VNC^® Enterprise Edition User Guide

Managing connections using VNC Address Book

This section explains VNC Address Book features and operations.

Starting VNC Address Book

To start VNC Address Book:

•  Under Windows, select RealVNC > VNC Address Book from the Start menu.

Note: Under Windows, you can start VNC Address Book automatically when the computer is powered on. To do this, select Edit > Options and, in the UI behavior area, turn on Start with Windows.

•  Under UNIX or Linux, either type vncaddrbook in a Terminal window and press the ENTER key, or select Applications > Internet > VNC Address Book from the menu system, if available.

•  Under Mac OS X, navigate to the Applications > RealVNC folder, and double-click the VNC Address Book program.

Working with VNC Address Book

Under Windows, while VNC Address Book is running, a VNC Address Book icon is displayed in the Notification area:

(Windows XP)

Note: Under UNIX or Linux and Mac OS X, no VNC Address Book icon is available. However, all the operations explained below can be performed from the VNC Address Book dialog.

The VNC Address Book icon:

•  Provides visual confirmation that VNC Address Book is running on the client computer. If the icon is not visible (and not hidden by other icons), then VNC Address Book is not running.

•  Has a quick launch bar enabling you to select a host computer to connect to:

(Windows XP)

To open the quick launch bar, click the VNC Address Book icon.

•  Has a right-click shortcut menu that performs useful operations:

(Windows XP)

The following table explains the effect of selecting each VNC Address Book shortcut menu option.

Organizing connections

VNC Address Book organizes connections both alphabetically and hierarchically:

(Windows XP)

You can reorganize connections in the Hierarchical tab list. (The Alphabetic tab list is automatically maintained.)

Click the New Folder toolbar button to create folders in the Hierarchical tab list. You can drag-and-drop connections to, from, and between folders. Note that if you delete a folder, all connections in that folder are deleted too.

Editing connections

You can edit an existing connection. Note you may first be required to enter the VNC Address Book master password.

To do this, select a connection in the Alphabetic or Hierarchical tab list, and either:

•  Click the Properties toolbar button.

•  Select Edit > Properties.

For more information on editing VNC Viewer properties, start with Configuring VNC Viewer before you connect.

To rename a connection in VNC Address Book, select it in the Alphabetic or Hierarchical tab list and select Edit > Rename, or right-click and select Rename from the shortcut menu.

Sharing connections

You can share one or more connections with other fully-featured VNC Viewer users. Note that VNC Server passwords are also shared, albeit in obfuscated or encrypted form.

To share:

•  All VNC Address Book connections, select Tools > Export Address Book.

•  A single connection, right-click it in the Alphabetic or Hierarchical tab list and, from the shortcut menu, select Export.

Choose a location for the exported file. If the file contains a protected connection (one in which the VNC Server password was saved and encrypted), the recipient will need your VNC Address Book master password in order to import it.

You can import one or more connections shared by other fully-featured VNC Viewer users. To do this, select Tools > Import Address Book, and select the file to import. If the file contains a protected connection, you will need the VNC Address Book master password of the user who created the file in order to import it.

Removing connections

To remove a connection, select it in the Alphabetical or Hierarchical tab list, and either:

•  Click the Delete toolbar button.

•  Select Edit > Delete.

Working with the master password

If you chose to encrypt a VNC Server password when you saved a connection to a host computer, you created a protected connection.

VNC Address Book secures protected connections using the master password. You must enter the master password in order to perform an operation on a protected connection, for example connecting to the host computer, or configuring connection details or VNC Viewer properties.

Note: You do not have to enter the master password in order to perform operations on connections for which the VNC Server password was not saved, or was saved in obfuscated, though not encrypted, form. For more information on saving VNC Server passwords, start with Saving the current connection.

By default, VNC Address Book remembers the master password for one hour. This means you do not have to enter it for sixty minutes after you first enter it in order to perform an operation on a protected connection. To change this, and require the entry of the master password, select:

•  Tools > Forget Master Password to require the entry of the master password for the next operation on a protected connection.

•  Tools > Options and, in the Master password area, turn off Remember for to require the entry of the master password for all future operations on protected connections. (Alternatively, you can decrease the length of time the master password is remembered.)

Note: The Status Bar reports Master Password: Stored if you do not currently need to enter the master password, and Master Password: Required if you do.

To change the master password, select Tools > Options and, in the Master password area, click the Change button.