insights/content/tutorials/control-nearby-computers-with-one-mouse-and-keyboard-using-deskflow/index.md

---
title: Control Nearby Computers With One Mouse and Keyboard Using Deskflow
description: How to install, configure, and use Deskflow on multiple Linux computers. Discover the steps to compile Deskflow from source, create XDG Desktop Entries, and connect clients to servers for seamless integration.
summary: Learn how to install, configure, and use Deskflow on multiple Linux computers. Discover the steps to compile Deskflow from source, create XDG Desktop Entries, and connect clients to servers for seamless integration.
# linkTitle:
date: 2024-09-23T23:23:00+07:00
lastmod:
draft: false
noindex: false
# comments: false
nav_weight: 1000
categories:
    - TIL
tags:
    - Deskflow
images:
authors:
    - ditatompel
---

There are several ways to control another computer's desktop (GUI) over a
network, such as using RDP or VNC. Occasionally, I also use X11 Forwarding to
run a GUI application from a remote computer on my laptop. While for more
complex GUI control, I use [xrdp][xrdp_gh].

But perhaps in the future my way of controlling another computer's desktop on a
local network will be different after I discovered [Deskflow][deskflow_gh].
Deskflow is an open-source application (upstream from [Synergy][synergy_web],
commercial) for sharing keyboard and mouse with other computers. With Deskflow,
I can use one keyboard and trackpad from my laptop to control another
computer's desktop.

Unlike RDP or VNC, which display the remote desktop display on our PC/laptop;
Deskflow does not display anything from the remote desktop at all.
If simplified, Deskflow only records and forwards mouse, keyboard, and
clipboard input to another computer (client). So Deskflow is effective if the
remote desktop (client) has a monitor, and it's close by (as if you have
multiple monitors, but from different PCs).

## Installation

{{< youtube JiTIDnD1clM >}}

At the time of writing, Deskflow is **not** yet available in the package
manager for all Linux distributions. Deskflow also does not provide
pre-compiled binaries for Linux, macOS, or Windows. Therefore, the only way to
install and run Deskflow is to compile it from its source code.

> **UPDATE**: The build process has been changed since this video was
> uploaded. For Linux users, their latest release already includes packages for
> Debian, Fedora, and OpenSUSE. Check on [their release
> page][deskflow-release-page]. For Arch Linux, it's already on EXTRA
> repository, so you can easily install using `pacman -S deskflow`.

However, you don't need to worry because there is already an "install" script
available for most distributions (Debian, Fedora, OpenSUSE, and Arch Linux).

In this article, I will use two computers, both running the Linux operating
system:

-   P50: My main computer that I will use to control another computer
    (the server).
-   T420: Another computer that I will control from P50 (the client).

First, download the Deskflow source code and
[compile the Deskflow application][deskflow_cmp] on both the server and client:

```shell
git clone https://github.com/deskflow/deskflow.git
cd deskflow
./scripts/install_deps.sh
cmake -B build
cmake --build build -j$(nproc)
```

After the compilation process completes successfully, ensure that both the
_unit tests_ and _integrity tests_ pass without issue:

```shell
./build/bin/unittests
./build/bin/integtests
```

## Configuration

### Server

On the server computer, run `./build/bin/deskflow`, then select
_"Use this computer's keyboard and mouse"_.

![deskflow server](deskflow-server1.png#center)

To make it easier to use the Deskflow application, we can create an
[XDG Desktop Entry][xdg_desktop_spec] by copying the
`.res/dist/linux/deskflow.desktop` file to `~/.local/share/applications`
(for single-user mode) or `/usr/share/applications` for multi-user mode.
Don't forget to adjust the values of `Path=/usr/bin` and
`Exec=/usr/bin/deskflow` in the file to point to the directory where the
deskflow binary file is stored.

### Client

On the client computer, run `./build/bin/deskflow`, then select
_"Use another computer's mouse and keyboard"_ and enter the server's IP address
into the text input below.

> Note: For some reason, I encountered an issue the first time I tried to
> connect to the server via X11 Forwarding. Therefore, I made the initial
> connection directly from the client laptop GUI (not through the
> X11 Forwarding GUI).

![deskflow client](deskflow-client1.png#center)

After trying to connect from the client side, a pop-up window will appear on
the server computer informing you that there is a new client wanting to
connect. Select _"Add client"_.

![deskflow add client popup](deskflow-add-client-popup.png#center)

After registering the client, you can choose a layout where we can control the
position of the client computer (such as when using dual monitors).

![deskflow layout](deskflow-layout.png#center)

Click "OK" and try to move the mouse pointer position to the direction where
you configured the client computer position. You should be able to use the
server computer's mouse and keyboard for the client computer.

> Tip: After the client is registered to the server, you can manually connect
> from the client using the CLI with
> `deskflowc --enable-crypto [server IP address]`.

## Resources

-   Deskflow Project: [github.com/deskflow/deskflow][deskflow_gh]

[xrdp_gh]: https://github.com/neutrinolabs/xrdp "xrdp GitHub repository"
[deskflow_gh]: https://github.com/deskflow/deskflow "Deskflow GitHub repository"
[deskflow-release-page]: https://github.com/deskflow/deskflow/releases/latest "Deskflow GitHub release page"
[synergy_web]: https://symless.com/synergy "Synergy Website"
[deskflow_cmp]: https://github.com/deskflow/deskflow/blob/master/BUILD.md "Deskflow Build Quick Start"
[xdg_desktop_spec]: https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ "XDG Desktop Entry spec"