Apple Remote Desktop Help
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# Controlling VNC Servers

Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is remote control software. It allows a user at one computer (using a "viewer") to view the desktop and control the keyboard and mouse of another computer (using a VNC "server") connected over the network. For the purposes of these instructions, VNC-enabled computers are referred to as "VNC clients."

VNC servers and viewers are available for a variety of computing platforms. Remote Desktop is a VNC viewer and can therefore control any computer on the network (whether that computer is running Mac OS X, Linux, or Windows) that is:

- Running the VNC server software
- In an Apple Remote Desktop computer list

If the you are trying to control a VNC server which is not Remote Desktop, it will not support Remote Desktop keystroke encryption. If you try to control that VNC server, you will get a warning that the keystrokes aren't encrypted which you will have to acknowledge before you can control the VNC server. If you chose to encrypt all network data, then you will not be able to control the VNC server because Remote Desktop is not able to open the necessary SSH tunnel to the VNC server. For more information, see Encrypting Observe and Control Network Data.

These instructions assume the observed computer has been added to an Apple Remote Desktop computer list (see Finding and Adding Clients to Apple Remote Desktop Computer Lists). When adding a VNC server to an Apple Remote Desktop computer list, you only need to provide the VNC password, with no user name.

1. Select a computer list in the Remote Desktop window.
2. Select one computer from the list.
3. Choose Interact > Control.

   If the controlled computer's screen is larger than your control window, the screen scrolls as the pointer approaches the edge of the window.

4. To customize the control window and session, see Control Window Options.
5. Use your mouse and keyboard to perform actions on the controlled computer.

   Regardless of your Apple Remote Desktop preferences, controlled VNC servers share keyboard and mouse control. The remote computer's keyboard and mouse are active and affect the computer just as the administrator computer's keyboard and mouse do.