ACCESS AND CONTROL

Control has always been easy with Unix-based systems like Linux. In the old days, simple tools let the user open a remote connection for command-line access. The rise of the graphic interface brought new complication to this simple formula. In recent years, the economies of thinclient alternatives have added emphasis to the long-neglected terminal service model, and virtualization has focused renewed attention on the task of reaching other systems from a single keyboard and mouse.

This month’s cover story examines some tools and techniques for remote control, screen sharing, and terminal service. We start with a look at the VNC (Virtual Network Computing) remote access protocol. We’ll show you how VNC differs from the X Window system, describe some tips for working with VNC, and review some popular no-cost VNC applications, such as TightVNC, RealVNC, MetaVNC, and UltraVNC.