NexKVM

NexKVM is a Barrier-inspired LAN keyboard, mouse, clipboard, and file-sharing application written in Rust. The current supported release-candidate scope is two Apple Silicon Macs. Windows and Linux code remains in the workspace for development and compatibility work, but those platforms are not claimed as production-ready releases.

Apple Silicon feature scope

The macOS application currently provides:

• authenticated pairing and pinned device trust;
• left, right, top, or bottom screen placement in the graphical control panel;
• keyboard and mouse handoff when the pointer crosses the configured edge;
• source, target, and bidirectional input roles, with Escape, inactivity, and disconnect release paths;
• multi-format clipboard synchronization plus bounded, encrypted history of local and received clipboard selections;
• authenticated file and directory transfer to a bounded receive directory;
• a GUI for topology, pairing, permissions, sharing settings, diagnostics, clipboard restore, and drag-and-drop file queueing.

These paths have automated unit and integration coverage. A distributable build must additionally pass the signed-app, macOS privacy-permission, Gatekeeper, and physical two-Mac checks in Release Readiness. An ad-hoc local build is not evidence that notarization or real-device input works.

Build and run on Apple Silicon

Prerequisites are an Apple Silicon Mac, rustup, and Xcode Command Line Tools. The repository pins Rust 1.88.0 in rust-toolchain.toml. Build the daemon/CLI and GUI for the supported target:

rustup target add aarch64-apple-darwin
cargo build --locked -p nexkvm -p nexkvm-gui \
  --release --target aarch64-apple-darwin
./target/aarch64-apple-darwin/release/nexkvm-gui

For a local, ad-hoc-signed app bundle:

NEXKVM_VERSION=0.1.0 ./scripts/package-macos.sh

The archive is written to target/package/nexkvm-macos-arm64-0.1.0.zip. Ad-hoc signing is for local development only; published archives must use Developer ID signing, notarization, and stapling.

Follow Two-Mac Apple Silicon Setup to grant permissions, pair both devices, choose the active peer, place the target on the correct edge, and enable clipboard/file sharing.

Development checks

Run the same core gates used for a release candidate:

cargo fmt --all -- --check
cargo check --workspace --all-targets --all-features
cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets --all-features -- -D warnings
cargo test --workspace --all-features
RUSTDOCFLAGS="-D warnings" cargo doc --workspace --all-features --no-deps
cargo build --workspace --all-features --release
cargo deny --target aarch64-apple-darwin \
  --exclude nexkvm-platform-linux \
  --exclude nexkvm-platform-windows \
  check advisories bans licenses sources
bash scripts/tests/test-package-macos.sh

Useful commands:

cargo run -p nexkvm -- doctor
cargo run -p nexkvm -- permissions
cargo run -p nexkvm -- devices
cargo run -p nexkvm -- pair-auto --peer 192.168.1.27:47654
cargo run -p nexkvm -- protocol
cargo run -p nexkvm -- simulate tools/sim/local-workspace.toml

Running cargo run -p nexkvm without a subcommand starts the daemon. The GUI starts the sibling daemon from the app bundle and should be preferred for the normal macOS workflow.

Workspace layout

• apps/desktop: desktop daemon and CLI.
• apps/gui: graphical control panel and app-bundle entry point.
• crates/core: device identity, event bus, platform traits, and shared models.
• crates/protocol: bounded wire envelopes, framing, and versioning.
• crates/crypto: pairing, trust, and session security.
• crates/network: authenticated LAN transport and session framing.
• crates/discovery: UDP-broadcast discovery and trusted-peer reconnect planning.
• crates/input: HID events, topology, edge handoff, and focus safety.
• crates/clipboard: clipboard synchronization and history models.
• crates/streaming: bounded file-transfer protocol and other streaming models.
• crates/storage: protected configuration, identity, trust, and history data.
• crates/platform/*: isolated platform-native implementations.

Documentation

• Two-Mac Apple Silicon Setup
• Release Readiness
• Apple Silicon Preview Notes
• Architecture
• Protocol
• Security Policy
• Security Design and Limitations
• Feature Tracker
• Tooling
• Contributing

Screen streaming, audio routing, mobile companions, remote/WAN relay, and the plugin marketplace are outside the supported Apple Silicon KVM release scope.

License

NexKVM is open-source software licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0.