VNC, IT Class 1, Installation

I know this post is something like a week late, but I'm not going to apologize. Mainly because I have found that if you keep making apologies and excuses every little time you’re late or something like that you will spend you time making excuses all your life and won't be able focus on the task at hand.

Well enough of my philosophies,  on to the review/tutorial.

So I have done some thinking about how I am going to run this internet related software training course and like all other things that have a beginning, it will be a bumpy yet I hope in the end an information filled and helpful experience.

So now, if you haven't read my introduction to this course and what it will be about in my last post, you should. It explains just what we are going to be doing throughout the course.

To summarize it all here; we will first learn how to control all your computers with keyboard and visual screen feedback from anywhere in the world. Even if you are not traveling you can easily access and control the desktop downstairs with your laptop or any other computer on your local network if you are admin of that computer. We will be working mainly with LAN or Local area network applications for the start of this IT Course. 

Later, we will get into how you access things like personal file servers, IP-cams, remote login from outside your home, web servers and more. 

Now why VNC is such, I think an interesting topic, is because there are so many ways to go about it. If one way doesn't work, for instance, the other will. VNC will work on virtually everything Windows, Mac, and Linux. There is even a VNC viewer and controller for iOS devices! This however I don think is free, people have to make a living you know :p

So no matter what OS you’re on, your still in luck.

I think I can write this tutorial, so that any user on any OS will be able to follow it. Certain things that differ between Mac and Windows for example, I will point out.

Getting started, what you will need:

• - At least 2 computers, preferably same OS but if not its ok.
• - An Internet connection with some bandwidth (to download the programs and..... DUH!)
• - 25, maybe 30 minutes of time if you follow this tutorial
• - 6 hours of time if you want to do all the research and experimentation yourself :p 
• - Basic knowledge of general program installation for your OS

Next, programs you need to download:

A complete VNC remote control system is comprised of..... you MAY have guessed it, a server and a client or viewer. The VNC server will run on the computer that you want to view and/or control. 

The VNC client or viewer will run on the computer that you want to view and/or control from.

There are many clients and servers out there for all OS's both free and commercial. The programs I will refer here will be free,  however, if you enjoy this tutorial and its outcome, or want to use VNC on a larger scale for school, work, or play, there is no reason you shouldn't buy the good stuff from the creators.

Because I am on a Mac, and posting this from a Mac, Mac OS will be my forte, but I have done VNC on Mac, Windows, and Linux. 

For Mac, go ahead and download these programs:

• Vine Server (SourceForge page) (Direct download from SourceForge)
• Chicken of the VNC - Viewer (SourceForge page) (Direct download from SourceForge)

For Windows

• RealVNC Free addition (Download page, server and viewer available from here)

I won't go into Linux unless specially requested by a member's comment

Program Installation:

For Mac,

Vine Server installation

The Installation is pretty straightforward. In the end you should end up with an app, which can be run from anywhere

Chicken of the VNC

This program is also in the form of a .dmg, just drag the .app to you applications folder.

You would probably be best off to install both the server and viewing on both computers. That way they can act as both if you need them to.

For Windows, 

If I remember correctly there was nothing complicated about the installation of the server and viewer on Windows.

Also install the Server and viewer on both machines.

Note: A Windows VNC server will work on a Mac VNC viewer and vice versa.

Seeing as this post is getting quite long, I will break it up into three parts; Installation, Configuration and troubleshooting/options, two of which I will write at a later time. The Configuration post I think will be the most fun.

Stay tuned, or rather subscribed for my next post on the configuration (the fun part, where we'll actually get something done :)

"All right, hold it!" BTC, a new way of blogging

Good day readers, today I would like to start a new way of blogging. (Might not be new, but hey, its new to me :) A sort of blog/Training-Course for Internet server-client related software.

This is be best area of my software expertise and I have found it incredibly fun, interesting, and helpful. I hope I can give you some of the same feelings after you finish this BTC (blog/training-course)

What is a BTC?

I don’t really know. To be honest I made up the term. Basically, I have quite a large and interesting subject I would like to cover and it wont all fit in one post. So I decided I would make a little course out of it. I don’t want to swamp you with a huge, lengthy, and information filled post. I want to give you regular class-like reviews with tutorials with assignments. Believe me this is going to be fun for me, and I hope this will be fun and maybe even useful for you too.

What will this BTC be about?
This BTC will be about Internet related software and will help you understand everything from Network Protocols to Port Mapping to Dynamic Naming Services to Virtual Network Computing. Don’t worry if you don’t know any of these terms. At the end of this blog topic/training-course, you will have at least a basic knowledge of the Internet, your computer, and only what they can accomplish together.

We will start this BTC off with a bang and go with something that’s real fun.

Not to long a discovered something in the world of computing, something that I think is the coolest thing since the web browser; it’s called VNC.  The acronym “VNC” stands for “Virtual Network Computing”. Developed by Cambridge University in England in the at the turn of the millennium and further developed by AT&T Research labs (These are the guys who invented the most powerful operating system in the world; UNIX) VNC allows you to have full control to a remote computer, right down to the very entering of text from your keyboard or the click of a mouse. It’s all transmitted to the remote computer via Internet or local area connection (LAN) at the same time it relays the remote computers screen.

This technology has endless applications. From browsing the Internet on the remote computer screen (don’t know why you would want to do that) to manually turning on a server that has crashed and you can find a remedy through SSH or the classic terminal remote login which been used for ages. (We will get to SSH later on) Now you might think: “remote server?” “That’s way too hard and too tedious to setup.” Or  “I don’t have use for that” or “I don’t have a website or a public fileserver or anything of the such.” It doesn’t stop there my friend.

How VNC has helped me:

Well I’ll be honest with you. I have something near 6 computers and all of them have to be managed and setup with new software, and time limits for those that use them, and more administration stuff.  Now, before I had to get up and go to those computer every time I need to change a setting, or install a new software, or start a server on that machine. Now I can just setup the VNC server on each of those machines. Each with a unique IP (and a password… or else…) so that I can just sit back and do all I want right from my favorite desktop. No need to go running around the house or the office. Right from logging into that computer to visiting the preferences panel of whatever I want to change.

Now you can too! With this course I will be making a regular post, each with a new aspect of VNC and a tutorial on how to set it up. Stick with me and soon enough you will feel the amazing felling of real control right under your fingertips.

Anyway I hope you enjoy this series of IT training I am going to put together.

Thank you for reading the introduction to this course. Hopefully it has whetted your curious appetite and you’re ready for some real fun. Please subscribe to receive updates on posts, which will include the review, tutorial, and assignments for this course.

HandBreak, Finally some real speed

Hey guys i thought i would bring this to you all before my next major post next week on tuesday or wednesday.

Before i go on you should know; i am on a Mac, so most of my reviews will be from a mac perspective. But, most of what i review will be available for Windows also. Im not asking you to join a side, Mac or PC. I have used both and there a good things about them both.
So anyway,
Handbreak is a free multi platform video converter. Both Windows, Mac and Linux programs are available.
I like it extremely well for Mac because it comes with a 64 bit version for that platform.
Now why have i brought up this freebie instead of all the other converters out there? Well, for one i love free and open source software. Secondly this converter is quite unique, simple and easy to use.
Personally, I don't think its get enough love.
Handbreak has provided me with an extremely fast and easy way to convert my videos to run on any platform i need. From my Nokia cellphone to my AppleTV.
it comes fully equipped and ready to use straight out of the box (so to speak). The thing that amazed me is its MPEG-4 encoding speed. Its the fastest i have ever seen! Even fast than some non-free converters.
It comes with some default presets which are really helpful if you don't know the right format for your iPod Touch, but it also lets you create your own presets.
Have an HD movie you need converted? No problem. Handbreak provides easy to read settings for retaining the full video quality through the conversion.
Easily change things like bit-rate to control output quality and size, or turn on auto-crop to remove extra black around the picture. Handbreak is a "setup and let run" platform. Have a whole season you need converted? No problem. Handbreak can do it. Import the video files, apply the settings, and add them all to the queue and let them run!

Note: Handbreak uses the full power of your CPU. I usually quit my other big programs (you can leave stuff like browsers and iTunes on) and just turn on the conversions while i am afk. Handbreak needs CPU power, but you will be rewarded with ultrafast conversions.

To make extra sure you kept all the quality in the conversion you can check the "Double-pass" check box. This actually converts your video twice checking the data of the first conversion with the second.
(Uncheck this box in most cases)

Good luck! Now go download this thing!


Direct Download links:

Windows
Macintosh


(if all that fails) Download Page:
Handbreak Downloads

~Edit

If you aren't sure which settings to go with for your device, just drop me a comment i will help you out.