Screen Sharing with automatic network discovery

[pstadler]

I just released a Screen Sharing workflow with automatic discovery of hosts that have remote desktop enabled. Such amazing things are now possible thanks to the "Script Filter" input!

 

Download — stable version.

 

 

The source code is available here: https://github.com/pstadler/alfred-screensharing

Edited March 24, 2013 by pstadler

[DJay]

Great. Thanks a lot.

But didn't work well for me.

Name of my MacBook ist "MacBook Air"

But I have to connect with "MacBook-Air.local"  see the -

Have no Idea what this is about. 

[pstadler]

I'll check this out as soon as possible. Stay tuned.

[pstadler]

@DJay: This is now fixed. Just download and install it again.

[DJay]

work like charm. great. thanks for that.

[harringg]

I've got a Mac Mini and 15" MBP (MBP-15) that i'm trying to access from my 13" MBP (MBP-13) using this workflow.  My Mac Mini shows up when typing "vnc" in Alfred v2, but not the MBP-15.  I can connect to the MBP-15 via vnc://IP address via Connect To Server fine.

 

Is there a setting I need to adjust in the System Preferences on the MBP-15 to get it be seen on the MBP-13 (the computer running Alfred v2).

 

Mac Mini and MBP-15 are running 10.7, MBP-13 is running 10.8

 

Thanks

[altryne]

Doesn't work for me too

Mac is called "alex-macmini.local" but alfred is trying to connect to alexmacmini.local and it doesn't work

[pstadler]

This has been fixed with the latest release.

 

Thanks for your feedback.

[altryne]

Is there a chance that the download link is the old one? Tried re-installing, same

Also, my own machine appears in the vnc list, maybe it'll be good to remove the machine I'm on

[pstadler]

This is weird, are you sure you've replaced it with the new version?

 

Try to download and install it again. Use the "ZIP" download link here: https://github.com/pstadler/alfred-screensharing

[cmsj]

Great workflow, very helpful. One thing that might be nice would be if it would show .local hosts before .icloud (i.e. Back To My Mac) hosts, but it doesn't make a huge difference imo Thanks!

[pstadler]

Great workflow, very helpful. One thing that might be nice would be if it would show .local hosts before .icloud (i.e. Back To My Mac) hosts, but it doesn't make a huge difference imo Thanks!

 

I couldn't verify if this really works, but Alfred is supposed to learn what items you use most and move them to the top of the list.

[harringg]

Just downloaded the one posted "

4 hours ago

 

fix XML to match specs" and same thing.  Only shows MacMini, yet Finder>Cmd-K>vnc://IP-address takes me right to the MBP-15

[bocaboy]

It worked perfectly for me! So-o helpful! Thanks for an excellent utility for the new Alfred. I'll be using this every day! 

[harringg]

 

Also, typing VNC 99.9.9.99 (simply masking my actual IP in the forums) launched Screen Share, but said the IP was wrong and showed 999999 in the  As soon as I added the decimal in the IP address, it took me to the Screen Share of the MBP-15

 

 

 

Connection failed to “999999”.

Please make sure that Screen Sharing (in the Sharing section of System Preferences) is enabled on the computer to which you are attempting to connect. Also make sure your network connection is working properly.

 

 

OS 10.8.3

[pstadler]

@harrigg: I just updated the workflow to not escape the manual input (in your case the IP) anymore. This makes more sense than the way it worked before.

 

About your other problem. Please open Terminal.app and run the following command:

dns-sd -B _rfb._tcp

It sould immediately return a result like this:

Browsing for _rfb._tcp
DATE: ---Sat 16 Mar 2013---
15:02:47.020  ...STARTING...
Timestamp     A/R Flags if Domain                    Service Type              Instance Name
15:02:47.021  Add     3  5 local.                    _rfb._tcp.                Daedalus
15:02:47.021  Add     2  5 local.                    _rfb._tcp.                Brainbug

Press Ctrl+c to quit it. If MBP-15 is not listed there, then there's a problem with the service discovery for MBP-15 in your network. Are you using the default screen sharing service on this machine? Also, are you able to connect to the MacMini with the workflow?

[harringg]

No MBP-15 doesn't show up in the terminal script, will have to investigate that.

 

Your latest fix allowed me to access via "vnc 99.9.9.99" to MBP-15

 

I actually hadn't tried the MacMini before, but no I can't connect.  I also haven't checked the settings on that machine.

 

Thanks for the quick response and the assistance.  

[altryne]

@pstadler - what about my other suggestion? Hide the mac I'm working on from the list? It seems strange that I have the option to control my own mac?

[pstadler]

@pstadler - what about my other suggestion? Hide the mac I'm working on from the list? It seems strange that I have the option to control my own mac?

 

Your own host should not be listed. Please help me figure out what's wrong.

Open Terminal.app and run the following command:

hostname && dns-sd -B _rfb._tcp

Post the output here.

 

Thanks

[altryne]

18:30:26.651  ...STARTING...

Timestamp     A/R Flags if Domain                    Service Type              Instance Name

18:30:26.651  Add     2  4 local.                    _rfb._tcp.                new_macmini (that's the host I'm on)

[pstadler]

@altryne: I fixed the problem with hostname escaping. Check out the new version.

[jeffbyrnes]

Tremendous, thanks for this!

[Docproc]

This is a really great workflow, thanks!

 

Is there a way to filter out the name of the machine on which I'm working at the moment? I can't imagine a situation where I would want to VNC to my local machine. In fact with the current version of the workflow I see several identical entries for my local host, it would be nice to only have one.

 

Glenn.

 

[pstadler]

Make sure that you're having the latest version. Just use the download link in the first post.

 

If this doesn't help, please open Terminal.app, run the following command and post the output here.

 

hostname && dns-sd -B _rfb._tcp

[aquadan]

Really nice, thanks.

 

However, I rarely connect to local machines, it would be really nice if you could read the list of favorite vnc servers out of ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sidebarlists.plist and include them in the results.