How to change client screen name?

Question

I'm trying to use my macbook pro as a client with synergy. Windows is the host system with keyboard and mouse.

The problem however is that I can't change the screen name for the macbook pro. The sharing computer name, netbios and DHCP LAN setting in my router had the WRONG name. Instead of "user-mBp", it was "user-mPb". So synergy got that as screen name and I can't change it, no matter what. I've set the right name everywhere I could but nothing.

Synergy app won't allow me to change as well.

How do I do it?

Solution 1

If you're trying to change any of the 3 possible Computer Names on your Mac, use the scutil command as such:

scutil --get ComputerName (or HostName or LocalHostName)

to set them,

sudo scutil --set ComputerName newComputerName (or HostName or LocalHostName)

If the names are set to what you want them to be, you may need to uninstall/reinstall Synergy on your Mac in order to pick up the new configuration. Check to delete any transient .plist files that may contain the name.

That makes me wonder, though, if you have looked in ~/Library/Application Support to see if there is a .plist file for Synergy that can be modified. I'd start with

find ~/Library -iname *synergy* -type f -print|grep '.plist'

and use PlistBuddy or defaults to scour these files for your misspelled hostname.

FYI, find's iname allows for a case-insensitive search and type is looking for files.

Solution 2

In Synergy 1.8.* you can change it under menu Edit → Settings → Screen name (it's the same on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux).

In previous versions, like Synergy version 1.7.3, to change the screen name on Mac OS X you should go to the menu Synergy → Preferences → Screen name.

Screen names are case insensitive.

Comments

[Nick Bolton]

Hey, please consider changing your accepted answer.

[ktorn]

Why was this downvoted? It is actually the correct solution for changing the screen name under Synergy.

[Tyler]

+1 This is correct. I changed my hostname to what I wanted in every possible location in OS X. It seems Synergy was keeping the screen name based on the old hostname it used when it was first installed. This answer helped me change the screen name in Synergy as the title of this question actually indicates and what I was looking for. Thank you.