VNCview GS is a Virtual Network Computing client (viewer) for the Apple IIgs. You can use it to display and interact with the graphical desktop of another computer through your Apple IIgs.
A IIgs connected to the network via an Ethernet connection and a server connected to your LAN will probably provide the best performance.
Under Sweet16, there is a known issue where the networking code within Sweet16 may drop the connection to the VNC server. This generally occurs at relatively low emulated speeds; you can usually avoid it by using high or unlimited speed.
To start VNCview GS, simply run the "VNCview.GS" program. The New VNC Connection dialog box will be displayed, allowing you to configure and start a VNC connection.
Usually, you need to enter the VNC server (using a hostname or IP address and a VNC display number, as in other VNC programs) and a password. Some servers may not require a password, but most do and it is probably advisable to set up your own servers with a password to provide some security. Also note that the VNC display number can be omitted if it is 0, and that it can be negative.
You can select a 320x200 color or 640x200 grayscale display mode. The 320x200 mode better corresponds to the server's normal display, since it displays colors and uses near-square pixels. 640x200 mode will cause greater distortion and does not display colors, but it does allow a larger portion of the server's desktop to be displayed on the IIgs.
"Request shared session" indicates the server should allow multiple clients to connect to it simultaneously. The server is not required to honor this request.
"Emulate 3-Button Mouse" causes option-clicks and OA-clicks to be treated as clicks of the second and third mouse buttons.
"View Only Mode" allows you to see the server's display but not to send any keyboard, mouse, or clipboard input to the server.
"Allow Clipboard Transfers from Server" indicates that the server is allowed to send its clipboard contents, which will be transferred to the IIgs clipboard.
The "Preferred Encoding" is the method that will be used to represent pixels on the server's display when sending them to the IIgs; the available options are Raw and Hextile. The Raw encoding sends lines of pixel values to the IIgs, while Hextile represents the display as a collection of small rectangular areas. Raw is generally faster than Hextile in the current version of VNCview GS, but Hextile may be faster on very slow network links. Some servers may not support Hextile encoding, in which case Raw will be used regardless of this setting.
The "Tune Marinetti for high throughput" option configures Marinetti to process a larger amount of incoming data at once than it does by default. This generally improves performance.
When you have configured your new VNC connection, simply click "Connect," and if all goes well you will be connected to the VNC server. You can interact with it with the mouse and keyboard and scroll your view of its display. The option and Open-Apple keys are sent as "meta" and "alt," respectively; their exact interpretation depends on the server. Keyboard shortcuts for menu items are disabled when connected so that these key combinations can be sent to the server. Select "Close" or "Quit" in the File menu when you are done with the connection.
VNCview GS should be able to connect with any VNC server that fully implements the RFB protocol as defined in RFC 6143 or earlier compatible specifications. Here is a list of some VNC servers; many others are also available.
VNCview GS does not work with the Screen Sharing functionality in macOS, because the Screen Sharing server does not support the pixel format that VNCview GS requires. The above servers can be used instead.
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This program contains material from the ORCA/C Run-Time Libraries, copyright 1987-1996 by Byte Works, Inc. Used with permission.
