Permissions
What each system asks for before a screen can be shared.
Reading a screen and moving someone's mouse are exactly what malware wants to do, so every system puts a gate in front. The prompts are worth reading.
Windows
Nothing to grant up front. It installs into your own user folder.
Two things do come up:
- A blue SmartScreen warning the first time, because the build is not signed yet. More info, then Run anyway.
- The logged-in session. To see the real desktop, sharing has to run in the session a person is logged into. RealFrame sets that up for you. Running outside it is the usual cause of a black screen.
Linux
Two things, both about the display.
- An X11 login session. Wayland cannot be captured yet, so pick Xorg at the login screen.
- A running graphical session. The service starts with your session so it can see the screen. Started without one, it has nothing to look at.
Check both:
echo "$XDG_SESSION_TYPE" # want: x11
systemctl --user status realframe-hostmacOS
Two permissions to share a Mac, and one to connect out from it. macOS will not let any app grant these for you.
| Permission | Needed for | Without it |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Recording | Sharing this Mac's screen | The far end sees black |
| Accessibility | Letting the far end use the mouse and keyboard | They can watch but not touch |
| Input Monitoring | Keyboard grab when you connect out | Shortcuts do not reach the far computer |
System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security, then each pane in turn. RealFrame Host checks both of its permissions on start and links straight to the right pane.
What sharing can and cannot do
| Can | Cannot |
|---|---|
| Show the screen it is attached to | Show a sleeping computer, or one with no screen |
| Send mouse and keys | Send input on macOS without the Accessibility permission |
| Share copied text | Move files |
| Run as long as the computer is on | Wake it, or log a user in |
Taking it back
Turning sharing off stops all of it at once. Removing the device from your account stops it being reachable at all. System permissions can be switched off in the same place you granted them.