# LibVNC/libvncserver

LibVNCServer/LibVNCClient are cross-platform C libraries that allow you to easily implement VNC server or client functionality in your program.

Repository: https://github.com/LibVNC/libvncserver
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/libvncserver
Language: C
License: GPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: vnc, vnc-client, vnc-server, library, remote-desktop, rfb, c, embedded, embedded-systems
Last push: 2026-07-13T19:53:33+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 64/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 92, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4539, "days_push": 51, "days_rel": 619, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1361, forks 572 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:30.012192+00:00)

## What it is
LibVNCServer/LibVNCClient are cross-platform C libraries for implementing VNC server and client functionality using the RFB protocol. LibVNCServer supports WebSockets so browser-based viewers like noVNC can connect.

## Use cases
- embed a VNC server into my C application
- implement a VNC client in C
- expose a framebuffer over the network for remote viewing
- connect to a VNC server from a browser via WebSockets
- add remote desktop functionality to an embedded device
- build a custom RFB protocol client or server

## When to choose
- you need VNC/RFB server or client capability in a C or C++ program
- you want browser-based VNC access via WebSockets
- you're targeting embedded or cross-platform environments
- you need broad RFB security type and encoding support

## When to avoid
- you want a ready-to-use standalone VNC server application rather than a library
- you need a modern remote-desktop protocol like RDP or SPICE
- your project cannot accept GPL-2.0 licensing
- you're working outside C/C++ without binding effort

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: networking, security, websocket, http-server
- domain: cross-platform, developer-tools, embedded-systems, networking
- platform: windows, cross-platform, embedded, c
- tags: vnc, rfb-protocol, remote-desktop, libvncserver, libvncclient, framebuffer, novnc, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- LibVNC/libvncserver (main) score 64

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:30.012192+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:41:33.321527+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/LibVNC/libvncserver (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:30.012192+00:00, sha 0b197a5a9cfd)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.