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so i would like to use my ubuntu laptop as a external screen for my windows machine. Is this possible? I read this but this is for the other way around.

Thanks for the help

Community
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Cyber_Star
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2 Answers2

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I had a requirement of using windows laptop as second screen for my windows desktop. But the solution I used isn't really specific to an OS, hence I'll share.

Idea:

  1. Use synergy software to share mouse and keyboard between desktop and laptop. This requires both devices to be connected over a network, so that they can access each other's ip address. Here, desktop becomes server as it is sharing mouse and keyboard attached to it. Laptop becomes client, so that its screen can be accessed. You need to configure screen position, like laptop is to the left or right of desktop monitor. Accordingly, moving mouse past the edge of desktop screen will make it go to laptop screen.
  2. synergy (atleast the free version i use) doesn't solve requirement of sharing sound. For this I use NoMachine. I make laptop the server and my desktop the client. Nomachine allows forwarding sound from server to client (and even mutes it on server if desired, so that sound doesn't come from laptop's speakers as well!). Once you connect to nomachine server on laptop, from desktop, you can control laptop screen from desktop. However, we don't care about this so we will just minimize the screen. This screen however will allow listening to all sounds produced on laptop, on desktop.

End result:

  1. Synergy allows moving mouse connected to desktop, on laptop screen.
  2. It also allows using keyboard attached to desktop, to type on laptop screen.
  3. Nomachine allows listening to any audio playing on laptop, from desktop speakers.

Thus, even though laptop screen is running a video session on laptop's own operating system, but the input can be given using desktop peripherals and audio output can be listened through desktop speakers.

Software links (you will have to install appropriate version for your desktop and laptop OS). Google has lot of resources to help with installation:

NOTE It is still not a complete external screen because drag and drop doesn't work across screens. In my case I needed to only access resources from cloud, so I could access them through any system. For locally saved files, you'll have to transfer them to laptop. NoMachine, fortunately, supports that as well! https://www.nomachine.com/sharing-files-between-computers

phalanx
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rdesktop (Remote Desktop client) will let you open a Windows login session on your Linux machine's screen. Now this is a separate login session (separate from what you are doing on the keyboard and native screen of the Windows machine) so it may not be exactly what you're looking for.

John Aspinall
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