TightVNC
TightVNC is a free and open-source remote desktop software server and client application for Linux and Windows. A server for macOS is available under a commercial source code license only, without SDK or binary version provided. Constantin Kaplinsky developed TightVNC, using and extending the RFB protocol of Virtual Network Computing to allow end-users to control another computer's screen remotely.
Encodings
TightVNC uses so-called "tight encoding" of areas, which improves performance over low bandwidth connection. It is effectively a combination of the JPEG and zlib compression mechanisms. It is possible to watch videos and play DirectX games through TightVNC over a broadband connection, albeit at a low frame rate.TightVNC includes many other common features of VNC derivatives, such as file transfer capability.
Compatibility
TightVNC is cross-compatible with other client and server implementations of VNC; however, tight encoding is not supported by most other implementations, so it is necessary to use TightVNC at both ends to gain the full advantage of its enhancements.Among notable enhancements are file transfers, support for the DemoForge DFMirage mirror driver to detect screen updates, ability to zoom the picture and automatic SSH tunneling on Unix.
Since the 2.0 beta, TightVNC supports auto scaling, which resizes the viewer window to the remote users desktop size, regardless of the resolution of the host computer.
TightVNC 1.3.10, released in March 2009, is the last version to support Linux/Unix. This version is still often used in guides to set up VNC for Linux.