Web Interface (VNC)

Advanced Tool

VNC is for debugging and advanced troubleshooting only. For normal operation, use the CLI and connect to your server with your game client like any multiplayer game.

By default, rendering is disabled (DISABLE_RENDERING=true) for performance — VNC will show a black screen. This is intentional.

When to Use VNC

• Debugging visual issues that can't be diagnosed via logs
• Troubleshooting mod loading problems
• Rare edge cases where CLI isn't enough

For everything else, use the CLI (docker compose exec server attach-cli) or in-game commands.

Connecting

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:VNC_PORT

Replace:

• YOUR_SERVER_IP with your server's IP address (or localhost for local access)
• VNC_PORT with the port configured in .env (default: 5800)

Example: http://localhost:5800

You'll be prompted to enter the VNC password configured in your .env file.

VNC Settings Panel

The settings panel on the left side provides several options:

Option	Description
Connection Quality	Balance between visual clarity and bandwidth
Compression Level	Optimize for your network speed
Scaling Mode	How the display fits your browser window

Avoid Remote Resizing

Do not use the Remote Resizing scaling mode. This can cause stability issues and may require a server restart to fix. Use other scaling options instead.

Clipboard

Copy and paste works through the VNC interface, but requires a special method:

1. Open the settings panel on the left
2. Use the clipboard text area to transfer text
3. Paste text into this area to send it to the server
4. Text copied on the server appears in this area

INFO

Direct copy/paste with Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V won't work. You must use the settings panel clipboard area.

Save Files

Save files are stored in the saves Docker volume at /config/xdg/config/StardewValley/Saves.

For backup, restore, and import procedures, see Backup & Recovery.

Why is VNC showing a black screen?

This is expected behavior. By default, DISABLE_RENDERING=true which means the server doesn't draw graphics to its own display.

This doesn't affect players

Players always see the game normally on their own screens. The DISABLE_RENDERING setting only affects the server's display (what you see via VNC). Your server is running correctly — connect with your game client to verify.

Enabling VNC display (for debugging only)

If you specifically need to see the server's display for debugging:

Option 1: Environment variable (persistent)

1. Set DISABLE_RENDERING=false in .env
2. Restart: docker compose restart

Option 2: Console command (temporary)

docker compose exec server attach-cli
# Then type one of:
#   rendering on       - Enable rendering
#   rendering off      - Disable rendering
#   rendering toggle   - Toggle current state
#   rendering status   - Show current state

The console command only lasts until the server restarts.

Troubleshooting

If VNC won't load:

1. Check VNC_PASSWORD is set in .env
2. Verify firewall allows TCP on VNC port (default 5800)
3. Use http:// not https://
4. Try a different browser