open-source project · GPL-2.0 · tigervnc.org

TigerVNC server

Open source

Create a virtual Linux/Unix desktop or share an existing display.

TigerVNC provides Linux/Unix servers: Xvnc creates a virtual X display, x0vncserver polls an existing X display, and w0vncserver shares an existing Wayland display. TigerVNC 1.16.2 README (accessed 5 October 2026).

What it provides

The 1.16.2 README says the Windows server, winvnc, “is currently unmaintained and may not function correctly”. TigerVNC 1.16.2 README (accessed 5 October 2026).

w0vncserver requires a wlroots compositor or one implementing the RemoteDesktop portal. TigerVNC 1.16.2 w0vncserver manual (accessed 5 October 2026).

What you must provide

Install updates from upstream releases or distribution packages, control exposure with firewall and tunnel choices, and set a VNC password with vncpasswd (tigervncpasswd on Debian and Ubuntu). TigerVNC project site (accessed 5 October 2026).

Xvnc defaults to TLSVnc,VncAuth; TLSVnc uses anonymous TLS without a certificate. Enable X.509 types and provide certificate files explicitly, or enable a Plain security type to use PAM. TigerVNC 1.16.2 Xvnc manual (accessed 5 October 2026).

Download TigerVNC server

Distribution packages

Fedora server packages

Written for TigerVNC 1.16.2 on Fedora 44. Install the server packages on the desktop host. These commands require administrator rights through sudo.

# Fedora desktop host
sudo dnf install tigervnc-x11-server tigervnc-server-common

Run Xvnc -version and vncpasswd --version on the desktop host (on Fedora; Debian and Ubuntu name it tigervncpasswd). Confirm that both report 1.16.2. Stop if a command is missing or reports a different version.

Fedora 43 and 44 package the X11 server as tigervnc-x11-server; the common tools are packaged as tigervnc-server-common. Fedora package index.

Debian trixie and Ubuntu 24.04: tigervnc-standalone-server installs tigervncserver, tigervnc-tools installs tigervncpasswd. See the TigerVNC project site.

See the TigerVNC overview, the TigerVNC viewer and the Servers directory.

Sources accurate as of 5 October 2026.

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