Display and Control macOS, Linux and Windows with OmniEdge

Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a graphical desktop-sharing system that uses the Remote Frame Buffer protocol (RFB) to remotely control another computer. It transmits the keyboard and mouse input from one computer to another, relaying the graphical-screen updates over a network.

With OmniEdge, VNC can work securely over OmniEdge's peer-to-peer mesh network, replacing expensive remote access tools with a secure, encrypted connection from anywhere.

Features

• Remote Control across Windows, Mac, Linux
• Cross-platform support
• File transfer
• Secure encryption via OmniEdge mesh
• No port forwarding required

Requirements

• OmniEdge v2.x for your platform:
  • macOS CLI or Desktop
  • Windows Desktop
  • Linux CLI or Desktop
• VNC Server and Client (TightVNC or RealVNC)

Install OmniEdge

Quick Install (Linux/macOS CLI)

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/omniedgeio/omniedge/main/scripts/omniedge-install.sh | bash

Connect to Your Network

# Start OmniEdge (interactive login on first run)
sudo omniedge start

# Or use security key for headless/server use
sudo omniedge start -s YOUR_SECURITY_KEY -n YOUR_NETWORK_ID

Verify Connection

omniedge status
# Shows your virtual IP, e.g., 100.100.100.5

Install TightVNC for Windows

Download TightVNC and install it. TightVNC runs on any version of Windows.

Refer to the TightVNC Installation Guide (PDF) for detailed setup.

Install TightVNC

• Windows 64-bit: tightvnc-2.8.27-gpl-setup-64bit.msi
• Windows 32-bit: tightvnc-2.8.27-gpl-setup-32bit.msi

Configure TightVNC Server

After running TightVNC Server, you'll see a tray icon:

Right-click the tray icon to access Configuration:

Set the password for remote control:

Install TightVNC for Ubuntu

sudo apt update
# Install desktop environment if needed
sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies -y
sudo apt install tightvncserver -y

Run the vncserver command to set a VNC access password and start a VNC server:

vncserver

The server launches on port TCP 5901 (display :1). VNC can launch multiple instances on other display ports (:2 = 5902, :3 = 5903, etc.).

Stop the server with:

vncserver -kill :1

Run VNC Server as a Service

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/vncserver@.service << 'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=Start TightVNC server at startup
After=syslog.target network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
User=ubuntu
Group=ubuntu
WorkingDirectory=/home/ubuntu

PIDFile=/home/ubuntu/.vnc/%H:%i.pid
ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/vncserver -kill :%i > /dev/null 2>&1
ExecStart=/usr/bin/vncserver -depth 24 -geometry 1280x800 -localhost :%i
ExecStop=/usr/bin/vncserver -kill :%i

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable vncserver@1.service
sudo systemctl start vncserver@1
sudo systemctl status vncserver@1

VNC port: 5901 for :1, 5902 for :2, etc.

Connect via OmniEdge

Once both machines are connected to the same OmniEdge virtual network:

1. Note the VNC server's virtual IP (e.g., 100.100.100.10)
2. On your VNC client machine, connect using the virtual IP:

VNC Server Address: 100.100.100.10:5901

Or for TightVNC Viewer on Windows:

Remote Host: 100.100.100.10::5901

Remote Control a Friend's Computer

You can invite friends to your virtual network to provide remote support:

1. Go to OmniEdge Dashboard
2. Select your virtual network
3. Go to Users → Invite
4. Enter your friend's email address

Once they accept and install OmniEdge, you can connect to their VNC server using their virtual IP.

Security Benefits

Using OmniEdge with VNC provides:

• No exposed public IP - VNC server is only accessible via virtual IP
• End-to-end encryption - All traffic encrypted with WireGuard
• NAT traversal - Works through firewalls and NAT without port forwarding
• Access control - Only invited users can join your network

If you have more questions, feel free to discuss.