When run with no options, it runs as a kind of "helper" application for Xvnc. Its main purpose when run in this mode is to support clipboard transfer to and from the VNC viewer(s). Note that without a running instance of vncconfig there will be no clipboard support. It puts up a window with some checkboxes which can be used to disable clipboard transfers if required (in the future there may be more functions available from this window). The -nowin flag can be used if you always want clipboard support but don't wish to clutter the desktop with this window - alternatively the -iconic option can be used to make it iconified by default.

When run in any other mode, vncconfig is a one-shot program used to configure or control Xvnc as appropriate. It can be used to tell Xvnc to connect or disconnect from listening viewers, and to set and retrieve Xvnc's parameters.

Note that the DISPLAY environment variable or the -display option must be set as appropriate to control Xvnc. If you run it on an ordinary X server (or on a version 3 Xvnc) you will get an error message saying that there is no VNC extension.

-connect host[:port]

Tells an Xvnc server to make a "reverse" connection to a listening VNC viewer (normally connections are made the other way round - the viewer connects to the server). host is the host where the listening viewer is running. If it's not listening on the default port of 5500, you can specify host:port instead.

-disconnect

This causes Xvnc to disconnect from all viewers so that the VNC desktop is not displayed anywhere.

[-set] Xvnc-param=value

Sets an Xvnc parameter to the given value. Note that some of Xvnc's parameters are read only once at startup so that changing them in this way may not have any effect.

-list

Lists all the parameters supported by Xvnc.

-get Xvnc-param

Prints the current value of the given Xvnc parameter.

-desc Xvnc-param

Prints a short description of the given Xvnc parameter.

Parameters can be turned on with -param or off with -param=0. Parameters which take a value can be specified as -param value. Other valid forms are param=value -param=value --param=value. Parameter names are case-insensitive.

-display Xdisplay

Specifies the Xvnc server to control.

-nowin

When run as a "helper" app, don't put up a window.

-iconic

When run as a "helper" app, make the window iconified at startup.

VNC was originally developed by the RealVNC team while at Olivetti Research Ltd / AT&T Laboratories Cambridge. It is now being maintained by RealVNC Ltd. See http://www.realvnc.com for details.