Desktop sharing

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Desktop sharing is technology that lets people view and control a computer’s screen from another location, making remote work and collaboration possible.

Two common uses:
- Remote login: connect to your own desktop while you’re away. Built-in options include the X Window System on Unix-like systems and Windows Remote Desktop (RDP) since Windows 2000; older Microsoft NetMeeting is another option.
- VNC: a cross‑platform solution using a client/server model. You run a VNC viewer on your computer and a VNC server on the remote computer; keystrokes and mouse clicks are sent to the remote machine.

Limits and fixes:
- Many desktop-sharing tools don’t work across different networks (NAT). Some commercial products tunnel traffic through rendezvous servers to get around this.

Apple devices use Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) for desktop sharing.

Real-time collaboration and web conferencing:
- Sharing screens in real time, often with audio and video, so people can meet and work together.
- As more apps move to the cloud, browser-based screen sharing (cobrowsing) has grown in popularity.