---|---|
| Deskflow | Cross-platform solution with Wayland, clipboard sharing and TLS encrpytion |
| Input Leap | Fork of Barrier, by Barrier’s active maintainer |
| Lan Mouse | GTK frontend and command-line interface |
| USBKVM | Keyboard, video, and mouse over USB; client app for the USBKVM hardware |
| Barrier | Only works under X11 (No Wayland support) |
| rkvm | Low overhead and doesn't need a display server |
| Perpetua | Share a keyboard and mouse across computers |
| Hydra | Flexible multi-monitor layouts and encrypted communication |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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