Re: Configure Windows TightVNC-Server with configuration file instead of registry keys

Sadly I can not change everyones OS to Linux. And I am not trying to 
replicate a terminal server behavior. It is really just, that I do not 
want to mess with already existing settings in the registry. Using the 
same screen is fine in my scenario.

I am just looking for a way to start a VNC-Server process in addition to 
a maybe already running one - without changing the latter ones 
configuration.

My intention is to have something like a "one click support tool", which 
spawns a VNC-Server process with a specific configuration that may then 
be used to connect to the machine in the local network (or via a port 
forwarding through an SSH tunnel - but these are just details). And this 
solution should not interfere with settings of an maybe already 
installed and used TightVNC server.


Right now I have a workaround but it is not pretty. If I detect a 
TightVNC installation, I use "UltraVNC" as an alternative VNC-Server 
(has its own registry tree for configuration) and so it can run in 
parallel. Would have been nice, if I could stick to one software and 
only use TightVNC - but the workaround will do for now.

Problem could occur, when I detect that TightVNC *AND* UltraVNC are both 
installed - but the possibility is somewhat smaller.


Thanks for your help anyway, I appreciate it!

PerFact Signatur

With best regards

Thorsten Südbrock

On 13.04.22 20:04, Stanislav Kogan wrote:
> I hear you, but this kind of setup is meaningless in Windows. Windows 
> really can only do any kind of multi-desktop setup in a terminal 
> server context and AFAIK, that is not actually applicable to VNC and 
> the way it works in Windows.
> Windows can only have one physical screen and VNC under Windows hooks 
> up to that physical screen, period.
>
> In short, Windows perfectly sucks in every possible way and there is 
> absolutely nothing anyone can do about it. ;)
>
>
> Quoting Patrick Shoaf <[email protected]>:
>
>> I use Linux daily.  I have multiple VNC server sessions running, a 
>> different port for each user.  I could see a Windows Server with 
>> Remote Dekkstop for different users wanting a VNC Server running for 
>> each each user to "SHARE" their desktop.
>>
>> In the past, I have had issues where the Server froze when both VNC 
>> Server & Remote Desktop were both in use on a machine. I don't know 
>> if that problem still occurs or not, I gave up on Windows Remote Desk 
>> Top and VNC on the same machine.
>>
>> *Patrick Shoaf*
>> IT Special Projects
>> [email protected]
>>
>> *Model Cleaners, Uniforms & Apparel
>> 100 Third Street
>> Charleroi, PA 15022
>> Direct Dial: 724-565-2033
>> 724-489-4386 Fax
>> www.modelcleaners.com <http://www.modelcleaners.com>
>> www.modelapparel.com <http://www.modelapparel.com>
>> www.modeluniforms.com <http://www.modeluniforms.com>
>> *
>>
>> On 4/13/2022 10:29 AM, Stanislav Kogan wrote:
>>> Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't really see a way to run 
>>> multiple VNC servers under Windows. There is, after all, only one 
>>> physical screen, right? ;)
>>>
>>> Quoting Thorsten Südbrock <[email protected]>:
>>>
>>>> Thanks for the reply! Maybe I should have described my scenario 
>>>> more thoroughly.I am not afraid of the registry, but of its 
>>>> limitations.
>>>>
>>>> I do not want to use the registry, because there can only be one 
>>>> value for a setting at a given time. I have a machine, where I 
>>>> would like to start multiple TightVNC-Servers with different 
>>>> configurations.
>>>>
>>>> Let us say, the user is already running a TightVNC server with 
>>>> specific settings (port number and so on) - those are stored in the 
>>>> registry. I have a program that should start a new TightVNC server 
>>>> process on a different port and with different settings. To do this 
>>>> I would need to overwrite the settings in the registry for this 
>>>> user account and restore them after my program is finished. This 
>>>> seems to be an akward solution, e.g. when my program crashes and 
>>>> does not restore the previous settings the user wonders who changed 
>>>> his configuration.
>>>>
>>>> So I would rather like to read the configuration options for port 
>>>> and permissions (view / change) from a different file or provide 
>>>> them via command line arguments. I did not find any documentation 
>>>> on this and wonder if this is possible.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Another possibility would be, if I could point the TightVNC server 
>>>> instance to a specific registry hive which I create for my program. 
>>>> So the configuration would still be stored in the registry - just 
>>>> as a different "profile" in a different location. Is this possible 
>>>> with some undocumented switch?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 13.04.22 14:37, Stanislav Kogan wrote:
>>>>> Hi.
>>>>>
>>>>> The registry (HKLM or HKCU) is actually much easier to configure 
>>>>> than it seems. Check this out:
>>>>>
>>>>> https://blog.securestrux.com/applying-configuration-with-microsofts-lgpo-utility 
>>>>> This utility is actually not only for applying GPO, but any 
>>>>> registry entries.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Quoting Thorsten Südbrock <[email protected]>:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi there,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I wonder if there is any way (or plan) to make the 
>>>>>> TightVNC-Server for Windows systems configurable via a 
>>>>>> configuration file - something like a "server.ini". If I 
>>>>>> understand the documentation correctly, on Windows systems all 
>>>>>> configuration options are stored in the Registry.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Either in the HKLM tree - for the system wide service. Or in the 
>>>>>> HKCU tree - for a server process started by a user.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I know there are some command line options (documented here: 
>>>>>> https://www.tightvnc.com/doc/win/TightVNC_2.7_for_Windows_Server_Command-Line_Options.pdf), 
>>>>>> but all changes are still save to the registry.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I found a feature request from 2017, but I do not see any 
>>>>>> indication if this is on the roadmap for a release 
>>>>>> (https://sourceforge.net/p/vnc-tight/feature-requests/727/). 
>>>>>> There is a mentioning of a "beta" version with this feature, yet 
>>>>>> I do not know where to find this "beta". Do I have to compile a 
>>>>>> current working branch myself to get this "beta" version?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My goal is to start a TightVNC-Server from the command line and 
>>>>>> configure it completely *without* using registry keys. I want to 
>>>>>> set the port, password, mode and so on. Is something like this 
>>>>>> possible?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Any help is be appreciated, thank you for your efforts!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -- 
>>>>>> PerFact Signatur
>>>>>>
>>>>>> With best regards
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thorsten Südbrock
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> ----------
>> Mail sent via Barracuda
>
>
>

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