install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install vncsnapshot

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install vncsnapshot

Debian 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 post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.

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`	cli	global executable

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 generated2026-07-08

manager version1.2a

manager updated2026-06-25

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://sourceforge.net/projects/vncsnapshot/

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://sourceforge.net/projects/vncsnapshot/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:vncsnapshot
Version	1.2a
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/vncsnapshot
Homepage	https://sourceforge.net/projects/vncsnapshot/
Repository	https://sourceforge.net/p/vncsnapshot/code
Upstream docs	https://vncsnapshot.sourceforge.net/
License	GPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/vncsnapshot/vncsnapshot/1.2a/vncsnapshot-1.2a-src.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-06-25T13:38:11+02:00
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	jpeg-turbo
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	vncsnapshot
Version Scheme	0
Revision	2
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

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

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

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

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: vncsnapshot from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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.

combined/vncsnapshot.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install vncsnapshot with Homebrew, apt