Also, note that the Harakan distribution of the VNC server only includes the Windows server. If you would like the server for another platform, you'll need to download the source code and build it.

The Harakan distribution is a ZIP file containing the PalmVNC application and a standard set of files to support a Windows installation. Download the file, unpack it, and run the SETUP.EXE that it includes. All of the decisions are standard.

The next step is to run the application. You have a decision to make about how you want to run the server. You can either run it as an application, or you can install it as a service. Both options are available from the Start menu under Programs->VNC. If you just want to try it out, I recommend running it as an application. If and when you choose to run it on a more permanent basis, install it as a service. There's also a menu item to remove the service if you need it.

The first time you run the program, it will present you with the properties dialog as shown in Figure A.

FIGURE A


You must enter a password in the properties dialog the first time you run the VNC server. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The default settings should suffice until you can read the documentation, but you must set the server password in order to use the server.

If you choose to install the VNC server as a service, it will require you to either manually start the service or to reboot. When the service starts for the first time, it will present the properties dialog, also.

Testing the server
The VNC distribution comes with the VNC viewer. You should test your server installation with the viewer before attempting to use PalmVNC. Although the viewer is included in the installation, do not run it from the machine on which the server is running against that same server. If you really think about it, you'll realize that it would be like looking at two parallel mirrors that face each other or the image on a television driven by a video camera pointed at its screen. While it's at it, it also recursively consumes your computer's CPU resources. It's not a pretty sight.

That means that you must at least install the viewer on another machine that's networked to the server. If you'd rather not perform a full installation, the viewer is available as a standalone executable in the AT&T distribution's ZIP file. When you first run the viewer, you will see a dialog like that in Figure B.

FIGURE B


This is the first screen you see when you run the VNC viewer. Roll over picture for a larger image.

You need to enter something of the form <host name>:<port address> where <host name> is the name or IP address of the machine running the VNC server and <port address> is the port address of the VNC server. I use "kodachi:0" on my internal network. From the Internet, I use an IP address. More on that later.

After you enter the server reference, you'll be prompted for a password as shown in Figure C. This is the same password you set previously.

FIGURE C


Enter the same password you set for your server. Roll over picture for a larger image.