Announcing TightVNC Java Viewer Version 2.1

New TightVNC Java Viewer 2.1 — Improved Compatibility and Adjustable Color Depth

January 27, 2012 — GlavSoft company has released version 2.1 of TightVNC Java Viewer, its free cross-platform remote control client. New version:

fixes compatibility with Apple Remote Desktop,
allows to adjust traffic requirements by selecting an appropriate color depth, from 3 to 24 bits per pixel,
includes a bunch of minor improvements, fixes and cleanups.

The core component of the Viewer is able to handle all color depths as allowed by the RFB protocol, giving new level of flexibility to the developers using our components in their products.

Want to embed our components in your programs? That's simple! Use our components freely if your software is free and GPL-licensed, or purchase a commercial license if your software is closed source.

A more detailed change log is available near the bottom of this page.

What Is TightVNC Java Viewer? — the "Run-Anywhere" Remote Control Client

It's a fully-functional remote control program written entirely in Java. It can work on any computer where Java is installed. That can be Windows or Mac OS, Linux or Solaris — it does not make any difference. And it can work in your browser as well.

It connects to another computer and displays its live remote desktop.
It lets you control the remote computer with your mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sitting in the front of that computer.

It requires that the remote computer is running any type of VNC-compatible server software (standard VNC, TightVNC, UltraVNC, x11vnc, Apple Remote Desktop in Mac OS X, Xen/HVM, VMWare, Qemu etc.). For Windows systems, TightVNC Server is a recommended option.

Why Java? What Are the Benefits?

It can run on any hardware, under any operating system with Java installed.
It's nearly as fast as the native version (our tests show it can be faster in certain situations!).
It can be easily integrated with Web sites and Web-based services.

Finally, it can be used not only as a normal standalone application, but also as a Web applet! That means users can access their desktops from any computer with any Java-enabled Web browser, without installing any software on the client computer.

Download Now! Yes, It's FREE!

Here you can grab your free copy:

https://www.tightvnc.com/download.php

More Details on Licensing: Free and Commercial

Just like TightVNC Server version 2 for Windows, it is available either as free software (GNU GPL license) or commercially. Commercial license is required if you would like to use TightVNC Java Viewer or its components in your proprietary programs or scripts. Also, it may be a reasonable option if the GNU GPL license is not acceptable for some other reasons.

Please visit this page to read more about commercial licensing.

What's New, in Detail?

Here is the list of changes in version 2.1, as compared to 2.0.95:

Corrected negotiation of the protocol version. There was an error which made TightVNC Java Viewer incompatible with Apple Screen Sharing (built-in VNC-compatible server in Mac OS X). New version should be able to connect to Mac OS X.
Added support for various color modes. You can restrict the number of colors to save traffic, or prefer a rich-color format to maximize image quality. From the GUI, you can choose a color mode with 8, 64, 256, 65536, 16777216 colors, or select the server's native number of colors. However, the core component supports any color format as allowed by the RFB protocol (except palette-based modes).
Various minor improvements, fixes and cleanups.

What Was New in Version 2.0? — Almost Everything!

Version 2 of the Viewer was designed and written from the scratch. Our primary goal was to eliminate numerous problems of previous versions, and we think we have reached the goal.

As compared to previous versions, Version 2 is faster and more stable, uses Swing-based user interface and should be perfectly compatible with modern Java environments. New source code features improved design, component-based architecture and high code quality — it should be far easier to integrate new viewer with other Java programs.

Finally, version 2 is available both as free software and under a business-friendly license, while previous versions were strictly GPL-licensed.

What's Next?

The nearest version of the viewer will include desktop scaling. Then, expect built-in SSH tunneling, file transfers, and major usability improvements.

Thank you for your interest in TightVNC!