Recently there was a need to get remote access to a computer running Windows XP Home. And it turned out an unpleasant restriction of home version: the absence of the usual Pro-version for the rdp-server. That is why, it is possible to connect with XP Home, but to XP Home - impossible. But as always there is an tradeoff!
Not so long after wandering on the thematic resources, it became clear that while Microsoft as usual creates something limited and incompatible with nothing there is a more or less common protocol RFB on which based the graphical desktop sharing system VNC. The system is cross-platform and open. In this article the programs that use the RFB protocol to remotely control will be discussed.
The first of these programs is RealVNC. This is simple small program, only 724K for the viewer and server.
Standard setup: click "next-next":
You should pay attention on the only thing during the installation: you want to install both viewer and server, or only one component:
At the end of the installation you should select whether register the server as a service and where to place icons for the launch.
Once installed – the configuration.
Choose the methods of authentication:
It is recommended to enter a password for the connection. If you want that the connection would be impossible without your consent, tick the box marked “Prompt local user to accept connections”.
Connection properties:
Then the ports for the connection and timeout after which disconnect idle clients are set. You can also set the IP-addresses (or ranges) for connection.
Settings transmission input available on the following tab:
Here you set the settings transfer of keyboard, mouse, clipboard on the viewer and server, the input action on the screen server, as well as whether you need to disable input (response to the keyboard and mouse) while the server is connected.
Then set the properties of sharing:
Here we select, what will be happened with the connection when you try a new connection.
Remove image settings:
Which of these options can be selected depends on the user’s wish and bandwidth connections. If you use the LAN, you may change nothing, if not high-speed internet, you can turn off the remove wallpapers and other effects. Here you set what will be after last client disconnects.
Capture Method:
Here you can set how your input will be transmitted to the remote machine.
In the Legacy partition you can tick the box marked the compatibility with older versions of VNC.
In my opinion, the default settings are adequate and the only thing that must change is to set a password to connect.
The next program is TightVNC.
The setup is almost identical:
Also select the components you want to install:
Here are more server settings and they are grouped differently:
The same can be said of the capture setup and input transmission:
In the display settings we select which image is needed to be transmited:
And the administration settings:
There are passwords, logins, connection priority and http-server.
Despite the fact that the settings are wider it can be hardly said that this program is preferable to the previous, the most of the settings is quite normal by default.
And, of course, consider Linux OS. Here is all in the best tradition: the viewer and server are completely different programs.
Vinagre viewer:
If you are a happy user of Ubuntu, you have this program. Settings are available directly during connection:
The Vino Server:
It is preinstalled in Ubuntu as the viewer and located in the system preferences section:
By the way, taking this opportunity you can appreciate the new colors of Ubuntu. The buttons is really located on the left:
All settings are on the one page.
Well, the connection:
By specifying the server address we get the request password, enter it and see the desktop of another computer:
Remote server resolution is more than the viewer’s, so there is a scroll bars. You can use the Zoom button:
And now we have a tiny little Windows in the window.
And vice versa:
And also can synchronous:
Here's such fractal.
Using these programs you should remember that some programs control whether the input is real or emulated. For example, Kaspersky Anti-Virus controls it. Therefore, if you open the program window, for example by double clicking the icon, you would not be able to close it remotely.
Remote desktops
