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TigerVNC

TigerVNC/tigervnc

A high-performance, cross-platform VNC client and server for viewing and controlling remote desktops.

Open-source alternative to:TeamViewerRealVNC

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Last commit
20 hours ago

What is it?

TigerVNC is an implementation of Virtual Network Computing, a remote display system that lets you view and interact with a desktop running on another machine over the network. Only the display output of remote applications is sent to the local machine, so graphical programs can run on a remote host and be used locally.

The project is a fork of RealVNC 4 and X.org code, started as a successor to TightVNC on Unix and Linux. It includes vncviewer, a cross-platform viewer built with FLTK, and Xvnc, a server that doubles as an X server with a virtual framebuffer. It also ships x0vncserver for controlling an existing X display and w0vncserver for Wayland compositors, plus a systemd service for starting user sessions.

TigerVNC supports a Tight encoding variant accelerated by the libjpeg-turbo JPEG codec. The Windows server, winvnc, is noted as unmaintained and may not work reliably.

Key features

  • 01Cross-platform vncviewer built with FLTK
  • 02Xvnc server that acts as both a VNC server and an X server with a virtual framebuffer
  • 03Wayland support through the w0vncserver program
  • 04Tight encoding accelerated by libjpeg-turbo
  • 05systemd service for starting desktop sessions with Xvnc

Use cases

  • Accessing a Linux desktop remotely from another computer
  • Running graphical applications on a headless server and viewing them locally
  • Providing a virtual X desktop session for remote users

Things to know

  • The README warns that winvnc, the Windows server, is currently unmaintained and may not work correctly.
  • The README says winvnc may not work when Fast user switching or Remote desktop features are in use.
  • Licensed under GPL-2.0, a copyleft license that requires derivative works to remain under GPL.

Topics

#vnc#remote-desktop#x11#wayland#linux#c-plus-plus

FAQ

What is tigervnc?
A high-performance, cross-platform VNC client and server for viewing and controlling remote desktops. TigerVNC is an implementation of Virtual Network Computing, a remote display system that lets you view and interact with a desktop running on another machine over the network. Only the display output of remote applications is sent to the local machine, so graphical programs can run on a remote host and be used locally.
Is tigervnc free to use? What license does it have?
tigervnc is open source under the GPL-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is tigervnc still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to tigervnc was on Oct 21, 2026.
What can I use tigervnc for?
Accessing a Linux desktop remotely from another computer Running graphical applications on a headless server and viewing them locally Providing a virtual X desktop session for remote users
Where can I get tigervnc?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/TigerVNC/tigervnc

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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