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VNC Server Changelog

What's new in VNC Server 7.10.0 (r52269)

Feb 22, 2024
  • NEW: Multi-Window Mode for Multi-Monitor Support. When connected to a RealVNC Server with multiple monitors, you can now activate Multi-Window Mode in RealVNC Viewer on Windows and Linux. This lets you show each remote monitor in its own window, so you’re free to arrange remote monitors to your liking, including displayed individually on connected local monitors. Read more here.
  • IMPROVED: Prevent file transfers from occurring at the lock screen in RealVNC Server for Windows. To enable this, use the DisableFileTransferAtLockScreen parameter found in the Expert section of RealVNC Server’s Options.
  • FIXED: Resolved an issue in RealVNC Server for Linux that caused the PixelBuffer to be recreated continuously.
  • FIXED: RealVNC Server now runs correctly on 32-bit versions of Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm. Please note, this version removes the deprecated experimental “direct capture” option in RealVNC Server as Raspberry Pi OS no longer includes the libraries that made it possible.

New in VNC Server 7.9.0 (r51979) (Jan 11, 2024)

  • RealVNC Connect API Gateway Service:
  • We've made the following improvements to the RealVNC API Gateway Service:
  • NEW: User Management - API endpoints have been added to allow you to invite and remove people from your Team, change Team member roles and update People Group membership.

New in VNC Server 7.6.1 (r50931) (Sep 19, 2023)

  • FIXED: RealVNC Viewer will no longer erroneously show the message "VNC Viewer is not licensed to connect to this VNC Server" when connecting to a RealVNC Server licensed with a Per User subscription plan.
  • IMPROVED: The RealVNC Server Licensing Wizard now includes the subscription plan type when multiple teams are available for the RealVNC Server to be joined to.

New in VNC Server 6.10.1 (r47571) (Aug 11, 2022)

  • FIXED: VNC Server started in User Mode and Virtual Mode used the default permissions for Service Mode. This has been corrected to only allow access from the user account that started the VNC Server by default.

New in VNC Server 6.10.0 (r47347) (Jun 30, 2022)

  • NEW: Added support for Ubuntu 22.04, RHEL/CentOS 9 and Windows Server 2022
  • IMPROVED: VNC Server better handles resuming from hibernation/low power states and re-establishes cloud connectivity in a shorter time
  • IMPROVED: VNC Server on Windows can accept an increased number of simultaneous connections from audio-enabled VNC Viewers
  • IMPROVED: Diagnostics now lists detected audio devices
  • FIXED: CREATOR OWNER account now works correctly when added to VNC Server's Users and Permissions
  • FIXED: Running user mode VNC Server could prevent subsequent use of Service Mode
  • FIXED: Group Policy refreshes/updates could interrupt active connections from VNC Viewers
  • REMOVED: "Test Direct Connection" functionality from VNC Server's Diagnostics. RealVNC strongly recommend using VNC Connect's cloud connectivity for connections over the Internet

New in VNC Server 6.9.0 (r46599) (Mar 7, 2022)

  • NEW: Added support for Raspberry Pi OS Bullseye, 32-bit and 64-bit.
  • IMPROVED: VNC Server's License Wizard has been updated to allow users to configure essential settings during first time setup including Authentication, Encryption and Access Control.
  • IMPROVED: Specific events are now logged to Event Viewer/syslog when screen recording is started and stopped during a remote access session.
  • FIXED: VNC Server will now automatically use polling when DirectX failures are detected with portrait displays on Windows 11.
  • FIXED: DisconnectAction now works as expected when running VNC Server on macOS Big Sur and Monterey.
  • CHANGED: Default permissions for VNC Server have been changed from "Administrative" to "Normal".
  • Please note that when upgrading, if you have enabled QueryConnect and have not changed your VNC Server's Permissions from the default value, your connections will now be required to be accepted by an end user on the remote computer.

New in VNC Server 6.8.0 (r45849) (Oct 21, 2021)

  • NEW: Screen Recording for computers running VNC Server 6.8.0+ and VNC Viewer 6.21.920+ with a Professional or Enterprise subscription.
  • NEW: Dark mode support for MacOS.
  • NEW: VNC Viewer can now send the connection password to a VNC Server on Windows that is at the login screen. This is useful for users that are using System Authentication to authenticate to VNC Server and saves typing in the password again, after connecting. This feature is accessible via the F8 menu for the first 30 seconds of the session.
  • NEW: WinSSOAccountCheck parameter added to VNC Server on Windows to allow relaxing of Windows account status checks when authenticating via SSO. This may be useful if connecting VNC Viewer users are experiencing problems authenticating to VNC Server.
  • FIXED: VNC Server attempted to bind to invalid subnets for UDP TURN, causing VNC Server to log "TurnDgram: Received ChannelBind error (code=403)". This error will now only appear for unexpected TURN channel bind errors.
  • FIXED: Users would receive an "Access is Denied" error when they are part of the BuiltInAdminstrators group when NTLogonAsInteractive is enabled.
  • IMPROVED: Removed extra logging that was printed to stdout when starting a Virtual Mode VNC Server on Linux with SystemXorg enabled.

New in VNC Server 6.7.4 (r43891) (Mar 29, 2021)

  • Added ProxyAutoConfig parameter to specify a proxy-auto configuration (PAC) script on Windows.

New in VNC Server 6.7.1 (r42348) (Feb 7, 2020)

  • FIXED: Potential Server crash when using multiple monitors.

New in VNC Server 6.7.0 (r42303) (Jan 16, 2020)

  • NEW: Use VNC Viewer to control which monitor is displayed. (requires VNC Viewer 6.20.113 or later)
  • NEW: Support for High Speed Streaming and Audio when connecting to Virtual Mode sessions via the Virtual Mode Daemon (vncserver-virtuald).
  • NEW: Added support for Windows Server 2019 and CentOS/RHEL 8.
  • NEW: VNC Server will now additionally log to a file at info level (30) by default, in addition to EventLog/syslog logging at audit level (10).
  • NEW: Add a button to test/refresh connectivity between VNC Server and RealVNC's Cloud.
  • NEW: Advanced parameters can now be set via the Expert tab in VNC Server's Options. This will typically be used with instruction from RealVNC Support when troubleshooting an issue.
  • IMPROVED: Better setup experience for users when remotely installing VNC Server on Windows
  • IMPROVED: VNC Server will recommend testing screen blanking before it is enabled​.

New in VNC Server 6.6.0 (r41938) (Sep 24, 2019)

  • NEW: High-quality audio streaming for computers running VNC Server 6.6.0+ with a Professional or Enterprise subscription, for a fully immersive remote access experience.
  • Added support for MacOS Catalina.

New in VNC Server 6.5.0 (r41730) (Aug 1, 2019)

  • This is a release of VNC Server and supporting programs for installation on remote computers you want to control.
  • NEW: Support High-speed streaming even when peer-to-peer connectivity is not available via a new UDP relay service.
  • Improve reliability of connection establishment.
  • Improve performance particularly in scenarios with high packet loss and latency.
  • Improve detection of display capture failures on Windows, switching to an alternative capture method where possible.
  • Improve styling of the menu bar icon on Mac to better match the system theme.
  • Add the ability to limit display capture to a single monitor on Linux using the “Monitor” parameter.

New in VNC Server 6.4.1 (r40826) (Mar 21, 2019)

  • This is a release of VNC Server and supporting programs for installation on remote computers you want to control. Download.
  • The License Wizard user interface has changed, to make licensing by signing in to your RealVNC account more prominent. If you have an Enterprise subscription and want to enter a license key via the Wizard, click the Register offline button. More information.
  • The ShowCloudHints VNC Server parameter has been deprecated. You can remove sign in links from the VNC Server status dialog by setting AllowCloudRfb to FALSE instead.

New in VNC Server 6.4.0 (r39899) (Jan 17, 2019)

  • This is a release of VNC Server and supporting programs for installation on remote computers you want to control. Download.
  • NEW: High-speed streaming (first release)
  • If you have a Professional or Enterprise subscription, benefit from a significant performance improvement without compromising on picture quality, especially for graphically-intensive operations over slow links. More information.
  • NEW: Mandate that cloud connections are peer-to-peer where possible, to prevent session data being relayed via RealVNC’s cloud service. More information.
  • NEW: Join a computer to a team (that is, enable cloud connectivity) at the command line using a JSON file instead of a large token. More information.
  • Setting the IpClientAddresses parameter (formerly hosts) to filter incoming direct connections now allows connecting users to specify IPv6 addresses.
  • Windows:
  • LogSessionToDomainLog advanced parameter to FALSE, which might speed up connection time. Audit logging to the local Windows Event Log continues.

New in VNC Server 6.4.0 (r39899) (Jan 17, 2019)

  • This is a release of VNC Server and supporting programs for installation on remote computers you want to control. Download.
  • NEW: High-speed streaming (first release)
  • If you have a Professional or Enterprise subscription, benefit from a significant performance improvement without compromising on picture quality, especially for graphically-intensive operations over slow links. More information.
  • NEW: Mandate that cloud connections are peer-to-peer where possible, to prevent session data being relayed via RealVNC’s cloud service. More information.
  • NEW: Join a computer to a team (that is, enable cloud connectivity) at the command line using a JSON file instead of a large token. More information.
  • Setting the IpClientAddresses parameter (formerly hosts) to filter incoming direct connections now allows connecting users to specify IPv6 addresses.
  • Windows:
  • LogSessionToDomainLog advanced parameter to FALSE, which might speed up connection time. Audit logging to the local Windows Event Log continues.

New in VNC Server 6.3.2 (r39069) (Oct 24, 2018)

  • This is a release of VNC Server and supporting programs for installation on remote computers you want to control. Download.
  • NEW: Provide a comprehensive multi-factor authentication scheme for Mac and Linux computers using interactive system authentication to integrate with your choice of PAM authentication modules.
  • NEW: Blank the screens of Windows 8 and 10 computers in addition to Windows 7 and earlier computers. Note screen blanking is only likely to be effective for monitors attached to desktop computers, and not laptop displays. Test your system in advance using the tool provided on VNC Server’s Options > Privacy page. More information.
  • Remove a computer from your team (that is, prevent discovery by RealVNC’s cloud service) at the command line using -leavecloud. More information.
  • Specify a friendly name for a computer whilst adding it to your team at the command line using -joinname. More information.
  • FIXED: Connecting users supplying Active Directory credentials should find authenticating to VNC Server on Windows is quicker.
  • FIXED: VNC Server is now more integrated with LDAP when the smartcard/certificate store authentication scheme is selected.
  • FIXED: Users should experience fewer blank screens when connected to Windows computers with the screen saver enabled, or Intel Ready Mode Technology installed.
  • FIXED: Connected users with a left-hand mouse or with mouse buttons switched can now interact remotely in the expected way.

New in VNC Server 6.3.1 (r36657) (Jul 11, 2018)

  • FIXED: Under Linux and macOS, VNC Server now accepts domain license keys once more.
  • FIXED: Under macOS, the VNC Server postflight installation script no longer kills the loginwindow process, so other service operations continue without interruption.
  • FIXED: VNC Server now attempts to use both system and user proxy server settings (in that order) when communicating with RealVNC services in order to license the software.
  • FIXED: Under Windows, VNC Server should now start in circumstances where Windows Firewall fails to respond properly.
  • VNC Viewer 6.18.625 for desktop computers released
  • This is a release of VNC Viewer for Windows, Mac and Linux computers you want to control from. Download.
  • NEW: A new encoding, ZRLE2, is now the default, which means that most users should experience better performance in conjunction with VNC Connect 6.3.0, below.
  • VNC Viewer can now log to a centralized logging facility such as syslog or Event Log.
  • On Windows, VNC Viewer now supports high contrast mode.

New in VNC Server 6.3.0 (r36368) (Jun 19, 2018)

  • NEW: Support for Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Note Wayland is not supported, so for VNC Server in Service Mode you must edit the /etc/gdm3/custom.conf file, uncomment WaylandEnable=false, and reboot in order to remotely access the login screen.
  • NEW: If VNC Server is configured to use Smartcard/certificate store authentication, certificates from connecting users are automatically checked for revocation using OCSP, before falling back to CRLs. To use only OCSP, set the LdapCertificateRevocation parameter to EnforceOcsp.
  • Under Windows, if VNC Server is configured to use Smartcard/certificate store authentication, certificates from connecting users are now checked against the Enterprise NTAuth store, rather than the Root store.
  • If VNC Server is configured to use single sign-on authentication (SSO), connecting domain users with Active Directory accounts in different forests are now checked, providing cross-forest trust relationships are in place.
  • Under Windows, if VNC Server in Service Mode is configured to log to file (rather than Windows Event Log), the default destination directory is now C:ProgramDataRealVNC-Service.
  • FIXED: Under Linux, VNC Server in Virtual Mode sessions no longer leak audio to local speakers.
  • FIXED: Under Windows, the DisplayDevice parameter now recognizes monitors plugged into multiple or discrete graphics cards.

New in VNC Server 6.2.1 (r32538) (Dec 13, 2017)

  • This is a patch release for VNC Server and supporting programs installed on remote computers you want to control:
  • The message displayed on accept/reject prompts can now be customized using the VNC Server QueryConnectMessage parameter. The custom message can be up to 4096 bytes in length, and utilize the HTML <br/> syntax to insert new lines.
  • VNC Server now checks Certificate Revocation Lists up to 25MB in size when smartcard/certificate store authentication is enabled. A larger value can be specified using the VNC Server LdapCertificateCrlLimit parameter.

New in VNC Server 6.2.0 (r29523) (Aug 9, 2017)

  • NEW: VNC Connect is now available in Brazilian Portuguese.
  • NEW: Under Red Hat Linux distributions, VNC Server in Virtual Mode can now utilize the version of the Xorg server running on the system, rather than the out-of-date version built-in to Xvnc. Desktop environments such as Gnome 3 and modern applications and extensions will likely be compatible out-of-the-box. See how to set this up.
  • The VNC Connect download now consists just of VNC Server and supporting programs, for computers you are licened to control. VNC Viewer is no longer bundled. You are free to download VNC Viewer to as many computers and devices you want to control from as you like. Installation changes.
  • VNC Viewer for macOS is now a disk image (DMG) that you can install by dragging it to the Applications folder.
  • In VNC Viewer, you can now drag-and-drop a computer onto a label in the sidebar to assign that label to the computer. To create a new label, right-click on the Address book.
  • You can set the QueryOfferViewOnly VNC Server parameter to FALSE to remove the view-only option from the prompt shown when VNC Viewer users are attempting to connect (leaving just the reject and accept options).

New in VNC Server 6.1.1 (r28093) (May 30, 2017)

  • FIXED: Active Directory user accounts with no expiry date can now be used to authenticate to VNC Server using single sign-on (SSO)
  • FIXED: VNC Server’s Information Center dialog no longer shows an erroneous error message when the legacy SecurityTypes parameter is set to a value other than <auto> (this may affect users upgrading from VNC 5.x).
  • FIXED: VNC Server in Virtual Mode (Xvnc) no longer crashes due to a bug in the X11 render extension.

New in VNC Server 6.1.0 (r27437) (May 3, 2017)

  • NEW: VNC Server supports multi-factor authentication. Choose a scheme based on X.509 digital certificates stored on pluggable smartcards/authentication tokens or in certificate stores, or a RADIUS server implementation from an identity management provider such as RSA SecurID or Duo. Alternatively, create a custom scheme containing as many factors as you need.
  • NEW: Conveniently assign discovery permissions to computers in your RealVNC account by creating groups of people and computers. Restricting discovery improves security, and helps team members reduce the number of computers they interact with in VNC Viewer.
  • NEW: Organize computers in VNC Viewer using labels. Right-click on the address book to create a new label, or assign a label to a computer on its Properties page.
  • NEW: Display a details view of computers VNC Viewer instead of a screenshot icon view, and sort by name, last connected time, and label.
  • More intuitive scaling options for the remote computer desktop are now available from VNC Viewer’s Properties page.
  • VNC Server now prompts you to send anonymous usage data to RealVNC, to help improve the user experience. You can opt out on VNC Server’s Options > Privacy page.

New in VNC Server 6.0.3 (r27095) (May 2, 2017)

  • NEW: VNC Server supports multi-factor authentication. Choose a scheme based on X.509 digital certificates stored on pluggable smartcards/authentication tokens or in certificate stores, or a RADIUS server implementation from an identity management provider such as RSA SecurID or Duo. Alternatively, create a custom scheme containing as many factors as you need.
  • NEW: Conveniently assign discovery permissions to computers in your RealVNC account by creating groups of people and computers. Restricting discovery improves security, and helps team members reduce the number of computers they interact with in VNC Viewer.
  • NEW: Organize computers in VNC Viewer using labels. Right-click on the address book to create a new label, or assign a label to a computer on its Properties page.
  • NEW: Display a details view of computers VNC Viewer instead of a screenshot icon view, and sort by name, last connected time, and label.
  • More intuitive scaling options for the remote computer desktop are now available from VNC Viewer’s Properties page.
  • VNC Server now prompts you to send anonymous usage data to RealVNC, to help improve the user experience. You can opt out on VNC Server’s Options > Privacy page.

New in VNC Server 6.0.3 (Apr 10, 2017)

  • FIXED: Your computer now recovers automatically if it wrongly reports that it has been cloned.

New in VNC Server 6.0.2 (Feb 15, 2017)

  • Released on 8 February 2017
  • NEW: VNC Connect is available for Raspberry Pi. It is included with Raspbian, and pre-licensed to offer both cloud and direct connectivity to Home subscribers.
  • NEW: VNC Viewer has a medium setting for the picture quality of a remote desktop, to complement high and low. By default, the picture quality is automatically adjusted to suit the speed of the network.
  • VNC Connect is available in French, German, and Spanish again. The appropriate language for the desktop of each user is automatically selected. This can be changed (if required) using the Locale parameter.

New in VNC Server 6.0.1 (Feb 15, 2017)

  • The VNC Server user interface now makes it easier to enable cloud connectivity if you have an Enterprise subscription or trial.
  • VNC Server now prompts for administrative credentials (where necessary) in a more timely manner under Linux.

New in VNC Server 6.0.0 (r23442) (Nov 1, 2016)

  • NEW: VNC has a new brand name, VNC Connect. VNC Server and VNC Viewer have new brand colors, icons and logos.
  • NEW: VNC Connect is licensed by annual subscription rather than perpetual license key. When a paid Professional or Enterprise subscription expires, remote access stops. If you’re an existing, entitled VNC 5.x customer, you can automatically upgrade to a new Enterprise subscription.
  • NEW: Establish secure, seamless, reliable cloud connections from VNC Viewer to VNC Server. If you have an Enterprise subscription, this can be as well as, or instead of, traditional direct connections.
  • NEW: Invite people in to your team to quickly share remote access, and manage computers, subscriptions, renewals and payment methods much more conveniently online using your RealVNC account.
  • NEW: Sign in to VNC Viewer with your RealVNC account credentials to backup and sync your address book between all your desktop and mobile devices.
  • NEW: VNC Address Book is integrated into VNC Viewer, so everything is accessible from one place. Use File > Import connections to transfer VNC 5.x connections in from VNC Address Book, or from a directory of .vnc files.
  • NEW: VNC Viewer can remember remote access credentials so you don’t have to enter them each time. Note under Linux we additionally recommend setting a master password for VNC Viewer
  • NEW: Use File > Preferences > Privacy to set a master password to protect VNC Viewer from unauthorized use.
  • NEW: Save desktop previews for connections (that is, screenshots in thumbnail form) to make VNC Viewer more intuitive to use.
  • NEW: Give connections friendly names.
  • NEW: Quickly forget sensitive data such as passwords and desktop previews if VNC Viewer is running on a shared computer.
  • NEW: If you start VNC Viewer and simultaneously establish a direct connection at the command line, use the -useaddressbook flag to integrate with your address book, for example vncviewer -useaddressbook 192.168.1.99:65. If the connection is to a known computer, stored settings are applied. If the connection is to a new computer, it is added to your address book.
  • NEW: Configure the rate at which a desktop is panned when in full screen mode using the BumpScrollSpeed VNC Viewer parameter.
  • VNC Server now needs an Enterprise subscription in order to run in User Mode or Virtual Mode. Only direct connectivity is available in these modes.
  • VNC Viewer now sets File > Preferences > Proxy to the system proxy server by default, rather than to no proxy server.
  • VNC Deployment Tool and VNC Viewer for Java are no longer supported.
  • NEW: Support for Windows Server 2016.

New in VNC Server 5.3.2 (Jun 27, 2016)

  • FIXED: VNC Server now correctly captures a desktop set to span multiple monitors with different DPI settings.

New in VNC Server 5.3.1 (Mar 30, 2016)

  • All platforms:
  • If VNC Viewer is minimized while in full screen mode, it no longer automatically returns to full screen mode for any reason.
  • Setting the advanced AlterShiftWithMods VNC Server parameter to 0 allows VNC Server to inject key combinations such as Ctrl+C, even if the connected VNC Viewer user has Caps Lock enabled.
  • FIXED: Importing a connection into VNC Address Book now also imports that connection’s VNC Server password, if one has been saved.
  • FIXED: The name and location of VNC Server’s private RSA key can now be successfully configured via the RsaPrivateKeyFile parameter.
  • Windows
  • FIXED: Installing VNC Server in a non-default location no longer causes connected VNC Viewer users to see a black screen.

New in VNC Server 5.3.0 (Dec 16, 2015)

  • All platforms:
  • NEW: Providing VNC Server and VNC Viewer are both version 5.3, connections use the very latest RFB 5 protocol for enhanced security, with updated cipher suites and support for Perfect Forward Secrecy.
  • NEW: VNC Server with an Enterprise or a Personal license can restrict the IP addresses on which it listens for connections, reducing the attack surface. Note the InTransports parameter has been removed, which means VNC Server with a Free license can no longer listen on just IPv4 addresses, or on just IPv6 addresses.
  • NEW: VNC Viewer can send keep alive messages to VNC Server in order to maintain (perhaps minimized) connections that might otherwise be considered idle by routers or gateways, and unexpectedly terminated. Conversely, the same mechanism can clean up connections that have terminated, perhaps due to network failure.
  • NEW: VNC Server has a new screen capture architecture that is both more robust and responsive. Users should see fewer disconnections and reconnections when transiting between desktop and login screens. System administrators should be aware of a new vncagent binary and process.
  • Screen capture on Windows 8+ computers using DirectX is now more efficient, giving a better user experience. As part of this work, the UpdateMethod parameter has been renamed CaptureMethod on all platforms, and has new defaults that make choosing the optimal capture method easier.
  • Configuring security for VNC Server at the command line or using policy is now simpler using new, separate, more intuitive Authentication and Encryption parameters. On upgrade, SecurityTypes and UserPasswdVerifier values are mapped appropriately unless a VNC password is mandated using policy.
  • The vncpasswd utility now has flags that make specifying a VNC password for VNC Server in all modes easier. In addition, running the utility without a flag now shows the help rather than defaulting to VNC Server in User Mode.
  • The Password parameter is now included in policy template files so VNC Server with an Enterprise license can be remotely provisioned with a VNC password. To obtain a password in the correct obfuscated format, run vncpasswd -print.
  • Windows:
  • NEW: Support for Windows 10.
  • NEW: VNC Viewer can send media keys such as Play and Volume Up to VNC Server.
  • NEW: VNC Server can remap keys received from VNC Viewer, perhaps to inject a non-native character or control key.

New in VNC Server 5.2.3 (Feb 10, 2015)

  • Windows:
  • FIXED: Accept/reject prompts now appear correctly if a host computer user logs out while VNC Viewer users are connecting.

New in VNC Server 5.2.2 (Dec 3, 2014)

  • The DisplayDevice VNC parameter now remotes virtual monitors that have been force-detected.
  • FIXED: vnckeyhelper.exe, a support utility that enables connected users to perform privileged key presses such as Alt+Tab securely, no longer checks online for revoked certificates.

New in VNC Server 5.2.1 (Aug 27, 2014)

  • FIXED: An issue when setting the same port for VNC connections (RfbPort) and for VNC Viewer for Java downloads (HttpPort).
  • Automatic update checks can now be controlled when installing VNC at the command line. More information.
  • FIXED: VNC Server no longer incorrectly reports that a standard license key is not valid for the current domain

New in VNC Server 5.2.0 (Jun 9, 2014)

  • All platforms:
  • NEW: VNC is available in French, German, and Spanish. The appropriate language for the desktop of each user is automatically selected. This can be changed (if required) using the Locale VNC parameter.
  • VNC parameters that parse environment variables (such as LogDir) now resolve the syntax $$ to a literal $, for example to accommodate such a character in a folder name.
  • FIXED: The VNC Viewer chat interface no longer prevents a user account password being entered at the Login window or lock screen.
  • Windows:
  • Chat and file transfer are no longer separate applications but rather merged into the vncserverui.exe program. To configure chat and file transfer using Group Policy, examine the VNC Server > mode > User Interface policy folder.
  • FIXED: VNC applications can now be run from user accounts with a $ character in the account name.
  • UNIX:
  • VNC Server in Service Mode (vncserver-x11-serviced) and the VNC Server in Virtual Mode daemon (vncserver-virtuald) can now be started using systemctl on Linux distributions that support systemd, such as the latest Fedora.
  • VNC Server now supports PAM session modules, and session actions in pam_umask.so, pam_limits.so, pam_env.so, and pam_unix.so are automatically referenced in /etc/pam.d/vncserver (or equivalent file).
  • Chat is no longer a separate application but rather merged into the vncserverui program. To configure chat using policy, edit the vncserverui- policy template file.
  • FIXED: VNC hosted on a network share no longer relies on the cacerts.pem file.

New in VNC Server 5.1.1 (May 2, 2014)

  • FIXED: An issue when setting the same port for VNC connections (RfbPort) and for VNC Viewer for Java downloads (HttpPort).
  • Automatic update checks can now be controlled when installing VNC at the command line. More information.
  • FIXED: VNC Server no longer incorrectly reports that a standard license key is not valid for the current domain.

New in VNC Server 5.1.0 (Dec 10, 2013)

  • NEW: VNC Server can check whether critical software patches, and product updates to which you are entitled, are available to download from the RealVNC web site.
  • NEW: VNC Server publishes a more-memorable catchphrase than the unique signature on which it is based, detering man-in-the-middle attacks by making identity checks more intuitive for connecting users. (Enterprise and Personal only)
  • NEW: VNC applications can be configured remotely, and locked down to prevent change, using policy. Policy template files are available to download for distribution to target computers using a suitable mechanism, for example Group Policy under Windows. (Enterprise only)
  • NEW: Message boxes displayed when connections are unexpectedly terminated can now be suppressed using the HideCloseAlert VNC Viewer parameter, making scripting easier.
  • The VNC Server Options dialog has been made easier to use, and highlights features locked down by policy. For both VNC Server and VNC Viewer, it also simplifies the process of creating debug log files to send to RealVNC Technical Support.
  • The new Permissions VNC Server parameter replaces NtLogon_Config (Windows) and AllowedUsers/AllowedGroups (other platforms). Existing users, groups, and permissions are automatically upgraded. (Enterprise and Personal only)
  • The Permissions parameter now grants access to features in the following sets: f (full), d (default), v (view-only). More information. (Enterprise and Personal only)
  • The Permissions parameter now supports explicitly denying permission to use a feature, as well as allowing and not allowing that feature. Deny cannot be overridden by individual members of a group. (Enterprise and Personal only)
  • VNC Server logs are now directed to file at more appropriate locations, as determined by the new LogDir parameter. More information.
  • The VNC Server Information Center dialog now distinguishes between successful and unsuccessful connections on the Diagnostics page, which may give warning of a port sniffing or brute-force dictionary attack.
  • All instances of VNC Server running on a computer can be reconfigured without downtime using the vnclicense -reload command.
  • Single sign-on authentication is now easier to set up and benefits from new documention. (Enterprise only)
  • VNC parameters are now fully documented.
  • FIXED: Copying and pasting text from connected computers is now more reliable.
  • NEW: Separate MSI installers for VNC Server and VNC Viewer are available for download for deployment to target computers in a Group Policy Object. VNC Server can also be licensed at install-time using a Group Policy transform.
  • FIXED: Key combinations such as Alt+Tab are now supported for connections to Windows 8 computers. Note VNC Server must be installed to a secure location such as C:\Program Files.
  • FIXED: Second and subsequent monitors plugged-in to discrete graphics cards on Windows 8 computers are now remoted to connected users.

New in VNC Server 5.0.6 (Oct 9, 2013)

  • NEW: Support for Windows 8.1.
  • NEW: The AutoLogonOverride VNC Server parameter enables connected users to hold down the Shift key while logging off in order to prevent the same user account being automatically logged back on.

New in VNC Server 5.0.5 (Mar 11, 2013)

  • FIXED: The VNC Server - File Transfer dialog now always appears.
  • The BlacklistTimeout VNC Server parameter now accepts a number of seconds between 1 and 2147483647.

New in VNC Server 5.0.4 (Jan 28, 2013)

  • FIXED: Text can now be copied and pasted in either direction if the connection was originally made to a computer at the login screen (that is, not yet logged on to a particular user account).

New in VNC Server 5.0.3 (Oct 8, 2012)

  • NEW: The mouse cursor snaps to a corner of the host computer's desktop if it exits the VNC Viewer window within a certain distance of a corner (configurable via the PointerCornerSnapThreshold parameter), making it easier to trigger hotspots under the latest operating systems
  • Improved support for Windows 8.
  • Under Windows 8, connection notification messages are now displayed on the Start screen as well as in the Desktop app.
  • Under Windows 8, Desktop Duplication replaces VNC Mirror Driver as the optimal screen capture mechanism in most circumstances.
  • VNC authentication passwords are now created using the vncpasswd utility, rather than specified using multiple parameters.
  • FIXED: If connection notifications are disabled, messages are no longer shown when subsequently logging on to an account on the host computer.
  • FIXED: Multiple and collated copies of documents can now be printed to local printers.

New in VNC Server 5.0.2 (Aug 21, 2012)

  • FIXED: VNC Server in Service Mode no longer reports error 10038 (“SetBlocking”) when run in conjunction with certain third party software.

New in VNC Server 5.0.1 (Jul 6, 2012)

  • FIXED: RDP connections to 32-bit XP computers now succeed when VNC Server is running in Service Mode. Note that VNC Viewer users who subsequently connect must request control, since VNC and RDP connections cannot co-exist; the RDP user may or may not grant control requests.

New in VNC Server 5.0.0 (Jun 7, 2012)

  • NEW: Support for Windows 8 Consumer Preview.
  • The VNC Server executable has been renamed from winvnc4.exe to vncserver.exe.
  • VNC Server in Service Mode no longer automatically restarts if it was explicitly stopped before a computer is rebooted.
  • VNC Server in Service Mode need no longer be pre-registered before it is started at the command line.
  • VNC Server no longer requires a separate vncconfig utility in order to permit configuration.