Keyboard not working on Windows clients using Mac as server--just started happening.

[Nico M 8]

Hi @Danny Parker we are currently working on the notification

 

[ColumbusGEEK 0]

Main computer is OSX Big Sur.  Synergy 1.14.  (and Synergy 1.13 just for testing)

I've been using Synergy an incredibly long time.  This same setup actually.  Way before the 2.0 debacle.

I have two windows desktops, one on the left and one on the right and seemingly out of the blue they stopped being able to be typed on a few weeks ago.  The mouse still moves in and out, but typing isnt possible.

Thinking it was the "Security and Privacy" setting I have removed and re-added that permission a few times.  Both "input monitoring" as well as "full disc access".  Many reboots later, I still have nothing.  No encryption is being use.  Nothing seems bad in the log windows.

I read over the other forum post about a similar issue but it sort of fizzled out with no solution.

Here are the last few lines of my log in OSX.

[2021-07-05T10:16:42] WARNING: cursor may not be visible
[2021-07-05T10:17:20] INFO: switch from "Trashcan-Pro.local" to "Security" at 1439,1555
[2021-07-05T10:17:20] INFO: leaving screen
[2021-07-05T10:17:20] WARNING: cursor may not be visible
[2021-07-05T10:17:26] INFO: switch from "Security" to "Trashcan-Pro.local" at 12,1110
[2021-07-05T10:17:26] INFO: entering screen
[2021-07-05T10:17:26] WARNING: cursor may not be visible
[2021-07-05T10:17:28] INFO: switch from "Trashcan-Pro.local" to "Security" at 1439,1651
[2021-07-05T10:17:28] INFO: leaving screen
[2021-07-05T10:17:28] WARNING: cursor may not be visible
[2021-07-05T10:17:39] INFO: switch from "Security" to "Trashcan-Pro.local" at 2,1315
[2021-07-05T10:17:39] INFO: entering screen

 

[ColumbusGEEK 0]

As an update, I tried both Barrier and Across and had the same issue.  This means the issue isn't necessarily Synergy but potentially something else.  My post used to be standalone and was merged by an admin into this big one so I hope these issues don't get conflagerated.  

[ColumbusGEEK 0]

After working on this over the course of many weeks, as well as wasting money on Sharemouse, (top tip, don't), I was finally able to resolve my issue.  

Secure Input by Apple was absolutely my issue.  Rebooting and them having all my apps and windows re-open was also a big issue.  My solution was to run the Applescript I found here.  This told me what was holding onto my keys and not letting go.  I also closed out every app I had running and started from a fresh desktop.  I also went in and cleaned up my startup items to make sure nothing in there that was old was causing me issues.  

After another reboot it was fixed.    

Related note, Synergy really is the best and most reliable option out there for cross-platform KM.  I have tried all of them over the past week.  Nothing works as seamlessly.

[Nico M 8]

Hey @ColumbusGEEK. Thank you for letting us know about the script. That is very helpful as it shows the exact process that is locked (unless its loginWindow, which you can fix by locking the Mac and logging in again). 

[msafar 0]

Following the thread from @ColumbusGEEK I did run the script and determined that secure input was on.  Further I simply closed as many apps as I could and presto, the problem was fixed.   I don't know which app is the culprit, but I will keep testing until I find it.  Interesting problem, and I'm sure it's solvable, but I'm running version 1.14.1 (latest stable release at this time), and the problem is still there.  Yes, running same on Mac server and the Windows client.  

[opentuned 0]

Just chipping my experience on this matter;

Set up is a server and one client  🖥💻

On the client the keyboard input stopped working but mouse was fine. Found this thread on the issue.

I ran the following on both my Macs that were in use:

ioreg -l -w 0 | grep SecureInput

From here I could see which machine had SecureInput in use (in my case the server), from there closed down the suggested apps that might be using it, in my case this happened to be the SystemPreferences panel I had left open 👍

So note, that the machine that stops receiving keyboard input isn't necessarily the machine that has SecureInput running 🤦🏼‍♂️