VNC Config protocol needed? (was: Re: An other encoder (to test))

[James ''Wez'' Weatherall]

> > Re: VNC Config protocol needed? (was: Re: An other encoder (to test))
> >
> > From: James ''Wez'' Weatherall (jnw22 "at" cam.ac.uk)
> > Date: Thu Oct 12 2000 - 13:44:03 EDT
> >
> >
> > Work is presently under way to make the protocol properly extensible.
>
> Very interesting indeed.  Care to comment/share with the rest
> of the VNC developers how that is shaping up?

We've been tinkering with a protocol design and have settled on a simple
extension of RFB3.3 (codename RFB3.5 for those who care...), which adds two
new bi-directional messages;

EnableExtension and
ExtensionData

The Remote end sends an EnableExtension for a protocol extension, including
in that message a new message number.  If the Local end understands the
given protocol, it may then send messages built on the ExtensionData message
header, with the specified message number.

It's very simple to implement dumb clients and servers that skip the
advertisement code, or that are hardcoded to send out a few advertisements
and accept the corresponding data.  It also makes it quite simple to build
proxies which adapt between proprietary extensions, if required, and which
pass through messages from any other extensions without interference.

I'm currently working on implementing the scheme for WinVNC and the Windows
VNC Viewer, so that the next Win32 release will contain the protocol 3.5
code.

Cheers,

James "Wez" Weatherall
--
          "The path to enlightenment is /usr/bin/enlightenment"
Laboratory for Communications Engineering, Cambridge - Tel : 766513
AT&T Labs Cambridge, UK                              - Tel : 343000
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