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A complete uninstall starts by identifying which RealVNC packages are present, then stopping any active VNC services before removing the software through the correct package manager for your distribution. After that, leftover files in system and user directories can be deleted manually if you no longer need saved connections, server settings, or license data.
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The process is similar across Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, RHEL, openSUSE, Arch-based systems, and other distributions, but the exact package commands differ. The steps below cover both RealVNC Server and Viewer, including cleanup and verification so you can confirm the software has been fully removed.
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Before removing RealVNC, identify which components are installed and how they were installed. RealVNC commonly appears as RealVNC Server, RealVNC Viewer, or both. On Linux, these may be installed from .deb or .rpm packages, from a distribution package manager, or manually from files placed under system directories such as /usr/bin, /usr/share, and /etc. Knowing what is present helps you remove the correct packages without missing background services or user-level configuration.
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Start by checking the package database for installed RealVNC packages. On Debian and Ubuntu-based systems, use:
dpkg -l | grep -i realvnc
dpkg -l | grep -i vnc
Typical RealVNC package names include realvnc-vnc-server and realvnc-vnc-viewer. On Fedora, CentOS, RHEL, Rocky Linux, and AlmaLinux, query RPM packages instead:
rpm -qa | grep -i realvnc
rpm -qa | grep -i vnc
If your system uses DNF, you can also check installed packages with:
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dnf list installed | grep -i realvnc
On openSUSE, use Zypper to search the installed package list:
zypper search --installed-only realvnc
zypper search --installed-only vnc
Next, check whether RealVNC binaries are available in your command path. This helps detect installations that may not appear clearly in the package manager output:
command -v vncserver
command -v vncviewer
command -v vnclicense
command -v vncpasswd
You can also inspect common RealVNC locations directly:
ls -l /usr/bin/vnc*
ls -l /usr/sbin/vnc*
ls -l /usr/share/realvnc* 2>/dev/null
ls -l /etc/vnc 2>/dev/null
ls -l /etc/realvnc* 2>/dev/null
RealVNC Server usually installs systemd service units. Check for enabled, running, or previously installed services with:
systemctl list-unit-files | grep -i vnc
systemctl list-units --type=service --all | grep -i vnc
Look for services such as vncserver-x11-serviced.service, vncserver-virtuald.service, or other RealVNC-related unit names. If these appear, they should be stopped and disabled before the package is removed. RealVNC Viewer typically does not run as a background system service, but it may leave desktop launchers and user preferences behind.
Finally, check per-user configuration, especially if mulle users have connected to or hosted VNC sessions on the machine. Common locations include:
ls -la ~/.vnc
ls -la ~/.config/RealVNC 2>/dev/null
ls -la ~/.local/share/RealVNC 2>/dev/null
For shared systems, repeat these checks for other home directories under /home, or use sudo find to locate RealVNC-related files:
sudo find /home /root -iname '*realvnc*' -o -iname '*vnc*'
Record the package names, service names, executable paths, and configuration directories you find. These details will determine the exact uninstall commands and cleanup steps needed in the following sections.
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Stop and Disable RealVNC Services
Before removing RealVNC packages, stop any running VNC Server processes and disable them so they do not restart during the uninstall. RealVNC Server may run as a system service for remote access to the physical desktop, as a virtual desktop service, or as per-user sessions launched from a desktop environment. The exact service names vary by version and installation method, so check what is active first.
On most modern distributions that use systemd, list RealVNC-related units with the following commands:
systemctl list-units --type=service | grep -i vnc
systemctl list-unit-files | grep -i vnc
Common RealVNC service names include vncserver-x11-serviced.service, vncserver-virtuald.service, and sometimes older or distribution-specific entries containing vncserver. If you see RealVNC services running, stop them first:
sudo systemctl stop vncserver-x11-serviced.service
sudo systemctl stop vncserver-virtuald.service
Then disable them so they are not started automatically at boot:
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sudo systemctl disable vncserver-virtuald.service
If a service does not exist on your system, systemctl may return a “Unit not found” message. That is expected when a component is not installed. For a more aggressive cleanup before package removal, you can also mask the units temporarily, which prevents systemd from starting them even if another service tries to call them:
sudo systemctl mask vncserver-x11-serviced.service
sudo systemctl mask vncserver-virtuald.service
If you mask the services, unmasking is only needed if you later reinstall RealVNC and want systemd to manage those units again:
sudo systemctl unmask vncserver-x11-serviced.service
sudo systemctl unmask vncserver-virtuald.service
RealVNC may also run processes under individual user accounts, especially when Viewer is open or when a user-level VNC session was started manually. Check for active processes with:
ps aux | grep -i '[v]nc'
pgrep -a -i vnc
If you find RealVNC processes still running, close any open Viewer windows and stop user sessions cleanly where possible. For stubborn processes, terminate them by process ID:
sudo kill <PID>
If they do not exit, use:
sudo kill -9 <PID>
On older Linux systems that use SysV init instead of systemd, check for VNC init scripts and stop them with the service command:
ls /etc/init.d/ | grep -i vnc
sudo service vncserver-x11-serviced stop
sudo service vncserver-virtuald stop
Then remove them from the default startup sequence using the appropriate tool for your distribution. On Debian or Ubuntu systems with SysV compatibility, use:
sudo update-rc.d -f vncserver-x11-serviced remove
sudo update-rc.d -f vncserver-virtuald remove
On RHEL, CentOS, Rocky Linux, or older Fedora systems using chkconfig, use:
sudo chkconfig vncserver-x11-serviced off
sudo chkconfig vncserver-virtuald off
After stopping services, confirm that RealVNC is no longer listening for incoming connections. RealVNC commonly uses TCP port 5900 for direct VNC connections and may use additional ports for virtual desktops. Check listening sockets with:
ss -tulpn | grep -E '(:5900|vnc)'
If no RealVNC service is listening and no VNC processes remain, you can proceed with package removal. Stopping and disabling services first helps prevent partially removed installations, locked files, or lingering remote-access daemons after the uninstall completes.
Uninstall RealVNC Using Your Package Manager
After stopping and disabling RealVNC services, remove the installed packages with your distribution’s package manager. RealVNC packages are usually named realvnc-vnc-server for RealVNC Server and realvnc-vnc-viewer for RealVNC Viewer. On older systems or manually installed deployments, you may also see package names containing vnc, vncserver, or vncviewer, so it is worth checking the exact package name before removal.
Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and related distributions
On Debian-based systems, use apt to remove the RealVNC packages. If you only want to uninstall the software binaries while leaving system configuration files in place, use a standard remove operation. For a more complete package-level uninstall, purge the packages so configuration files tracked by the package manager are removed as well.
- Remove RealVNC Server:
sudo apt remove realvnc-vnc-server - Purge RealVNC Server:
sudo apt purge realvnc-vnc-server - Remove RealVNC Viewer:
sudo apt remove realvnc-vnc-viewer - Purge RealVNC Viewer:
sudo apt purge realvnc-vnc-viewer - Remove unused dependencies:
sudo apt autoremove
If both Server and Viewer are installed, purge them together with sudo apt purge realvnc-vnc-server realvnc-vnc-viewer. Running sudo apt autoremove afterward helps clean packages that were installed only as dependencies and are no longer required by other applications.
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Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, Rocky Linux, and AlmaLinux
On RPM-based systems that use dnf, remove the RealVNC packages by name. This uninstalls the packaged files and removes the associated RPM database entries. Some older RHEL or CentOS systems may use yum instead of dnf, but the package names are typically the same.
- Remove RealVNC Server with dnf:
sudo dnf remove realvnc-vnc-server - Remove RealVNC Viewer with dnf:
sudo dnf remove realvnc-vnc-viewer - Remove both packages:
sudo dnf remove realvnc-vnc-server realvnc-vnc-viewer - Older yum-based systems:
sudo yum remove realvnc-vnc-server realvnc-vnc-viewer
Arch Linux and Manjaro
If RealVNC was installed from the AUR or a locally built package, remove it with pacman if it is registered in the package database. Use -R for a basic uninstall, or -Rns to remove unused dependencies and package backup files where applicable.
- Remove RealVNC Server:
sudo pacman -R realvnc-vnc-server - Remove RealVNC Viewer:
sudo pacman -R realvnc-vnc-viewer - Remove packages and unused dependencies:
sudo pacman -Rns realvnc-vnc-server realvnc-vnc-viewer
openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise
On openSUSE and SLES, use zypper to uninstall RealVNC packages. If you installed RealVNC from an RPM downloaded directly from RealVNC, it should still be removable through zypper as long as it was installed into the RPM database.
- Remove RealVNC Server:
sudo zypper remove realvnc-vnc-server - Remove RealVNC Viewer:
sudo zypper remove realvnc-vnc-viewer - Remove both packages:
sudo zypper remove realvnc-vnc-server realvnc-vnc-viewer
If the package manager reports that a package is not installed, re-check the exact name using commands such as dpkg -l | grep -i realvnc, rpm -qa | grep -i realvnc, or pacman -Q | grep -i vnc. Once the RealVNC packages are removed, continue with manual cleanup because package removal may leave user profiles, logs, cached credentials, licensing files, or custom configuration directories outside the package manager’s control.
Remove Leftover Configuration and User Data
After uninstalling the RealVNC packages, configuration files, cached data, logs, and per-user settings can remain on disk. These leftovers are not usually required once RealVNC Server or Viewer has been removed, and deleting them helps prevent old licensing data, connection history, service settings, or access-control files from being reused during a later reinstall. Before removing anything, confirm that you no longer need saved VNC Viewer connections, address books, or server configuration backups.
System-wide RealVNC Server files are commonly stored under /etc/vnc, /root/.vnc, /var/log/vnc, and sometimes under /usr/lib/vnc or /usr/share/vnc depending on the package version and distribution. On systems where RealVNC was installed from a downloaded .deb or .rpm, most application files should already be removed by the package manager, but configuration directories may be preserved. You can inspect likely locations first:
sudo ls -la /etc/vncsudo ls -la /var/log/vncsudo find /etc /var /usr -iname '*vnc*' 2>/dev/null
To remove remaining system-wide configuration and logs, delete only RealVNC-related paths that you have verified. The following commands cover the common RealVNC Server leftovers:
sudo rm -rf /etc/vncsudo rm -rf /var/log/vncsudo rm -rf /root/.vnc
RealVNC Viewer also stores data inside each user’s home directory. Depending on the version, desktop environment, and install method, this can include saved connections, cached credentials, recent-host lists, and UI preferences. Check the current user first, then repeat for any other local accounts that used RealVNC:
ls -la ~/.vncls -la ~/.config | grep -i vncls -la ~/.local/share | grep -i vncfind ~ -iname '*realvnc*' -o -iname '*vnc*' 2>/dev/null
For a full cleanup of the current user’s RealVNC Viewer and user-level VNC data, remove the matching directories after reviewing them. Common targets include:
rm -rf ~/.vncrm -rf ~/.config/RealVNCrm -rf ~/.local/share/RealVNCrm -rf ~/.cache/RealVNC
If mulle users have logged in and used RealVNC, clean their home directories as well. For example, check /home/alex/.vnc, /home/alex/.config/RealVNC, and similar paths for each account. Use sudo only where required, and avoid broad deletion patterns such as removing every file with “vnc” in its name without checking the path. Other VNC software, such as TigerVNC, TightVNC, or x11vnc, may use similar names and could still be intentionally installed.
Finally, remove any RealVNC desktop launchers that were created outside the package manager. These may appear in system-wide or per-user application directories, especially after manual installation. Check /usr/share/applications, ~/.local/share/applications, and desktop autostart locations for entries such as RealVNC Viewer or VNC Server, then delete only the matching .desktop files. This prepares the system for the next cleanup step, where firewall rules and startup entries should be reviewed separately.
Clean Up Firewall Rules and Startup Entries
After removing RealVNC packages and deleting leftover configuration files, check whether the system still contains firewall exceptions or startup hooks that were created for RealVNC Server or Viewer. RealVNC Server commonly listens on TCP port 5900 for VNC connections and may also use related ports such as 5800 for web access on older configurations. If those rules remain open after uninstalling the software, they no longer serve a purpose and can leave unnecessary access paths in your host firewall.
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On Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, and other systems that use ufw, list current rules first, then remove any RealVNC-related entries. Look for rules that mention VNC, RealVNC, or ports 5900 and 5800:
sudo ufw status numbered
If you see a rule allowing VNC traffic, delete it by its numbered entry. For example, if the RealVNC rule is listed as number 3, run:
sudo ufw delete 3
sudo ufw status
On Fedora, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, openSUSE, and other systems using firewalld, inspect allowed services and ports in the active zone. Remove any direct VNC allowances that are no longer needed:
sudo firewall-cmd --get-active-zones
sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --list-all
sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --remove-service=vnc-server --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --remove-port=5900/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --remove-port=5800/tcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
If your active zone is not public, replace public with the zone shown by firewall-cmd --get-active-zones. On systems using raw iptables or nftables, review the ruleset and remove any rules that explicitly allow RealVNC traffic:
sudo iptables -S | grep -Ei 'vnc|5900|5800'
sudo nft list ruleset | grep -Ei 'vnc|5900|5800'
Startup entries are the next place to check. Even after package removal, a custom autostart file or user-created script can still try to launch RealVNC components at login. Inspect common system-wide and per-user autostart locations:
ls /etc/xdg/autostart | grep -Ei 'vnc|realvnc'
ls ~/.config/autostart | grep -Ei 'vnc|realvnc'
Remove matching desktop autostart files only after confirming they belong to RealVNC. Typical filenames may include references to vncserver, vncviewer, or realvnc:
rm -f ~/.config/autostart/*vnc*.desktop
sudo rm -f /etc/xdg/autostart/*vnc*.desktop
Also check shell login files and scheduled tasks if RealVNC was launched manually in the past. Search for old commands such as vncserver, vncviewer, or /usr/bin/vncserver-x11 in user startup files and cron entries:
grep -Ei 'realvnc|vncserver|vncviewer' ~/.profile ~/.bashrc ~/.xprofile ~/.xsessionrc 2>/dev/null
crontab -l 2>/dev/null | grep -Ei 'realvnc|vncserver|vncviewer'
sudo grep -R Ei 'realvnc|vncserver|vncviewer' /etc/cron.* /etc/crontab 2>/dev/null
If any matches are found, edit the relevant file and remove only the lines that start RealVNC. For systemd user services, list and clean up lingering user units as well:
systemctl --user list-unit-files | grep -Ei 'vnc|realvnc'
find ~/.config/systemd/user -iname '*vnc*' -o -iname '*realvnc*'
Disabling stale firewall rules and startup entries prevents failed login launches, noisy service errors, and unnecessary open ports after RealVNC has been uninstalled. Once this cleanup is complete, the system should no longer attempt to start RealVNC automatically or allow inbound VNC connections through the local firewall.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Verify RealVNC Has Been Fully Removed
After uninstalling packages and deleting leftover files, check that no RealVNC binaries, services, processes, or network listeners remain. This final pass is useful on systems where RealVNC Server was installed manually from a .deb, .rpm, or tar archive, or where RealVNC Viewer was installed separately from the server. Run the checks below from a terminal; use sudo where required.
Check installed packages
First, confirm that your package manager no longer lists RealVNC components. On Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and related systems, run:
dpkg -l | grep -i realvncdpkg -l | grep -i vnc
On Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and openSUSE systems that use RPM packages, run:
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rpm -qa | grep -i realvncrpm -qa | grep -i vnc
No RealVNC Server or RealVNC Viewer package should appear. Be careful with generic vnc matches, because other remote desktop tools such as TigerVNC may be legitimate packages you want to keep.
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Confirm services are gone or inactive
RealVNC Server commonly installs systemd units such as vncserver-x11-serviced.service and user-mode services. Check for remaining unit files and active services with:
systemctl list-unit-files | grep -i vncsystemctl --type=service --all | grep -i vncsystemctl --user list-unit-files | grep -i vnc
If a RealVNC unit still appears as enabled or active, disable and remove the leftover unit file before reloading systemd. For example, use sudo systemctl disable --now vncserver-x11-serviced.service, then remove any stale RealVNC unit files from /etc/systemd/system/ or /lib/systemd/system/ if they were not removed by the package manager. Finish with sudo systemctl daemon-reload. For user services, run systemctl --user daemon-reload.
Look for running processes and listening ports
RealVNC should not have any active processes after removal. Search the process table with:
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ps aux | grep -i '[v]nc'pgrep -a -i vnc
Then check whether anything is still listening on common VNC ports. RealVNC Server often uses TCP 5900 for the primary display and additional ports such as 5901, 5902, or related web access ports depending on configuration:
sudo ss -tulpn | grep -E ':(5900|5901|5902|5800)\b'sudo lsof -iTCP -sTCP:LISTEN -P -n | grep -i vnc
If another VNC implementation is intentionally installed, these commands may still show a listener. In that case, verify the process name and executable path so you do not remove unrelated software.
Search common file locations
Finally, inspect the usual RealVNC paths for remaining files. The most common locations include:
/usr/bin/,/usr/local/bin/, and/opt/for binaries and application directories/etc/vnc/and/root/.vnc/for system and root configuration~/.vnc/,~/.config/RealVNC/, and~/.local/share/for per-user data/var/log/and/var/lib/for logs, cached state, or licensing data
You can perform a targeted search with commands such as sudo find /etc /opt /usr/local /var -iname '*realvnc*' -o -iname '*vnc*' and find "$HOME" -iname '*realvnc*' -o -iname '*vnc*'. Review results before deleting them, especially on shared systems or machines that use another VNC server. Once no RealVNC packages, services, processes, listeners, startup entries, firewall rules, or configuration directories remain, the uninstall is complete.
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Do I need to uninstall RealVNC Server and Viewer separately?
Yes. RealVNC Server and RealVNC Viewer are separate components and may be installed as different packages, such as realvnc-vnc-server and realvnc-vnc-viewer. Check your installed packages first, then remove each component you no longer want.
What service names should I stop before uninstalling RealVNC Server?
On many systems, RealVNC Server uses services such as vncserver-x11-serviced or user session services related to vncserver. Run systemctl list-units | grep -i vnc to find active RealVNC services before removal. Stop and disable any matching services so they do not keep running or restart during cleanup.
Will uninstalling the RealVNC package remove my saved settings and connections?
Usually not completely. Package removal often leaves configuration and user data under locations such as /root/.vnc, ~/.vnc, /etc/vnc, or RealVNC-specific directories under ~/.config. Delete these only if you do not need saved connections, permissions, logs, or server configuration later.
How can I tell whether RealVNC was installed from a DEB, RPM, or manually downloaded file?
Use your package manager first: on Debian or Ubuntu, run dpkg -l | grep -i realvnc; on Fedora, RHEL, or openSUSE, use rpm -qa | grep -i realvnc. If nothing appears but RealVNC commands still exist, check paths with which vncserver, which vncviewer, or find /usr -iname '*vnc*'. A manual install may require deleting binaries and directories by hand.
How do I confirm RealVNC has been fully removed from Linux?
After uninstalling, check that no RealVNC packages remain, no VNC-related services are active, and no RealVNC processes are running. Commands such as systemctl list-units | grep -i vnc, ps aux | grep -i vnc, and package-manager searches can confirm this. You can also check that port 5900 is no longer listening unless another VNC server is installed.
Bottom Line
Uninstalling RealVNC on Linux is usually straightforward: stop and disable any VNC services first, remove RealVNC Server or Viewer with your distribution’s package manager, then delete leftover configuration, license, cache, and user files if you want a clean removal.
After cleanup, verify that no RealVNC packages, services, processes, or listening VNC ports remain. If you plan to reinstall later, keep a backup of any configuration files you may need before deleting them permanently.
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