# 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

```sh
sudo av install brew:vncsnapshot
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install vncsnapshot
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install vncsnapshot
```

  Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: vncsnapshot from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:vncsnapshot
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.2a
- **Source summary:** Command-line utility for taking VNC snapshots
- **Homepage:** <https://sourceforge.net/projects/vncsnapshot/>
- **Last updated:** 2026-06-25T13:38:11+02:00
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00

## Executables

- vncsnapshot (alias)

## Install behavior

- Bottle: not available

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.2a
## 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 Notes

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals


## 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

- Unix: file passed with -passwd
- Windows: file passed with -passwd
## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - vncsnapshot - 1.2a-6: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: vncsnapshot from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Utility that takes JPEG snapshots from VNC servers | https://vncsnapshot.sourceforge.net/
- Ubuntu apt - vncsnapshot - 1.2a-5.2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: vncsnapshot from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | A utility that takes JPEG snapshots from VNC servers | http://vncsnapshot.sourceforge.net/


## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/vncsnapshot.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/vncsnapshot.yml)


## Sources

- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph