Mouse working, but not keyboard

[acepelon 1]

I have a Mac server with a Winders 10 Pro client, and every now and again I open some program on my Mac and then my mouse works through Synergy, but my keyboard is always local on my server. I can't figure out what program is causing this behavior. Could be Microsoft Remote Desktop, any one of a couple VPN programs I use (OpenVPN and Big-IP F5) ... a reboot of the Mac server fixes it. Do you have any advice?  Using latest downloads as of today on both client and server.

 

I saw a previous post about Webroot, but I don't use that.  I haven't installed anything today that might have caused it, and it is pretty infrequent.  I am ready with my facepalmbear.

Edited June 2, 2017 by acepelon

[Paul Suarez 106]

Please provide more details about your machines (OS, 32/64 bit, Synergy version installed, connected to the network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, specify which one is the server). Also, post a screenshot of both machine's Synergy interface and the Server Configuration interface on your server machine.

[acepelon 1]

As stated earlier, server is Mac.  Client is Windows 10.  

The Mac is wifi.  Server is ethernet.  See pics for details.

 

Thank you, Aaron

 

[Paul Suarez 106]

Can you confirm that 10.1.1.x is for the WiFi network and that 192.168.116.x network only exist for wired network? If so, which network would you want the machines to communicate through?

[acepelon 1]

All synergy traffic should be on the 10 network. Mac wireless. Windows wired. They both have interfaces in the 192 net but the client is configured to talk on the 10. 

[Paul Suarez 106]

That is why I am asking where each network passes. Let's say if you want to have them communicate through network 10 and network 10 is running through the Ethernet. You can then turn off WiFi on each of the machines first, restart Synergy interface on both and try to connect. You can turn the other networks/interfaces on after they have connected.

[acepelon 1]

Windows client has two NICs, both physical.  The only routable network I have to the outside is the 10 network.  192.168.116.x is private and exists only on the backside of these machines.

The MBP as you know has no builtin physical NICs.  I have a Thunderbolt 2 to ethernet adapter on the MBP on the 192.168.116.x side.  The wireless side is the 10 network.  That's what leads out to the router and to the rest of the world.

I disabled the 192 Windows NIC and unplugged the MBP's physical NIC (the Thunderbolt 2 to ethernet adapter) and quit Synergy on both sides.  I then started Synergy on both sides.   No change in Synergy- still the mouse works great on the client, keyboard only works on the MBP (server)

[acepelon 1]

I had to reboot the Mac for a security update and, as usual, the problem went away.  I will have to re-open if/ when it comes up again.  Sorry.

Aaron

[Paul Suarez 106]

Sure thing @acepelon. Keep us posted. 

[Cristiano Cenci 2]

This issue keeps happening for more than 1 year on and off on my mac(server)+win10(client) as well, same type of network connection (mac-wifi, win10-wired).

[Alexey Pilyaev 14]

Hello @Cristiano Cenci

What if you will switch server and client? Can you do that for me and test?

[Cristiano Cenci 2]

On 7/9/2019 at 5:52 AM, Alexey Pilyaev said:

Hello @Cristiano Cenci

What if you will switch server and client? Can you do that for me and test?

The inverse works fine.

But when I switch back the keyboard keeps not transferring, even after rebooting both client and server.

I haven't replied for so long as this keeps happening on and off, and I haven't been able to find out a pattern that would cause it.

Just to be sure, I have just installed the latest version right now, nothing has changed.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Cristiano Cenci

[eddier 3]

This happens to me as well, regularly, several times a week, and has been like the other posters, happening for years. 

This is the single most annoying thing about this software. Given enough time, it stops working. Restarting synergy doesn't help.

Only a reboot of the mac clears it up.

I'm running latest Synergy 1.x. Latest macos. Windows 10. Sharing the keyboard/mouse off the mac.

Can you enable debugging so we can capture info for you? It's easy to reproduce. It's 100% w/in 3 days I will see this problem.

It's the most annoying thing about this software.

I already have a 2.x Pro license. I'd be happy to apply that instead ot fixing this bug.

This kills me every week.

NOTE: This absolutely is not a general networking problem. The machines talk fine to each other, both directions, I ping, use other network apps, file share. It is a software app problem. The mouse works, some communication happens. But when the cursor is moved to the target (Windows 10) machine, the focus never changes from the mac -- it stays on some foreground app. So typing in the keyboard goes to the mac. Meanwhile, the cursor control is fine and is moving around on the Windows machine. The problem seems to be that synergy is confused and does not transfer the keyboard/input focus (even though it has done so with the mouse).

Edited February 12 by eddier
more detail

[Mark-C 0]

Just updated my Mac (host) to Catalina 10.15 and keyboard has totally stopped working on my Windows 10 PC (client) (mouse working fine). No amount of rebooting solves the problem.

[Alexey Pilyaev 14]

Hello @Mark-C

Sometimes after OS update you need to resintall Synergy from fresh.

Have you tried that?

 

 

[JazzFreeman 0]

same problem. but right side small keyboard(numlock, /*-+ etc...) and function(ctrl, alt, etc...) fine, only main keyword area not working.

[Mark-C 0]

Hi @Alexey Pilyaev

After several uninstalls and restarts everything is back to working again. Not sure what finally fixed the issue but it took 5 rounds of uninstalls before things returned to normal.

[Albert C 2]

In one of the past support posts, there were instructions for how to completely remove not only the software, but also all of the settings for both Mac and Windows.  I have had to do that in the past.  I hope that following those instructions would have made Mark-C's reinstall more pleasant.  I know that there have been updates that didn't go smooth in my configurations unless I did a complete uninstall, removing all settings, before reinstalling.

Are the instructions for a complete remove and reinstall pinned somewhere?

[Alexey Pilyaev 14]

Hello @Albert C

Yup. We have really amazing guide here: https://support.symless.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004915317-Reinstall-from-Fresh

[Alexey Pilyaev 14]

Hello @Mark-C

Sometimes (especially MacOs) updates - it's better to reinstall Synergy from fresh. ( Here is the guide https://support.symless.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004915317-Reinstall-from-Fresh)

 

[Dominique 3]

I'm having the same issue where the mouse goes to the client machines but the keyboard input stays on the server. In my case I have a Mac and a Windows as clients and another Mac as the server. I've tried restarting the software on all three machines with no change in behavior.

I believe the mouse/keyboard difference rules out the network as an issue, and I believe restarting the software with no change rules out the state of the software as an issue, I would suggest the most likely culprit is that OSX is not providing the correct keyboard information to the software, preventing it from forwarding keystrokes to the remote machine.

[Dominique 3]

More info...

When I use ShareMouse (a competitor app I'm reviewing) on these machines while in this state the server instance has a menu option "Keyboard not working?" and this leads to "ShareMouse is disabled because an unknown App left "Secure Input" activated. Do you want to learn more?". After digging around this leads to the following support description:

• Mac only: If keyboard input is not transmitted/processed on a Mac, click the ShareMouse menu bar icon and check if ShareMouse reports a "Secured Input" error.
  
  The macOS system function "Secure input" protects sensitive text input (such as password input) from being tracked by other programs, which generally is a good thing. Unfortunately, some applications may not release this feature after use and any input stays invisible for 3rd party apps, such as ShareMouse. Work around: Disable "auto-submit" feature of any auto-login feature and/or close and restart the application, that caused the interference.
  
  Example: Safari may leave Secure Input enabled on secure web pages when option "User names and passwords” is enabled in Safari Preferences » Autofill tab.
  
  Solution: Disable the option to avoid the Secure Input lock-up or alternatively close the Safari window you have open or restart Safari.

So it would seem that the ShareMouse folk are aware of this problem and are able to identify when it may be occurring and provide information to the end user about it. Nice.

[eddier 3]

Dominique, great insight. I think you're correct. I am able to reproduce at least one case with 1Password (password manager) on the Mac (used as my master). When I bring up 1Password (where it goes into Secure Input mode with its own password), don't log in, but their dialog is still up, cursor is in that dialog, then switch over to my WIndows machine (slave) using Symless, I get into the state of: mouse worked, keyboard input still on the Mac. If I then go back to my Mac and kill 1Password (actually just dismiss the dialog), then everything is ok.

I'm not convinced that this covers all the times I have problems, but I'll see if it reoccurs, and at that point try to see if there's a background window for 1Password or any other security-related app still running or sitting around.

Thanks for the pointer to ShareMouse--it has really good features.

[Knehp 1]

@eddier - I just had the same problem with 1Password on my iMac, which is my Synergy server.  When I had the app open, I could not type on my MacBook Pro, which is my Synergy client.  This would have driven me crazy if I had not found your last post.  Thanks!

[eddier 3]

So, the Secure Input is definitely the problem and a fair # of apps can hold onto it, causing problems with Symless as well as other apps like ShareMouse.

I found a solution of how to find and kill the process causing problems by searching/browsing a bunch of forums (sorry forget where exactly I think a reddit post). In anycase, for those on the Mac who are ok with Terminal commands here's what you can do when you are using your Mac as the server (master) and suddenly your keyboard stops working on your clients (slaves) i.e. it's stuck on your Mac. Warning: if you're not comfortable typing in the Terminal various shell commands, better not go this way.

Manual instructions:

1. Start Terminal. When this happens, open up Terminal app on your Mac

2. Find the Process ID holding onto SecureInput mode. Type in this command and Enter: ioreg -l -w 0 |grep SecureInput

    If it returns nothing, then you actually shouldn't be stuck or SecureInput is not the problem. But if it is, you'll see something like:

|   "IOConsoleUsers" = ({"kCGSSessionOnConsoleKey"=Yes,"kSCSecuritySessionID"=100006,"kCGSSessionSecureInputPID"=1433,"kCGSSessionGroupIDKey"=20,"kCGSSessionIDKey"=257,"kCGSessionLoginDoneKey"=Yes,"kCGSSessionSystemSafeBoot"=No,"kCGSSessionUserNameKey"="joeblogs","kCGSessionLongUserNameKey"="Joe Blogs","kCGSSessionAuditIDKey"=100006,"kCGSSessionLoginwindowSafeLogin"=No,"kCGSSessionUserIDKey"=501})

The kCGSSessionSecureInputPID is the process ID of the offending process...in this case 1433 above.

3. Kill It

a) You can then look in Activity Monitor for this PID (sort by the PID column), select that row, and kill it (Quit it or Force Quit it)

b) Or if you want in Terminal, find the process name with: ps ax |grep <PID> where <PID> is the actual numeric value e.g. ps ax | grep 1433

   This shows you the process that's causing the problem.

    Next kill it with: sudo kill -9 <PID>

    and you'll need to type an admin password just in case you don't own that process

NOTES: Sometimes it's something like 1Password and you're good to go, just restart the app if you need it. Other times, it's been the MacOS Login Console or something like that, and when I kill it, I'm immediately logged out and when logging back in, all my windows have been restarted (almost like a reboot) -- possibly b/c all my apps were started by the Login Console process. Regardless, this is just a warning that this may happen. For me, it's still better than a full reboot, and I now have a way to at least move beyond this problem.

Edited April 2 by eddier