TigerVNC viewer should be able to open *.tigervnc files as an argument [$50 awarded]

[simula67]

Symptom

TigerVNC viewer says

"unable to resolve host by name: No such host is known. (11001)" 

while trying to open a *.tigervnc file with ServerName given in : format.

Specifying this directly in TigerVNC viewer works as expected.

How to reproduce

Save a *.tigervnc file with port name. Example with specifics removed follows :

TigerVNC Configuration file Version 1.0



ServerName=example.com:5901
x509ca=
x509crl=
SecurityTypes=X509Plain,TLSPlain,X509Vnc,TLSVnc,X509None,TLSNone,VncAuth,None
DotWhenNoCursor=0
AutoSelect=1
FullColor=1
LowColorLevel=2
PreferredEncoding=Tight
CustomCompressLevel=0
CompressLevel=2
NoJPEG=0
QualityLevel=8
FullScreen=0
FullScreenAllMonitors=1
DesktopSize=
geometry=
RemoteResize=1
ViewOnly=0
Shared=0
AcceptClipboard=1
SendClipboard=1
SendPrimary=1
MenuKey=F8
FullscreenSystemKeys=1

Now, use Windows to associate *.tigervnc files to be opened by vncviewer executable.
Try opening the file, it shows the error :

"unable to resolve host by name: No such host is known. (11001)"

OS

Windows

Expected behaviour

When *.tigervnc file contains ServerName key in the format :, vncviewer should attempt to connect to at .

---

The $50 bounty on this issue has been claimed at Bountysource.

[ghost]

Same behavior here when using IP-addresses and port like "ServerName=192.168.0.10:1".
As far as I looked through the code it seems to be located within tigervnc/vncviewer/parameters.cxx, here lines 574 and following.
I cannot see any code splitting the string after "ServerName=" at the ":" if present into hostname/IP-address and port.

[CendioOssman]

It supports this just fine. What it doesn't support is being given configuration files as a command line argument. It will then use the filename as the host to connect to.

So this is really a feature request for opening configuration files on the command line.

[ghost]

Thanks for clarification. So: When windows-double-clicking on (the associated) .tigervnc file the filename gets handed over to TigerVNC, but the content of the config file itself is not being processed. Your change of the subject is correct then.

[CendioOssman]

Correct. Besides options the viewer only supports a server name as a command line argument.

[TaylorSMarks]

Handling the files that your program generates isn't a feature or enhancement. That's the expected behavior. To not do that is a bug.

Instead, I have to completely ignore your partially-implemented file format (because it's worthless) and write a shortcut file that passes the proper arguments to the program.

If you'd actually finished implementing your file format, I could have a cross platform solution. Instead I'l have to write Windows shortcuts and .sh files that do the same thing.

[grinderx]

Any progress with this? I have an application that can generate .tigervnc files and which then I 'd like to open with TigerVNC in order to connect to hosts. It's not possible right now. All other VNC clients I have tried can do this, but not TigerVNC. Thanks.

[CendioOssman]

No one is working on this as far as I know.

[bphinz]

Not sure if it helps your use case, but the latest (1.7.80) version of the TigerVNC Java viewer has a '-config' option that can be used to specify a .tigervnc file at startup.

[grinderx]

@CendioOssman If that's the case that's a shame :(

@bphinz Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately there are two issues:

1. The ServerName option doesn't get parsed to the client at all
2. The Fullscreen mode doesn't work when using all the monitors

[bphinz]

Would you mind submitting a ticket for that. The ServerName issue I'm aware of (it's a quirk that exists because of applet mode), but I didn't know about Fullscreen. Thanks

[javabrett]

This is now my favourite issue/enhancement. Being able to pass a configuration-file for the viewer launch binary is a fundamental behaviour - the alternative is wasted time loading the config file each time through a UI.

The issue summary should be updated to make it clear that the request is for command-line argument support for the config file.

Please vote for this issue.

[jgeorgeson]

Another voice for what @javabrett said. Clicking through the GUI to load the file is functional but clunky. Being able to double-click the config file to connect would be great, but a "bookmarks" style drop menu instead of a file chooser would work too I think.

[co0kiee]

I'd love for this to get done.

[ghost]

Is this still needing to be done? I saw the bounty on bountysource.

[Kypert]

While it has been delivered, I do not know what else has to be done in order to close it.

…

On Sun, Jul 15, 2018, 18:10 James Buren ***@***.***> wrote: Is this still needing to be done? I saw the bounty on bountysource. — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#38 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AkPaQqDdJJwe3dPgxCya0YdzP7z_ixQtks5uG2l5gaJpZM4CmB_M> .

[grinderx]

Could you please point to the related commit for this as I can't find it? Thanks

[CendioOssman]

Ah. The syntax was slightly off on the PR so github didn't automatically close this. I can do it manually.

@Kypert, let me know if there are any issues claiming the bounty.

[CendioOssman]

Could you please point to the related commit for this as I can't find it? Thanks

It's PR #632 and commit 50439d7.

[grinderx]

It's PR #632 and commit 50439d7.

Thanks. My understanding is that this patch has been applied to the latest beta. However, it doesn't seem to be working for me. I tried by double clicking a .tigervnc file as well as by reverting to the CLI

C:\>vncviewer64-1.8.90.exe vncserver.tigervnc

In both cases I get the same error:

unable to resolve host by name: No such host is known.

[CendioOssman]

Double clicking or dragging works fine for me. However the command line needs to include a \ for the viewer to be able to tell the difference between it and a hostname.

Are you sure your config file just doesn't have an invalid ServerName in it?

[grinderx]

OK, I checked again and CLI works the way you instructed by adding the \. Double-clicking also worked, I had to fix my windoze settings by editing the registry and cleaning up the "Open with" apps configured previously.

All good now. Thanks for fixing this issue 👍 Hopefully, the next stable version which will include this patch won't take long to get released :)

[CendioOssman]

This is included in the just released 1.9.0.