A cross-platform open-source tool to share clipboards (text and images) across multiple computers and multiple platforms (Windows, Linux, OS-X, Solaris, BSD, ...) in a network.
21-November-2010 New ClipboardMShareJ released.
New: Console added to help troubleshooting.
Features
1) Easy to set up, no installation no firewall configuration.
2) Shares the same security settings as file sharing, because it's essentially a low-tech solution
3) Quite reliable due to low-tech nature
4) Works with multiple computers across multiple platforms
5) Sharing of text and images are supported
6) Open-source
FAQ
1) Which file should I download?
There is now a Java version ClipboardMShareJ which supports text and images, and is more robust. You should download this version for all your platforms unless there's a reason you can't install or use Java. Then try the text-only C# based version ClipboardMSharer which needs .NET 2.0+ run-time to work with
2) How do I install the program and start running it?
With ClipboardMShareJ, you'll need to unzip the contents of the file to a folder you create, say "c:\action\ClipboardMShareJ", or your home folder in Linux, say, "~username\ClipboardMShareJ", and run the contained ClipboardMShareJ.jar. Depending on the particular operating system you have, this can be as easy as double-clicking on ClipboardMShareJ.jar in a file browser, or you'll need a terminal, change the current directory to where you've unzipped the package and then type:
java -jar "ClipboardMShareJ.jar"
(see usage below for set up instructions)
With ClipboardMShare, you just need to download it to a folder you create, say, "c:\action\ClipboardMShare", and put the .exe file there, and run it (double click it).See usage below.
3) Any known problems?
I know that the Java version on Windows XP with Java 1.5 fails to minimise.
In MacOS a problem was reported on copying the Mac clipboard to another computer, still under investigation.
Current version takes ownership of an image copied to the clipboard, this may not be ideal for some situations, it's possible to turn this off using a setting.
Let me know if you have any complaints or requests by simply adding a sourceforge tracker.
4) How do I get more help?
Post it to the help forum.
5) How do I contact the project admin?
ClipboardMShareJ Usage:
For sharing clipboards between two computers A and B.
1) Using any network sharing protocol share a folder on computer B. You may need to install Samba on Linux to share with a Windows client.
2) Browse on computer A to that shared folder using your file explorer, and make sure you can read/write files on it. Alternatively, using a terminal, make sure read/write works across the network.
3) Run the program. (see FAQ answer 2 above).
4) (optional) Set read and write latencies as you like. These represent the expected delay from you put something in the clipboard until it's exported. (So in total it's equal to write latency on A + read latency B on average to appear from A->B)
5) Run ClipboardMultiShare on both computers (enable the console on both using 'Console' button.) and set the 'Shared file' folder and file correctly – pointing to the same file – for each computer, then press 'Apply & hide' button which should hopefully make the window invisible to the system tray. Click the system tray icon to get it back if need be.
6) It's running now. You can test it as below.
ClipboardMShare Usage:
For sharing clipboards between two computers A and B.
1) Share a folder on computer B
2) Browse on computer A to that shared folder on Windows explorer, and make sure you can read/write files on it.
3) (optional) Map that folder on computer A
4) (optional) Set read and write latencies as you like. These represent the expected delay from you put something in the clipboard until it's exported. (So in total it's equal to write latency on A + read latency B on average to appear from A->B)
5) Run ClipboardMultiShare on both computers and set the 'Shared file' folder and file correctly – pointing to the same file – for each computer, then press 'Use setting' button.
6) It's running now. You can minimise and forget about it!
Test:
The clipboards should be copied across now. To test it, you can check the existence and content of the Shared file. If after you copy a text content on a computer to clipboard you don't see it written to the content of the clipboard you have a problem on that computer.
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