display-switch VS barrier

I’ve been using display-switch[0] for this for a while now. No problems whatsoever. Works on windows/mac/linux.

[0] https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch

Now it just need to be combined with something like https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch to do a DDC/CI monitor input switch as the USB activity moves around.

With a device like this you'd be missing the on_usb_connect event, but presumably you could do something (a special HID device button, an extra device id appearing, who knows) to make it work.

The best option I've found is to hook both computers up to a USB-only KVM, and plug them in via separate video cables to the monitor. Then set up the computers to tell the monitor to change inputs (via DDC commands, which most but not all monitors support) when you change devices on the KVM

There's software to help do this automatically (https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch)

Cynical footnote: PC users can continue to enjoy https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch while Mac users need to buy a 300 USD device. That's the Mac experience for you :D

There's a workaround in https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch now for M1 Macs. In general, you made your bed by buying a Mac, sleep in it.

Oops I missed that https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch

Then we will run https://github.com/haimgel/display-switch to have the monitors switch inputs when you use the USB switch.

For software KVM you can use https://github.com/debauchee/barrier

I use it between a Windows PC & a Macbookpro (Linux version available but I don't have Linux)

libei looks useful. But IDK why libei is necessary to run Barrier with Wayland?

For client systems, couldn't there just be a virtual /dev/inputXYZ that Barrier forwards events through

And for host systems, it looks like xev only logs input events when the window is focused.

Is xeyes still broken on Wayland, and how to fix it so that it would work with Barrier?

With Barrier, when the mouse cursor reaches a screen boundary, the keyboard and mouse input are then passed to a different X session on another box until the cursor again crosses a screen boundary rule.

Barrier is a fork of Synergy's open core: https://github.com/debauchee/barrier

libei:

I have a similar gaming/WFH setup (2 monitors at 1440p 144hz) and I’ve been using Barrier instead of a physical kvm, and it works really well. Not sure if you’re open to a software kvm but if you are, I’m happy to answer any questions about it if you have any.

Have you tried Barrier? I casually used it to swap between my main rig and my MBP. Took a minute to get it setup but once I sorted it all out it worked pretty well. It has some settings and tweaks built in to address some of the layout issues you mentioned...

Barrier appears to handle PC switching only for the keyboard and mouse.

Sorry, probably not entirely on topic and can't answer anything reliable about the multimonitor stuff, but a tip regarding the 2 mice and 2 keyboards for the 2 different computers: use this: https://github.com/debauchee/barrier It's oss multi-os software that lets you use one mouse and keyboard (server) on several PCs (clients) easily over your LAN.

Barrier is a free and open source alternative.