Sourcetrunk (Episode 004)
This episode will cover the well known but often underestimated VNC protocol, the application of choice will be TightVNC. The little extra is xplanet. All GNU GPL Licensed. For Linux, BSD, MacOSX and Microsoft Windows
I. system tools : TightVNC
TightVNC is a free remote control software package derived from the popular VNC software. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sitting in the front of that computer.
- free, GPL-licensed, with full source code available;
- useful in remote administration, remote customer support, education, and for many other purposes;
- cross-platform, available for Windows and Unix, compatible with other VNC software.
www.tightvnc.com
II. the little extra : xplanet
Xplanet was inspired by Xearth, which renders an image of the earth into the X root window. All of the major planets and most satellites can be drawn, similar to the Solar System Simulator. A number of different map projections are also supported, including azimuthal, Lambert, Mercator, Mollweide, orthographic, and rectangular.
xplanet.sourceforge.net
music from Shagg on music.podshow.com
theme from Brand New Sin on music.podshow.com
beer on this episode : Maredsous Brune 
mp3 feed
TightVNC
Hi, just finish listening to Episode 004 and is interested in TightVNC. I frequently msn chat with my nephew and had an login account in his computer (winXP).
Is there a way that I can find out his computer's ip address using the msn chat and login into his computer?
Can I do virus scanning over TightVNC?
Cheers
Mic
TightVNC
Hi Mic,
First of all, TightVNC has to be installed on that machine and a password has to be entered in the configuration panel.
There are a lot of MSN Chat programs to find out one's IP address, but all closed source (and in my opinion some are loaded with malicious software). You could however, during a conversation or file transfer, open a dos prompt (start->run->command) and type netstat to find the IP address.
Better practice is to ask your correspondant for the IP address ( www.whatismyip.com ) so he is aware of the fact that you will take action ;)
>Can I do virus scanning over TightVNC?
Once you are logged on to that machine you can do everything ! that includes starting up a virus scan from within that machine. Remember, you are taking total control of the mouse, keyboard and screen.
have fun.
Dimi.
TightVNC
Oops, forget to tell that I am using Kubuntu :-)
>Better practice is to ask your correspondant for the IP address ( www.whatismyip.com ) so he is aware of the fact that you will take action ;)
Frankly my bro had requested me to check once a while that the little chap is not going overboard on the pc. So, you got me there ;-)
>Better practice is to ask your correspondant for the IP address ( www.whatismyip.com )
Just tried www.whatismyip.com and got something like
"220.255.xxx.xx, 165.21.xxx.xxx"
I presume 220.255.xxx.xx is the ip address.
What about the 165.21.xxx.xxx, what is it?
>Once you are logged on to that machine ....
Will I cause confusion to anyone using the computer if I login via TightVNC (e.g. windows pops up, virus scanner started by me) when they are also logged in?
Mic
TightVNC
Ah ! on Kubuntu : Just use netstat ! (same, but better, than the application under Windows)
the two IP addresses : it could be that you are on a network where they use two redundant internet providers, so you will get a different outside IP address everytime you request it via whatismyip.com.
> Will I cause confusion to anyone using the computer if I login via TightVNC
yes, you certainly will considering the fact that you will be moving the mouse cursor ;)
regards,
Dimi.