Is there any way to have the Screen Sharing app in Snow Leopard to remember the last connected host?

I'm wondering if there is an easier way. Currently, I launch Screen Sharing app, and a window appears asking for a host to connect to. I'd like it to already have the host field populated with my last connected host. Is there any way to enable such functionality? Thanks in advance.

Solution 1:

Don't know of a way to specifically do that, but you can set up browser bookmarks and/or desktop icons that will connect to specific hosts, if that's any help.

For the former, create a bookmark that points to vnc://hostname.blah.com rather than the more usual http://hostname.blah.com.

For the latter, create a text file with the .command suffix (e.g. 'myvnc.command') that contains the single line:

open vnc://hostname.blah.com

which will start the screen sharing session when you double-click it in Finder. You can also drag it to your dock if you wish.

Solution 2:

I used to put the ScreenSharing app icon in my dock, but I found a better way.

Finder's general "Connect to Server" capability is wonderful. Click Finder, or Command-Tab to it, then in the "Go" Menu, choose "Connect to Server". Alternatively, if you're a keyboard freak like me, make Finder active then press Command + k.

Like Calum's suggestion above, the vnc://hostname.local. URI is correct. However, this method (using the Connect to Server window) remembers the last server you connected too :).

As an aside, the Connect to Server dialog is infinitely flexible. You can put paths to Samba Shares (smb://), AFP Servers (afp://), VNC/Screen Sharing entries (vnc://), and almost anything with a protocol (except http/https, oddly enough) in there and it'll use it. FTP (ftp://) works, http:// works for Webdav sites, NOT websites, and more.

Solution 3:

Another way could be the following:

Once you are connected with screen sharing, take a closer look at title bar of Screen Sharing´s main window. Next to the name of the host you´re connected to, sits a little proxy icon that looks like a document. Click exactly on this tiny icon and drag it to your dock. This will create a file called hostname.vncloc in your dock which you can now click to directly connect to your host.

For additional comfort (if you haven´t done so already), while on the VNC connection prompt, make sure to check the checkbox prompting you to add the username and password you use for VNC to your keychain.