Keyboard & Mouse Share (KMS) - Node.js Version

Share your keyboard and mouse between Mac and Windows seamlessly over your local network.

Features

• 🖱️ Share Keyboard & Mouse - Control multiple machines with one set of peripherals
• 🔄 Cross-Platform - Works between Mac and Windows
• ⌨️ Hotkey Switching - Toggle control with Ctrl+= (configurable)
• 🌐 Network-Based - Works over local network (WiFi/Ethernet)
• 🎯 Simple CLI - Easy to configure and use
• ⚡ High Performance - Built on Node.js for efficient async I/O

Installation

From npm (coming soon)

npm install -g keyboard-mouse-share

From Source

cd kms-node
npm install
npm link

Requirements

• Node.js 16.0.0 or higher (tested on v16, v18, v20, v22)
• Administrator/root privileges (required for keyboard/mouse control)
• Both machines must be on the same network

Platform-Specific Setup

Windows:

• Run terminal as Administrator
• No additional dependencies needed (nut.js provides pre-built binaries)

Mac:

• Grant Accessibility permissions:
  • System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy → Accessibility
  • Add Terminal (or your terminal app)
• No build tools required (nut.js provides pre-built binaries)

Linux:

• Install X11 dependencies:

  sudo apt-get install libxtst-dev libpng++-dev

Quick Start

Setup Master Machine (Server)

The master machine is the one whose keyboard and mouse you want to share.

# Initialize as server
kms init --mode server --port 5555

# Start the server
kms start

Setup Client Machine

The client machine will receive and reproduce the keyboard/mouse events.

# Initialize as client (replace with your server's IP)
kms init --mode client --host 192.168.1.10 --port 5555

# Start the client
kms start

Usage

Commands

# Initialize configuration
kms init --mode [server|client] --host <ip> --port <port>

# Start KMS service
kms start

# Show current configuration
kms status

# Change hotkey combination
kms set-hotkey "CTRL + SHIFT + K"

# Reset configuration
kms reset

# Show version
kms --version

# Show help
kms --help

Hotkey Control

By default, press Ctrl+= on the server to toggle between:

• Enabled: Server's input is captured and sent to client
• Disabled: Server operates normally (no sharing)

You can customize the hotkey:

kms set-hotkey "CTRL + SHIFT + S"

Note: Use = instead of + in the hotkey combination (keyboard limitation).

Network Setup

1. Find your server's IP address:

   • Windows: ipconfig
   • Mac/Linux: ifconfig or ip addr

2. Ensure port is open:

   • Default port: 5555
   • Configure firewall to allow incoming connections on this port

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐         Network          ┌─────────────────┐
│  Master (Server)│    ───────────────>      │  Client         │
│                 │                          │                 │
│  Captures input │   Sends events (JSON)    │  Reproduces     │
│  + Hotkey       │   over TCP socket        │  input events   │
└─────────────────┘                          └─────────────────┘

Configuration

Configuration is stored in ~/.kms/config.json:

{
  "mode": "server",
  "port": 5555,
  "host": null,
  "hotkey": "CTRL + =",
  "logLevel": "INFO"
}

Troubleshooting

Installation Issues

nut.js installation fails:

• Ensure you're using Node.js 16.0.0 or higher
• On Linux, install X11 dependencies: sudo apt-get install libxtst-dev libpng++-dev
• nut.js provides pre-built binaries for most platforms (no compilation needed)

Connection Issues

• Ensure both machines are on the same network
• Check firewall settings (port 5555 must be open)
• Verify server IP address is correct

Permission Errors

• Windows: Run as Administrator
• Mac: Grant Accessibility permissions in System Preferences
• Linux: Run with sudo

Hotkey Not Working

• Requires administrator/root privileges
• Try a different key combination
• Check if another application is using the same hotkey

Performance

Node.js version benefits:

• ✅ Asynchronous I/O for better network performance
• ✅ Non-blocking event loop
• ✅ Lower latency compared to Python (typically < 5ms)
• ✅ Efficient memory usage
• ✅ Pre-built binaries (no compilation needed with nut.js)

Limitations

• No encryption in v0.1 (use on trusted networks only)
• Single client connection at a time
• Input capture uses polling (60fps) - future versions will use native hooks

Roadmap

• [ ] Native event hooks (replace polling)
• [ ] Multi-client support
• [ ] Clipboard sharing
• [ ] Encryption for secure transmission
• [ ] GUI interface
• [ ] Auto-discovery of devices on network
• [ ] File transfer support
• [ ] Pre-built binaries (no compilation needed)

Comparison: Node.js vs Python

| Feature | Node.js | Python | |---------|---------|--------| | Network I/O | Faster (async native) | Good | | Installation | Pre-built binaries (nut.js) | No compilation | | Performance | ~5-10ms latency | ~10-15ms latency | | Memory | Lower | Higher | | Maturity | nut.js modern & maintained | pynput very stable | | Node.js Support | v16-v22+ ✅ | N/A |

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Acknowledgments

Built with:

• @nut-tree/nut-js - Modern desktop automation (v4+)
• node-global-key-listener - Global hotkey detection
• commander - CLI framework
• chalk - Terminal styling