Bug - Shift Key is MIA in Client Remote Desktop

[AndyLeeMeUk]

System Setup

My Server is a 2017 iMac and the client is a late 2012 iMac (both running 10.12.5), I also have a headless PC (This therefore does not have Synergy installed - running Windows 10 Pro and I log into that from Microsoft Remote Desktop), the server and PC are wired connections, the client is wireless.

I have tested this with both 1.8.8 and 1.9.0 RC3 and the bug appears in both of them.

 

Bug & Reproduction

If I connect to my PC using MRD on the server everything functions correctly.  If I log in from the client Mac, whilst everything functions correctly outside of the MRD connection... In the connection, the [Shift] key, fails to function. Please see the attached screenshot where I have typed the same phrase.

• As the [Shift] key functions on MRD when I use my Server System, I think I can rule out any configuration issues on the Windows 10 install.
• Other keys like [CAPS] function correctly (a partial work around).

Edited March 28, 2019 by Kelvin Tran
Spelling mistakes creating hilarious profanities in the title. Remove the "f" from the word "shift" and that's the error I was correcting. :)

[Andyroo]

I have a similar issue with the Parallels Client (Remote Desktop)

to make things work for me I use:
Server: PC, synergy-v1.7.5-stable-fa85a24-Windows-x64
Client: Mac synergy-v1.8.5-stable-a18eba7-MacOSX1011-x86_64.dmg

Parallels Client works with all keys, Windows, Ctrl, Shift ...

I found the 1.8.6 Mission Control key fix broke the Windows key in Parallels Client. Getting really frustrated that I have to use such an old version to make things work!

Try using Synergy 1.8.5 and Parallels Client on your Mac. You need to configure the keyboard shortcuts in the preferences of the Parallels Client too.

[Steve_O]

Same problem for me.

Running 1.8.8.

Mac Pro as Server and Mac Book Pro as client.

Running RDP to an Azure Server from the mac pro and Shift/Ctrl etc work fine.

Running RDP to the same Azure Server from the Mac Book Pro and Shift/Ctrl keys don't work, despite them working in OSX

I need to be able to use RDP on the Mac Book Pro as this is my 'official' work machine. The Mac Pro is my home machine.

Short term I could run the Mac Book Pro as the Synergy Server but that means I need to have my Laptop docked and on the network in order to use the keyboard and mouse on the Mac Pro.

Annoyed as other than this it's an awesome bit of software.

 

[BYUI-PaulL]

I'm running Windows 10 for my Synergy Server, and Mac OS 10.12.6 (high Sierra) for my Client.  I'm often using Microsoft's Remote Desktop app on the Mac and the Shift, Ctrl, Alt keyboard functions do not translate to the Remote Desktop session.  I also run some VMs (using VMWare) and the Shift, Strl, Alt keyboard functions do not translate to those VMs either.

Thus, I would conclude the Shft, Ctrl, Alt keyboard functions are only translating "one level deep" and not making it to the "second level" (RPD sessions, VMs, etc.) as the same happens with multiple methods.

I love running Synergy, and using my Win10 system as the Server gives me the full Windows keyboard on both Windows and Mac with only the Shift, Ctrl, Alt not translating to "remote" stuff on the Mac.  The Mac keyboard doesn't dive me all the features I want on a Windows system, so this method is my preference.

[Stimja]

Seeing the same thing on the last several releases (currently on 1.10.0). Going from a Windows or Linux Server to a Macbook Pro client (this occurred on Sierra/High Sierra/Mojave so I don't think OS other than Mac is a big factor. The shift key is non-functional in RDP sessions, although if I grab my keyboard that is wired, it works fine.

This is a rather annoying bug as for me, it completely kills the use of synergy when I'm in these sessions.

 

Edited November 1, 2018 by Stimja

[rjginther]

I was using Synergy 2.0 between a Windows 10 and an iMac running El Capitan but had to revert to Synergy version 1.0 because I desperately needed copy/paste to function. Now I am seeing with Synergy 1.10.1.stable that my shift key does not function within RemoteApps or Remote Desktop Protocol on the iMac which is the client. Has anybody found a fix?

[Kelvin Tran]

Hmm. This is an interesting issue and I suspect that it's associated with the fact that Synergy translates key presses over between systems through an API.

I'll investigate using my own Synergy infrastructure and see if I can find a solution for y'all. If you can, give me a week or so please.

EDIT: As @BYUI-PaulL has pointed out, this is an issue that is not exclusive to RDP.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Kelvin Tran

[KevinKuehnert]

I am having the same issue.  My server is an Ubuntu 18.04 system and the client was a mac running High Sierra and now Mojave.  The mac is the system that I can RDP to my work system from.  When I am typing on the mac all functions of the keyboard seem to work without issue.  When I RDP from the mac to my work system which is running Windows 10, keys like ctrl, alt, and shift etc. do not work.  If i type on the mac keyboard through RDP everything is fine.  I have seen this on several versions up to the current version i am running which is 1.10.1-stable-8941241e build date august 28, 2018 on the mac and linux system.  I was running synergy 2 for a while and had connectivity issues and was advised that 2 had been changed back to beta status and should move back to version 1.

[Kelvin Tran]

8 hours ago, KevinKuehnert said:

I am having the same issue.  My server is an Ubuntu 18.04 system and the client was a mac running High Sierra and now Mojave.  The mac is the system that I can RDP to my work system from.  When I am typing on the mac all functions of the keyboard seem to work without issue.  When I RDP from the mac to my work system which is running Windows 10, keys like ctrl, alt, and shift etc. do not work.  If i type on the mac keyboard through RDP everything is fine.  I have seen this on several versions up to the current version i am running which is 1.10.1-stable-8941241e build date august 28, 2018 on the mac and linux system.  I was running synergy 2 for a while and had connectivity issues and was advised that 2 had been changed back to beta status and should move back to version 1.

Did this functionality work for you on S2? 

[jlanter]

Any progress on this? I'm using twin iMacs running 10.14.6 "Mojave", Synergy 1.11.1, and Microsoft RDP for Mac 10.3.10 (also tried 8.0.43) and I'm having the exact same problem. In fact, I think it's more than just the Shift key, I think it's also Control and Option (which the Windows client should interpret as an Alt keypress).

A partial workaround when using RDP for Mac 10.3.10, is to open the RDP Connections menu, and under Keyboard Mode, select Unicode (Scancode is the default). This allow the shift key in conjunction with an alpha keypress (e.g., Shift+A) to generate a capital letter (e.g., "A"), but it doesn't work for things like shifted cursor keys (as when selecting text in an editor) or shifted mouse clicks (as when selecting multiple sequential items in a listbox).

Judging by the dates of the posts above, and today's date as I post this, this bug has been known for some time. It would be nice to get a prompt fix for this issue.

Thanks,

--Jeff

[Jertam]

Has there been any update on this?  I am using Windows 10 as my server and a MacBook Pro (Catalina 10.15.7) as the client.   I use the Mac to RDP into a remote Windows 10 box.  The CTRL and SHIFT keys work everywhere but on the remote Windows box.  I recently purchased Synergy 1 specifically to help me run in this environment.   I may return the product if it cannot work this way.

Can we get an update on when we might expect a fix?

[bmartin]

Still having this issue at times, with Windows client and Linux server. Both run 1.14.0 stable. Seems to come and go, similar to the mouse pointer on the Windows client disappearing at times. Maybe it's a stability issue with keeping track of key presses and other states across the clients.

[Woelig]

Also still having issues with 1.14.1

[Stillline]

I am having this issue when using Apple Remote Desktop on a synergy client  connecting to another remote Mac. I'm unable to type any of the capital letters in the password.