TigerVNC — The Complete Guide: Encrypted Graphical Desktops on Linux Servers

TigerVNC is a fast open-source VNC implementation (GNU GPL-2.0) that lets you run a graphical desktop on a remote machine and work on it over the network. It is especially common on Linux servers and calculation workstations, and it has a viewer for Windows, macOS and Linux. Free for any use, with no registration.

TigerVNC

TigerVNC project

Fast open-source VNC implementation with TLS encryption, widely used for remote desktops on Linux servers.

Get it from the vendor

What you get

Graphical desktop on a server — open a post-processing program on a compute server without sitting in front of it.
TLS encryption — the connection is encrypted, unlike basic VNC implementations.
Advanced authentication — several user authentication methods.
Wayland sharing — recent versions can also share an existing Wayland desktop.
Viewer for every platform — Windows, macOS and Linux.

Who it suits, and security

TigerVNC suits an office or lab with a Linux compute server and someone comfortable on the command line, since server setup is mostly done there. There is no relay service for internet connections, so from outside you need a VPN or an SSH tunnel — better than an open forwarded port. Always use TLS and a strong password.

Related tools

For a Linux client that brings VNC, RDP and SSH together in one window — Remmina. For simple VNC on Windows — TightVNC. For server access through nothing but a web page — Apache Guacamole.