macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install vncsnapshotlocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 8569
Install vncsnapshot with Homebrew, apt
Command-line utility for taking VNC snapshots. Version 1.2a via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-25. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install vncsnapshot.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install vncsnapshotDebian stable package indexes · vncsnapshot · source: deb.debian.org
overview
Package summary
Command-line utility for taking VNC snapshots
Project links
Commands and aliases
- vncsnapshot
history
Project history and usage
VNCSnapshot is a command-line utility for connecting to a VNC server and saving the server's screen as a JPEG image. Its original project page presents it as a non-interactive cousin of a VNC viewer, useful when the desired output is an image file rather than a remote desktop window.
Project history
The SourceForge-hosted project page identifies Grant McDorman as the contact author and says VNCSnapshot is derived from TightVNC and RealVNC. The page's CVS identifier and release-note timestamps place active maintenance around 2004, with the public release line centered on version 1.2 and 1.2a.
Release notes for version 1.2 added multi-snapshot capture through `-count` and `-fps`, provided a Windows-usable `vncpasswd`, improved builds on non-Linux Unix systems, and fixed Mac OS X compilation errors. Those changes reflect the project's niche: making VNC screen capture scriptable across Unix, Linux, Windows, and Darwin-era Mac OS X systems.
How it is used
VNCSnapshot is invoked with VNC viewer-style options, a target such as `host:display`, and an output JPEG filename. The official examples cover direct capture, listening mode, tunneled connections, password files supplied with `-passwd`, rectangular crops with `-rect`, repeated captures with `-count`, and frame timing with `-fps`.
Why package nerds care
The tool matters mostly as a small automation bridge for old-school VNC infrastructure. It lets scripts, monitoring jobs, test harnesses, or documentation workflows take a remote-desktop snapshot without starting a full viewer session.
Timeline
- 2004-09-09: Version 1.2 release notes document multi-snapshot capture and portability fixes.
- 2004-09-11: The project web page revision identifies the SourceForge-hosted documentation and version 1.2a summary.
Related projects
- VNCSnapshot derives from TightVNC and RealVNC, and it ships a `vncpasswd` helper for creating password files used by the `-passwd` option.
Sources
- VNCSnapshot 1.2 release notes: https://vncsnapshot.sourceforge.net/RELEASE-NOTES.txt
- VNCSnapshot project page: https://vncsnapshot.sourceforge.net/
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Credential files
Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.
- Unix
file passed with -passwd- Windows
file passed with -passwd
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
vncsnapshot | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version1.2a
manager updated2026-06-25
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:vncsnapshot |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.2a |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://sourceforge.net/projects/vncsnapshot/ |
| Last updated | 2026-06-25T13:38:11+02:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
vncsnapshot 1.2a-6
Utility that takes JPEG snapshots from VNC servers
https://vncsnapshot.sourceforge.net/
sudo apt install vncsnapshot- Section: x11
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Vncsnapshot
Ubuntu apt95%
vncsnapshot 1.2a-5.2
A utility that takes JPEG snapshots from VNC servers
http://vncsnapshot.sourceforge.net/
sudo apt install vncsnapshot- Section: universe/x11
- Architecture: amd64
- 5 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Vncsnapshot
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation