RDP / VNC software?

Feek · 15 Mar 2025 at 20:06

I use Microsoft Remote Desktop to connect to a a couple of Windows PCs and that's fine. Now I have a headless Mac mini running, it's just a minor faff having to click Finder, go, connect to server, connect, sign in, pick high performance and then finally get on.

Is there a third party app that doesn't cost £35 (like Jump Desktop) where I can set up both RDP and VNC connections?

uvarvu · 15 Mar 2025 at 22:12

Does mobaxterm fit the bill?

ChrisD. · 16 Mar 2025 at 03:41

RoyalTSX might be an option, although unsure on cost.

uvarvu said:
Does mobaxterm fit the bill?

Windows only sadly.

uvarvu · 16 Mar 2025 at 11:02

ChrisD. said:
RoyalTSX might be an option, although unsure on cost.

Windows only sadly.

Damn I didn’t know that! I thought something like mobaxterm would be cross platform.

ChrisD. · 16 Mar 2025 at 11:14

uvarvu said:
Damn I didn’t know that! I thought something like mobaxterm would be cross platform.

It’s annoying as I’d use it, I love it on Windows.

bimbleuk · 16 Mar 2025 at 12:31

Not tried it but Chrome Remote Desktop?

Or a tiny/nano/jet KVM.

Bluecube · 16 Mar 2025 at 12:36

RoyalTSX is very good and covers a wide variety of remote connections. The free version allows upto ten different connection profiles so plenty of scope to experiment

Feek · 16 Mar 2025 at 12:52

Bluecube said:
RoyalTSX is very good and covers a wide variety of remote connections. The free version allows upto ten different connection profiles so plenty of scope to experiment

The interface is very ugly and I'm having a problem passing Mac control keys to the VNC connection into my Mac mini. If I do cmd-comma, it takes me into the settings of Royal TSX itself and if I do cmd-q, it tells me it's going to close the host app. I can't figure out how to get them passed through to the client.

MacRS4 · 18 Mar 2025 at 22:41

Feek said:
I use Microsoft Remote Desktop to connect to a a couple of Windows PCs and that's fine. Now I have a headless Mac mini running, it's just a minor faff having to click Finder, go, connect to server, connect, sign in, pick high performance and then finally get on.

Is there a third party app that doesn't cost £35 (like Jump Desktop) where I can set up both RDP and VNC connections?

You can just save the connection with high-speed already configured, that way you can just double-click on the short-cut? I also use Jump Desktop, but yeah, the cost isn't great.

Feek · 18 Mar 2025 at 22:51

MacRS4 said:
You can just save the connection with high-speed already configured, that way you can just double-click on the short-cut?

Not that I can see. I have to select it every time.

https://feek.co.uk/video.mp4

MacRS4 · 18 Mar 2025 at 23:16

Once you've started the session, connection/save as? See here.

MacRS4 · 18 Mar 2025 at 23:17

Sit through that 10s please - was recording the wrong screen....

Feek · 19 Mar 2025 at 07:38

MacRS4 said:
connection/save as?

I had no idea I could do that, perfect solution, thanks. I'll save that somewhere and invoke it via Alfred.

MacRS4 · 19 Mar 2025 at 15:14

Works pretty well. I have a folder in my Dock with all the common machines - whether VNC or RDP - in there, so I can select that, it expands, and hit the machine I want. Never thought to do it with Alfred! May have a look see at that.

Feek · 19 Mar 2025 at 15:28

I did think about setting up a workflow in Alfred but it's not even needed. Because it's a saved file, all I do is hit cmd-space, space, m (as it's the first letter of the file I saved) and hit enter.