06 Remote Desktop (VNC/RDP)

WxTerm has a built-in cross-platform VNC and RDP remote desktop client, allowing access to remote graphical desktops without installing third-party tools.

6.1 Establishing a Remote Desktop Connection

Via a Session

1. In the session manager, create a new session and select VNC or RDP as the protocol.
2. Fill in the host, port, and authentication info (VNC password / RDP username and password).
3. Save and connect.

Via Quick Connect

• In the quick connect dialog, select the VNC or RDP protocol, fill in the info, and connect.

After a successful connection, an independent remote desktop window opens (separated from the main terminal window), convenient for operating the terminal and desktop simultaneously.

6.2 Remote Desktop Window Layout

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Floating toolbar: [Fullscreen][Zoom][Mute][Combo][Transfer][Send Text][Info][Disconnect]│
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│                    Remote desktop screen                    │
│                  (remote screen render area)                │
│                                                             │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The toolbar is a floating semi-transparent style, hovering at the top of the window; it auto-fades when the mouse moves away so as not to block the screen.

6.3 Toolbar Buttons

Button	Function	Description
Fullscreen	Toggle fullscreen mode	In fullscreen, the window border is hidden and the desktop fills the screen; click again to exit. When active, the button text changes to “Exit Fullscreen”
Zoom	Toggle zoom mode	When on, the remote screen scales proportionally to the window size; when off, it displays at 1:1 original size (may require scrolling). When active, the text changes to “Original Size”
Mute	Toggle audio mute	Only effective for RDP audio redirection. Audio is not supported in the current version; this button is always disabled. When active, the text changes to “Unmute”
Combo	Send combo keys	Pops up a shortcut key panel to send Ctrl+Alt+Del, Alt+Tab, etc. to the remote
Transfer	File transfer	VNC: depends on server support; RDP: via drive mapping. When no corresponding function is available, the button is disabled (grayed out)
Send Text	Send text to remote	Sends local clipboard text to the remote desktop input
Info	Connection info	Shows protocol version, security method, screen size, pixel format, encoding, audio format, etc.
Disconnect	Disconnect	Closes the remote desktop session and the window

Buttons appear grayed out and disabled for features not supported by the current protocol. For example, under VNC, the “Transfer” button is disabled when the server does not support file transfer; under RDP, “Transfer” is disabled when no drive mapping is configured.

6.4 Fullscreen Mode

• Click the “Fullscreen” button or check “Launch fullscreen” when connecting.
• In fullscreen, the window has no border and the desktop fills the entire screen.
• The toolbar can still be summoned by moving the mouse to the top of the screen.
• Exit fullscreen: click the “Exit Fullscreen” button or press Esc.

6.5 Zoom Mode

Mode	Description
Zoom on (default)	The remote screen scales proportionally to fit the window size; may produce black bars
Original size	Displays the remote screen at 1:1; scroll to view when the window is smaller than the screen

In non-fullscreen window mode, if the window size matches the remote screen, the zoom button has no effect (no room to zoom). It is recommended to use zoom in fullscreen mode.

6.6 Mouse and Keyboard

Mouse

• Movement, left button, right button, middle button, and scroll wheel are mapped directly to the remote desktop.
• Double-click, drag, and other gestures are supported normally.
• Remote custom mouse cursors are synced and displayed locally.

Keyboard

• Normal keys are sent directly to the remote.
• Some system-level combo keys (such as Ctrl+Alt+Del, Alt+Tab) are intercepted by the local system; use the “Combo” button to send them.

Combo Key Panel

Click the “Combo” button to pop up the shortcut key panel:

Common combo keys:

• Ctrl+Alt+Del
• Alt+Tab
• Win key
• Alt+F4
• Ctrl+Shift+Esc (Task Manager)

6.7 Clipboard Sync

RDP

• After checking “Redirect clipboard” in the session config, the local and remote clipboards sync bidirectionally.
• Content copied locally can be pasted remotely, and vice versa.

VNC

• Clipboard sync depends on VNC server support.
• The “Send Text” button can actively send local clipboard text to the remote.

6.8 RDP Drive Mapping

RDP sessions can be configured with drive mapping, mapping local directories as network drives on the remote Windows, enabling bidirectional file access.

Configuration

When creating/editing an RDP session:

1. In the “Drive Mapping” area, click “Add Drive”.
2. Fill in the drive name and local path.
3. You can add multiple mappings.
4. Save and connect.

After connecting, in the remote Windows “This PC”, you will see the mapped network drives, which can be read and written like local disks.

Drive mapping requires the remote Windows to enable RDPDR redirection support (Windows Server / Pro editions support it by default).

6.9 RDP Other Redirections

In addition to clipboard and drives, RDP also supports the following device redirections (check in session config):

Redirection	Description
Printer	Maps the local printer to the remote; can print to the local printer from the remote
Smart card	Maps the local smart card reader to the remote
Audio	Redirects remote audio output to local playback (not supported in the current version)

6.10 Connection Info

Click the “Info” button to display detailed info about the current connection:

Field	VNC example	RDP example
Desktop name	Desktop name	Desktop name
Device	Remote host	Remote host
Protocol version	RFB 3.8	RDP 10.x
Security method	VNC Authentication	Standard Security
Screen size	1920×1080	1920×1080
Pixel format	32-bit RGBA	32-bit BGRA
Encoding	Tight / Raw	RDPGFX
Audio format	—	Opus / PCM (not supported in the current version)
Connection type	—	LAN / WAN

6.11 Disconnect and Exit

• Click the “Disconnect” button to disconnect and close the remote desktop window.
• After the remote user logs out (e.g. Windows sign out), WxTerm automatically disconnects and closes the window without popping up an error dialog.
• When the connection is abnormally disconnected, an error message is displayed.

6.12 VNC vs RDP Comparison

Feature	VNC	RDP
Applicable systems	Linux / cross-platform	Windows (also supports xrdp)
Default port	5900	3389
Authentication	Connection password	Username + password
Audio	Not supported	Supports redirection (not supported in the current version)
Clipboard	Depends on server	Native support
Drive mapping	Not supported	Supported
Device redirection	Mouse and keyboard only	Printer/smart card/audio
Performance	Medium	Higher (native protocol)