---
name: "tightvncserver"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "tightvncserver"
version: "1:1.3.10-9"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/tightvncserver"
---

# tightvncserver(1)

a wrapper to launch an X server for VNC.

## NAME

vncserver - a wrapper to launch an X server for VNC.

## SYNOPSIS

**vncserver** \[:*display*\] \[-geometry *width*x*height*\] \[-depth *depth*\] \[-pixelformat rgb*NNN*\|bgr*NNN*\] \[-name *desktop-name*\] \[ -httpport int \] \[ -basehttpport int \] \[ -alwaysshared \] \[ -nevershared \] \[*Xvnc-options*...\]

- **vncserver** \[ -clean \] -kill :*display*

  - **vncserver** -help

  ## DESCRIPTION

**vncserver** is a wrapper script for **Xvnc**, the free X server for VNC (Virtual Network Computing). It provides all capabilities of a standard X server, but does not connect to a display for itself. Instead, **Xvnc** creates a virtual desktop you can view or control remotely using a VNC viewer.

## OPTIONS

You can add **Xvnc** options at the command line. They will be added to the invocation of Xvnc without changes. The options provided by the **vncserver** itself are as follows:

- **:***display*

  The display number to use. If omitted, the next free display number is used.

- **-geometry** *width***x***height*

  Set desktop width and height.

- **-depth** *depth*

  Set the colour depth of the visual to provide, in bits per pixel. Must be a value between 8 and 32.

- **-pixelformat** **rgb***NNN*\|**bgr***NNN*

  Set colour format for pixels representation. The viewer can do the conversion to any other pixel format, but it is faster if the depth and pixel format of the server is the same as the equivalent values on the viewer display.

- **-name** *string*

  This specifies the name of the desktop.

- **-clean**

  This option can be used in conjunction with

- **-kill** **:***display*

  Stops the session running on the specified display.

- **-nevershared**

  Never allow shared desktops.

- **-alwaysshared**

  Always allow shared desktops.

- **-basehttpport int**

  The base http port to use for the java client applet (you have to install the tightvnc-java package to make this work). The real port number will be port = base + display num.

- **-httpport int**

  The http port to use for the java client applet (you have to install the tightvnc-java package to make this work).

- **-help**

  Prints a short usage notice to stderr.

## EXAMPLES

- **vncserver**

  Invokes **Xvnc** on the next available display and with suitable defaults.

- **vncserver** *:1*

  Invokes **Xvnc** on display :1.

- **vncserver** *-geometry 800x600 -depth 16 :1*

  Invokes **Xvnc** on display :1 with desktop size of 800x600 pixels and color depth of 16 bits per pixel.

- **vncserver** *-kill :1*

  Shuts down **Xvnc** server on display :1.

## FILES

- /etc/tightvncserver.conf

  System-wide configuration file of TightVNC Server.

- $HOME/.vnc/tightvncserver.conf

  User configuration file of TightVNC Server. Its setting override system-wide configuration.

## SEE ALSO

[**Xvnc**(1)](/Xvnc/1.md), [**vncviewer**(1)](/vncviewer/1.md), [**vncpasswd**(1)](/vncpasswd/1.md), **vncconnect**(1)

## AUTHORS

Original VNC was developed in AT&T Laboratories Cambridge. TightVNC additions were implemented by Constantin Kaplinsky. Many other people participated in development, testing and support.

**Man page authors:**\
 Marcus Brinkmann \<Marcus.Brinkmann@ruhr-uni-bochum.de\>,\
 Tim Waugh \<twaugh@redhat.com\>,\
 Constantin Kaplinsky \<const@tightvnc.com\>