How to run VNC server on Android-x86

Last updated on August 21, 2020 by Dan Nanni

VNC (Virtual Network Computing) allows you to share a local desktop screen with other remote users. VNC is a client-server model where a VNC server relays updates of local desktop screen and keyboard/mouse events over network, and VNC client (or viewer) receives updates and events to view and control a remote desktop.

If you would like to control an Android device remotely by using VNC, you can run a VNC server on the Android device. There is an Android version of VNC server called android-vnc-server.

However, in order to run VNC server on Android x86, you cannot use the original android-vnc-server which is ARM-based, but rather need to rebuild android-vnc-server for x86-based processor architecture. For your convenience, you can simply download an x86 version of android-vnc-server binary (named droidvnc_x86). Then follow the rest of the steps to run the binary on Android-x86.

I assume that you know the IP address of Android-x86 host.

First, transfer the downloaded VNC server binary to the host by using ADB.

$ export ADBHOST=<IP_ADDRESS of Android-x86>
$ adb start-server
$ adb push droidvnc_x86 /system/bin/

Then start a remote shell in the destination Android-x86 host.

$ adb shell

Now you are in the Android-x86 host. Change the permission of the downloaded VNC server binary, and launch it.

# chmod 755 /system/bin/droidvnc_x86
# droidvnc_x86

Once you have started VNC server, you can run any VNC viewer on a separate host or device to remotely control the Android-x86 host. In this example, I am going to use a VNC viewer app for Android, called androidVNC. So I end up controlling a remote Android-x86 host from another Android device.

Once you install and launch androidVNC app, type in the following info.

• Nickname: android-x86
• Password: (password is not needed)
• Address: IP address of your Android-x86 host
• Port: 5901

Once you connect to the VNC server, you will see the desktop screen of your Android-x86 host.

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