NKMS - Network Keyboard Mouse Switch

NKMS allows control of multiple computers on the local network using a single keyboard and mouse.

Response time is near-instantaneous when used with a stable ethernet connection, but some lag may occur when using Wi-Fi.

Architecture

NKMS consists of two main components:

• nkms-daemon
  This handles the core functionality of capturing, forwarding, and creating input events. It requires root privileges and is managed by a systemd service.
• nkms-applet
  This provides a system tray icon for controlling the daemon via D-Bus. The tray icon's context menu allows you to open the settings, start/stop the daemon, etc.

Configuration

NKMS can be configured via the GUI or by manually editing the configuration file.

GUI Configuration:

1. Right-click the NKMS system tray icon and click Settings.
2. Modify the settings as needed and click Save.
3. Restart the daemon via the Stop and Start menu items.

Manual Configuration:

1. Edit the configuration file located at /etc/nkms/nkms.conf.
2. Restart the systemd service: sudo systemctl restart nkms.

Options

• Mode Controls whether the daemon is running as Server or Client

Server Mode:
Captures keyboard and mouse input and forwards it to the clients. This mode should be enabled only on the machine where your physical keyboard and mouse are plugged in.

• Input Switch Keys - Default: Left Meta + Grave (Tilde)
  Hotkey used to switch input between machines in the following order:
  • Server
  • Each client in the order they connected
  • Back to server again
• Bind Address - Default: 0.0.0.0
  Address to bind to when listening for client connections.
• Port - Default: 4777
  Port to listen for client connections on. The next higher port will also be used for the actual transfer of events from server to client.

Client Mode:
Receives input from the server and sends it to the system through a virtual input device. This mode must be used on all machines you want to control from the server.

• Server - Blank by default. Must be configured by user.
  IP Address or hostname of the server machine
• Port - Default: 4777
  Port to connect to the server on. The next higher port will also be used for the actual transfer of events from server to client.

Important: Ensure all machines are configured to use the same port number.