TightVNC

TightVNC is a free and open-source remote desktop software package that implements the Virtual Network Computing (VNC) protocol. It enables a user to view and control another computer's desktop remotely over a network, using a server on the host machine and a viewer on the client.

The project is known for its Tight encoding, a compression scheme designed to reduce bandwidth and improve performance on slow connections. This encoding adapts image data to balance quality and data size, making remote control feasible over networks with limited throughput.

TightVNC is cross-platform, with native server components for Windows and Unix-like systems, and a cross-platform viewer that can run on various platforms, including a Java-based viewer.

The software is released under the GNU General Public License and was developed in the early 2000s by Constantin Kaplinsky and contributors. It is maintained by the TightVNC project and community.

Security considerations: VNC traffic is not encrypted by default; users typically deploy TightVNC behind VPNs or use SSH tunnels to protect credentials and data.

TightVNC is often used for remote administration, technical support, and remote access to personal devices, but may be less suitable for enterprise deployments that require advanced authentication and auditing features provided by other solutions.