VNC Server

From QwikITedia

Contents 1 Setup VNC Server on Hardy Heron 2 Install a Windows X Manager on sever 3 Install a VNC Viewer on your client 4 Start a VNC Session on Server 5 Start a VNC Session on Server

• In computing, Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a graphical desktop sharing system that uses the RFB protocol to remotely control another computer. It transmits the keyboard and mouse events from one computer to another, relaying the graphical screen updates back in the other direction, over a network

Setup VNC Server on Hardy Heron

• Install the following packages, we'll use tightvncserver

root@serverXY:/# apt-get install vnc-common
root@serverXY:/# apt-get install tightvnc-java
root@serverXY:/# apt-get install tightvncserver
root@serverXY:/# apt-get install xtightvncviewer

• Now make sure your fonts are installed or nothing will work:

root@serverXY:/# apt-get install fontconfig
root@serverXY:/# apt-get install xfonts-base

• Collate fonts:

root@serverXY:/# fc-cache -f -v

• Server side should be done!
• Test:

root@serverXY:/# /usr/bin/tightvncserver
Found /usr/share/tightvnc-java for http connections.

New 'X' desktop is serverXY:1

Creating default startup script /root/.vnc/xstartup
Starting applications specified in /root/.vnc/xstartup
Log file is /root/.vnc/serverXY:1.log

Install a Windows X Manager on sever

• I installed Ubuntu-desktop but its pretty big and heavy so probably best to use fluxbox
• Note: apt-get install gnome-desktop did not work on Ubuntu, so

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop --fix-missing

• Note: it needs sudo even if done as root..bizarre and no, I dunno why!!
• Edit xstartup

serverXY# vi /root/.vnc/xstartup

• Comment out everything and just add

gnome-session &

• or if using fluxbox

startfluxbox &

Install a VNC Viewer on your client

• To install a windows client for realvnc viewer, download it from here

Start a VNC Session on Server

• Use ssh client to log into serverXY using your ssh account
• Issue the command: ‘vncserver –geometry 1280x1024’
• Look at the output of the command and check what the new X desktop is numbered (e.g. serverXY:1 or serverXY:2)
• Use the vncpasswd command to change the password of the vncserver

Start a VNC Session on Server

• Open up the REALVNC executable and type in the VNC desktop name (e.g. serverXY:2)
• Press OK to connect and enter the password that was set before using vncpasswd when prompted.
• The next screen that comes up will be your VNC desktop