Q: Lion broke screen sharing, VNC?

this didn't work for me unfortunately (and I'm back on Leopard now)

Unless there's been a fix/patch in the last week?  (since 26th July)

I can get in via VNC no problem:

From an iPad via Mocha VNC

From a Mac 10.4.11 via Chicken of the VNC

From Windows XP via TightVNC Viewer

However there is a fundamental change in how VNC on Lion works (from my perspective) in that as Lion is now a true multi user system from a GUI point of view rather than the connection giving you what's on the remote screen you get the logon page. If you logon to the current system with the active userid then  you see what they see - if you use another userid you get your own personal session. The upshot of this is that you can't be in view only mode as you need to enter a password to progress.

Regards,

Shawn

thanks "Shawn" - would you be able clarify what you mean by "view only mode" - like in terms of what settings on the MacBook &/or what settings in VNC?   I have always just one user account & have been logged into this on my MacBook, then when remote VNC in using this same account - not sure if you're suggesting I need to do something different to this now?

I, too, am having problems. I know screen sharing worked a few days ago when I wa showing off Lion to a friend, and now the "Share Screen" button doesn't even show up.

I bought Lion for full-screen screen sharing and used the old version almost daily for work. Now here I am at the office, 2 hours away from my iMac, and needing to punch in. Ordinarily, I could screen share to get the IP and go that way... hmmm.

MixedUp,

All the 3 VNC clients above have a setting that used to permit the client to view only - i.e. You could read the screen but not enter via keyboard or mouse. With Lion that isn't possible as you have to log on to a session so have to select a userid and enter a password from the logon screen.

Prior to Lion (i.e. SL and below) the VNC client would just see whatever was on the Macs "real" screen, now as Lion is a true multi user GUI system you get the logon screen - if you select the userid who's on the system you get what they get, if you select another userid you get a fresh session with your own screen and they don't even see you there!

Regards,

Shawn

I've upgraded a "headless" mini server, an iMac and three MBPs.  The upgrades all went smoothly, but my management MBP wouldn't upgrade to the new remote management version!  Very frustrating, I couldn't even do a manual update as it reported I didn't have the app installed!  Then I remembered I moved the app to my Server folder so all my server apps were together!  Moved it back to the main Applications folder and the update went swimmingly!

I can now remote manage the mini, the iMAC and one of the MBPs (another is my "management" MBP and works well).  The other MBP, I can't remote into anymore!  I can ssh etc. but not remote desktop.  I have noted that this is the only MBP that has autologin working after the update (auto login is enabled in workgroup manager for all except the server, but is greyed out in the local login configs), so I'm suspecting it is along those lines.  It also doesn't seem to be taking config changes from workgroup manager correctly!  I'll do some digging later, but I suspect it is related to the autologin (which didn't matter under Snow Leopard).

@Shawn - in fact then Shawn I've been trying with the following software:

  * RealVNC "VNC Viewer Free Edition - v 4.1.3" - used on XP

Are you hinting at (as this isn't one of the three you list) there may be an issue/constraint with using this "VNC Viewer Free Edition" on Lion in terms of the new way Lion works?  

thanks

Switched off remote management, switched on screen sharing and then turned on remote management again, fixed my problem but not the same as VNC issues.

I think "Viewer" in this context shouldn't be confused with View Only mode - in this context "Viewer" is more akin to being a Client, i.e. one who initiates a session to access a remote Server.

By view only mode as above I mean that you can view the screen but the keyboard and mouse have no effect - useful for exampe checking whats happeining on a remode server without the possibility of actually changing anything (accidental or otherwise) - Plus great for snooping on the kids :-)

RealVNC is a good product so it should work - but the difference between Lion and previous OSX systems is that before when you access OSX (with the VNC "master" passord if set) you got straight into whatever was logged on at the Remote. With Lion, regardless of who is or is not logged on you will get a Logon screen in VNC - you can then either select the active user, in which case you get to see whats there as before, or select another userid which means you get a session all to yourself.

But in either case you have to ENTER a userid and password - which meane the "view only" mode setting in VNC is no longer applicable. It also means you *must* know the password of the userid you wish to access!

I do note whatever client you use VNC is noticably slower than before (well it is at least on my systems )

Hope this help....

Regards,

Shawn

... Oh and I have Timbuktu Pro as well - that worked as before (no logon required)

Shawn

@Shawn - thanks - by the way, you haven't been successful with logmein I don't suppose - would be interesting to hear whether with Lion how the performance speed of logmein versus vnc would go...(I had troubles with both under Lion so went back to Leopard for the moment)

Shawn,  I have two of the three VNC clients you mention (though the Mocha VNC I have is the Lite version), and still can't connect to my Lion machine from either.  I suspect the problem is on the Lion side.  Can you share the specific settings you're using?

Hi, Reubania,

Thanks! It works!! rollback to ARD3.4 works! It works just like on Leopard.

But, I don't think it's necessary to do it as you described. I simply download the ARD3.4 and install it by following the package's install window. I also did the steps you described to rollback, however, it didn't work for me. I think just following the install package's install instruction is enough.

Anyway, I am very happy now.

Reubania's info (pg 2)  on rolling back to ARD3.4 worked for me too!  Screen sharing was restored.  I dunno about remote management -- i've never used it and don't know how, but screen sharing is back!

Glad to help guys! I too don't know anything about Remote Management and prob won't use it...but Screen Sharing is crucial in how I operate my Mac Mini and MacBook Air. Very happy rolling back to ARD3.4 works for you guys.

WDB2010 - It might be necessary, but I'm trying to retain as much 3.5.1 files in my OSX Lion system. My steps describe only removes the newer ARDAgent 3.5.1 and replaces it with the older 3.4 version, whilst retaining all the newer files. It's just isolates the problem. But if you just installed ARD3.4 and install it over the top of the newer 3.5.1, it might wreck havoc on your system. But hey, it works, and that's all that matters.

I know both machines are displaying Apple's automatic Software Update for "Remote Desktop Client Update 3.5.1." NO way in **** am I gonna be applying any more updates from Apple as long as ARD3.4 enables Screen Sharing