TightVNC
Encyclopedia
TightVNC is a cross-platform
open source
remote desktop software
application that uses and extends VNC
's RFB protocol
to control another computer's screen remotely. It was created by Constantin Kaplinsky. His extensions provide for 'tight encoding', which improves performance over low bandwidth connections.
compression and other types of encoding. It is possible to watch videos and play DirectX games through TightVNC over a broadband connection, albeit at a low frame rate. TightVNC includes many other common features of VNC derivatives, such as file transfer capability.
Among notable enhancements are file transfers, support for Windows DFMirage mirror driver to detect screen updates (saves CPU time, DFMirage isn't supported in 2.x versions, but really it dramatically increase the performance of TightVnc, at least for tightVNC V 2.0.4), ability to zoom the picture and automatic SSH tunneling on Unix.
The 2.0 beta now supports auto scaling, which resizes the viewer window to the remote users desktop size, regardless of the resolution of the host computer.
and firewalls
using Jingle
.
version of the software, available as both U3
and standalone downloads. However this is a licensed product, and after 30 days use a license must be purchased.
Cross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
remote desktop software
Remote desktop software
In computing, the term remote desktop refers to a software or an OS feature allowing applications, either command line programs or graphical applications, to be run remotely on a server, while being displayed locally. Remote desktop applications have varying features...
application that uses and extends VNC
Virtual Network Computing
In computing, Virtual Network Computing is a graphical desktop sharing system that uses the RFB protocol to remotely control another computer...
's RFB protocol
RFB Protocol
RFB is a simple protocol for remote access to graphical user interfaces. Because it works at the framebuffer level it is applicable to all windowing systems and applications, including X11, Windows and Macintosh...
to control another computer's screen remotely. It was created by Constantin Kaplinsky. His extensions provide for 'tight encoding', which improves performance over low bandwidth connections.
Encodings
TightVNC uses so-called "tight encoding" of areas, which is effectively a combination of JPEGJPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
compression and other types of encoding. It is possible to watch videos and play DirectX games through TightVNC over a broadband connection, albeit at a low frame rate. TightVNC includes many other common features of VNC derivatives, such as file transfer capability.
Compatibility
TightVNC is cross-compatible with other client and server implementations of VNC; however, tight encoding is not supported by most other implementations, so it is necessary to use TightVNC at both ends to gain the full advantage of its enhancements.Among notable enhancements are file transfers, support for Windows DFMirage mirror driver to detect screen updates (saves CPU time, DFMirage isn't supported in 2.x versions, but really it dramatically increase the performance of TightVnc, at least for tightVNC V 2.0.4), ability to zoom the picture and automatic SSH tunneling on Unix.
The 2.0 beta now supports auto scaling, which resizes the viewer window to the remote users desktop size, regardless of the resolution of the host computer.
RemoteVNC
RemoteVNC http://sourceforge.net/projects/remotevnc/ is a fork of the TightVNC project and adds automatic traversal of NATNetwork address translation
In computer networking, network address translation is the process of modifying IP address information in IP packet headers while in transit across a traffic routing device....
and firewalls
Firewall (computing)
A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass....
using Jingle
Jingle (protocol)
Jingle is an extension to the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol . It implements peer-to-peer session control for multimedia interactions such as in Voice over IP or videoconferencing communications. It was designed by Google and the XMPP Standards Foundation. The multimedia streams are...
.
TightVNC Portable Edition
The developers have also produced a portablePortable application
A portable application , sometimes also called standalone, is a computer software program designed to run independently from an operating system...
version of the software, available as both U3
U3
U3 was a joint venture between SanDisk and M-Systems , producing a proprietary method of launching Windows applications from special USB flash drives. Flash drives adhering to the U3 specification are termed "U3 smart drives"....
and standalone downloads. However this is a licensed product, and after 30 days use a license must be purchased.
TurboVNC
TurboVNC is based on the TightVNC 1.3.x code base and includes numerous performance enhancements and features targeted at 3D and video workloads.See also
- Comparison of remote desktop software
- RFB protocolRFB ProtocolRFB is a simple protocol for remote access to graphical user interfaces. Because it works at the framebuffer level it is applicable to all windowing systems and applications, including X11, Windows and Macintosh...
External links
- TightVNC
- TigerVNC fork announcement February 2009