Moniswitch

One shortcut moves the monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the other computer. Windows, Linux, or Mac.

Moniswitch is a free, open-source software KVM and DDC/CI monitor input switcher. It runs on Windows, moves each monitor between HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, DVI, and other reported inputs, and hands the same keyboard and mouse to whichever computer is now on screen: a Linux PC or a Mac.

Synergy, Barrier, and Input Leap share a keyboard. Moniswitch also moves the picture, so video and input switch together.

No hardware KVM. No USB switch. No account.

The useful version of the idea is simple: keep every monitor connected, then choose which computer gets each screen. The buttons can remain behind the monitor where the manufacturer apparently intended them to become folklore.

• Finds connected physical monitors and reads their DDC/CI input capabilities.
• Switches each supported display independently with verified MCCS VCP 0x60 commands.
• Saves multi-monitor routes and recalls them from the main window or tray.
• Assigns a changeable keyboard shortcut to a two-input quick route.
• Makes the shortcut target explicit by Windows display number and monitor model in both the main window and notification-area menu.
• Shares keyboard and mouse between Windows and Linux through Deskflow and Waynergy, or between Windows and macOS through the Deskflow client.
• Maps Windows shortcuts onto a Mac, so Ctrl+C still copies.
• Can start with Windows while the Linux user service retries after restarts, keeping Input Link available without reopening both tools by hand.
• Streams one Linux desktop to one selected monitor or across the full Windows display layout with LAN Canvas.
• Keeps private connection details hidden in the interface by default.
• Runs without telemetry, analytics, an account, an updater, or a cloud service.

Moniswitch does not emulate a monitor input. The monitor must support DDC/CI, and the second computer still needs a working video cable and signal. Software can move the door; it cannot convince an unplugged GPU to walk through it.

1. Enable DDC/CI in each monitor's on-screen menu.
2. Keep the Windows PC connected to every monitor Moniswitch will control.
3. Connect the other computer to an unused HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, or DVI input on the same monitor.
4. Install the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime on Windows.
5. Open Moniswitch.exe, press Scan, choose an input, then press Route.
6. Configure Quick route if one shortcut should move a display between two inputs.

The complete first-run guide is in docs/GETTING-STARTED.md. If a monitor reports HDMI but keeps showing DisplayPort, go directly to docs/TROUBLESHOOTING.md. That problem has paperwork.

Moniswitch runs on Windows because that is where the monitor commands come from. The other computer needs a cable to the monitor and the receiver for its platform. Nothing else.

Display routing is the core. Input Link and LAN Canvas are optional and remain separate so a broken stream cannot take monitor control down with it.

Monitor discovery runs at launch and when Scan is pressed. DDC writes occur only when a route changes. LAN Canvas starts Sunshine and Moonlight only while the canvas is live. The normal tray path is event-driven; it does not sit there interrogating the network for sport.

• Windows 10 or Windows 11.
• .NET 8 Desktop Runtime.
• A monitor that exposes DDC/CI and MCCS input selection.
• A direct display connection that carries DDC commands. Some docks, adapters, capture devices, and KVMs block them.

• Both computers on the same trusted local network.
• Deskflow on Windows.
• Deskflow on X11 Linux, or Waynergy on supported wlroots Wayland compositors.
• Optional pre-login Linux input requires the supplied administrator-installed, dedicated uinput receiver. It is intended only for trusted private networks.

See docs/INPUT-SHARING.md.

• Both computers on the same trusted local network.
• Deskflow 1.26 or newer on Windows and on the Mac.
• Accessibility permission for Deskflow on the Mac.

See docs/MACOS.md.

• Moonlight and OpenSSH Client on Windows.
• Sunshine, systemd user services, a supported hardware encoder, and the supplied integration scripts on Linux.
• The current Linux sender integration targets Hyprland.

See docs/LAN-CANVAS.md.

Official binaries will be attached to GitHub Releases. Until the first tagged release is published, build from source with the .NET 8 SDK:

dotnet build .\Moniswitch.csproj -c Release
dotnet run --project .\Moniswitch.csproj

Create the clean portable Windows bundle and ZIP with:

.\tools\Build-Package.ps1

The packaging command runs the release privacy gate before it writes the ZIP. Build artifacts, local settings, credentials, private network addresses, and machine-specific identifiers are rejected.

• Getting started
• Troubleshooting
• Windows-Linux input sharing
• Windows-Mac input sharing
• LAN Canvas
• Runtime footprint
• Privacy boundary
• Security reporting
• Official repository policy

Settings stay under %LocalAppData%\Moniswitch on the Windows PC. They are not bundled with the source or release archive. Private view masks saved route names, addresses, usernames, device identifiers, and paths while keeping monitor model names visible so a person can identify the physical display in front of them.

Do not attach raw settings, logs, screenshots, or network output to an issue. The issue form explains what to redact. The full boundary is in PRIVACY.md.

Moniswitch is authored, maintained, and released by Galactrex. Bug reports and feature requests are welcome. The official repository does not accept external pull requests or publish third-party builds under the Moniswitch name.

The MIT License still permits forks and modifications. A fork is allowed to be a fork. It simply does not become an official release through confidence alone.

Copyright (c) 2026 Galactrex.

Moniswitch is released under the MIT License. The license permits use, copying, modification, and distribution while requiring the copyright and license notice to remain with copies of the software.