[all variants] GDM and VNC with xinetd in Jaunty

[PhDLinux]

Something that has worked in 8.04 and 8.10 seems broken in 9.04. It's the combination of xinetd with Xvnc to get a fresh Gnome login window from some remote machine. Does anyone have this working?

xinetd is running well. When I give the command "vncviewer localhost:1" it gives me a fresh window in which the traditional grey background and black X are ready to work. There is just no display manager.

Xnvc is working. When I start a server with "vncserver :2" from the command line instead of asking xinetd to do so automatically, I get a session that the vncviewer can see. Of course, it's a persistent user-specific session, and this is not quite what I want. Last time I had problems getting this combination of services set up (in 8.10), the solution was to add the option "-extension XFIXES" to the Xvnc command line. This option is still in place.

xdmcp is working and gdm is set up right. When I use another machine on the same network to say "X :1 -query <servername>", I get a nice graphical login screen and everything works.

This is Xvnc Free Edition version 4.1.1 with Ubuntu 9.04 beta. I have tried editing the xinetd.d/vnc config file to run the Xvnc command as "root" instead of "nobody". That didn't help. I have tried editing the "-query <hostname>" string in that file to "-query 127.0.0.1". No joy. I have considered using the more primitive XDM to replace GDM, and if somebody can make remote logins work this way I will switch, too.

My last hope is that this problem originates with a bug that somebody else will fix soon. The file /var/log/Xorg.0.log includes these lines:

(II) LoadModule: "vnc"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions//libvnc.so
dlopen: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions//libvnc.so: undefined symbol: NumCurrentSelections
(EE) Failed to load /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions//libvnc.so
(II) UnloadModule: "vnc"
(EE) Failed to load module "vnc" (loader failed, 7)

This is for the X server running natively on the server box, but perhaps it is still a problem for Xvnc servers. I don't know. If you do, please comment.

[PhDLinux]

Update (workaround): I can get an XDM login prompt over VNC, so I'm going to use that and move on.

Details: I used the synaptic package manager to install xdm. The package manager asked which display manager to use as the default, and I selected xdm. After installation finished, it was necessary to shut down GDM and start XDM manually using these console commands:

$ sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop
$ sudo /etc/init.d/xdm start

(This saved me rebooting; I assume that xdm will load automatically next time I reboot.)

Two XDM configuration files needed editing (before starting XDM) to permit XDMCP access from other machines: /etc/X11/xdm/xdm-config and /etc/X11/xdm/Xaccess.

I still can't explain what was broken. My top suspect is the IPv6 setup on my server. The jaunty install there is a "distribution upgrade" from Hardy via Intrepid, not a clean installation from scratch. It carried forward some old tweaks to disable IPv6. There were problems getting XDM, DMCP, etc., to work well with IPv6 in the recent past. Perhaps these problems still exist, or perhaps my stale config files are incompatible with recent repairs and broke things for me alone. ... Now that I have a working setup, I am not going to risk breaking anything by doing the experiments needed to decide which is which.

I hope this helps somebody. (At the very least, it will help me: Googling for this page will let me devote the few brain cells I have left to remembering other stuff.)

[dbaxps]

I've got same problem with Ubuntu Server RC 9.04 (Ubuntu Desktop installed via tasksel) running as PV DomU at Xen Dom0 for Xvnc Server.
In text only environment ran:-
# apt-get install xdm
responded as you advised and got remote VNC
session connected to box (just one X-terminal).

[PhDLinux]

Congratulations for getting something working. If you want a full gnome session when you log in with xdm, create a file named .xsession containing exactly this one line:

/usr/bin/gnome-session

(I also got the one-xterm failsafe session when this file was missing or incorrect.) This file belongs in the home directory of the user who logs in with xdm.

[dbaxps]

I was able to start gnome session just typing in X-term
/usr/bin/gnome-session .Creating .xsession didn't help.
It remind me pretty old Debian trick. I'll try it without xdm
Go :-
# apt-get remove xdm
# /etc/init.d/gdm start
Just in case:-
# reboot
Login as root
# vncserver
Remote vncviewer login to display 1
Start in X-term /usr/bin/gnome-session. It gives Gnome Session
with no problem . Old debian way exactly
I believe been running xdm with wrong config files. That should be a reason why creating .xsession file ih home folder wouldn't help me.

Adjusting ~/.vnc/xstartup file to run gnome-session at remote login.

1.First

# Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:
# unset SESSION_MANAGER
# exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

[ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup
[ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid grey
vncconfig -iconic &
xterm -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" &
/usr/bin/gnome-session &
# twm &

2.Second

# Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:
unset SESSION_MANAGER
# exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

/usr/bin/gnome-session &

[ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup
[ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid grey
vncconfig -iconic &
twm &

No xdm manager requiered

[dbaxps]

I've also noticed :-

http://ipv6-or-no-ipv6.blogspot.com/...over-ipv6.html

However , i didn't support IP6v on the lan. Attempt to build
vinagre 2.24 on Ubuntu Intrepid failed. It just will take some time
to start work with IP6v due to vinagre appears to be A VNC Client for the GNOME Desktop. Backward compatibility still looks broken.

[dbaxps]

IP6v auto discovery Ubuntu Jaunty PV DomU via remote Ubuntu Intrepid Server on the same LAN :-
http://bderzhavets.wordpress.com/200...-2630-rc1-tip/

[dbaxps]

Activation Remote Desktop access causes vino-server to start up
automatically. As appears it’s PPID is ID of /usr/bin/gnome-session.

[abt]

Hi,

I appear to be in exactly the same boat as everyone else. I used to have this working under 8.10 - which I assume was to do with the /edgy package for vnc4server - but I can no longer download edgy packages. Supposedly, the /edgy package fixed a bug.

There were instructions in a previous post for modifying ~/.vnc/xstartup - but they make no sense to me. They have two sets of modifications that appear to be to the same file - but they are different (eg. the gnome-session appears in two different places, but only once in 1. and once in 2.). I'm an intermediate user when it comes to VNC (because it's a PAIN IN THE BUM to set up), but i'm a beginner at most other things

If you can help me, I would appreciate it.
Summary of my current situation is,

- My goal is to be able to login to a remote session once my server is powered up
- I can login to a remote session, but only as root. However, I must first access the server via a regular login, generate a command prompt and issue "vn4cserver :1 -query localost ...." (note: -once and -inetd parameters do not seem to work at the command prompt)
- If I try the "service" method, I get the gray screen with the x-cursor (as other users have described above).

Any help would be appreciated. This has taken me over 12 hours, which is still better than the 80 hours it took me under 8.04 - the first time

Thanks in advance for your help!
ABT

[abt]

Originally Posted by dbaxps I was able to start gnome session just typing in X-term /usr/bin/gnome-session .Creating .xsession didn't help. It remind me pretty old Debian trick. I'll try it without xdm Go :- # apt-get remove xdm # /etc/init.d/gdm start Just in case:- # reboot Login as root # vncserver Remote vncviewer login to display 1 Start in X-term /usr/bin/gnome-session. It gives Gnome Session with no problem . Old debian way exactly I believe been running xdm with wrong config files. That should be a reason why creating .xsession file ih home folder wouldn't help me. Adjusting ~/.vnc/xstartup file to run gnome-session at remote login. 1.First # Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop: # unset SESSION_MANAGER # exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc [ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup [ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources xsetroot -solid grey vncconfig -iconic & xterm -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" & /usr/bin/gnome-session & # twm & 2.Second # Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop: unset SESSION_MANAGER # exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc /usr/bin/gnome-session & [ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup [ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources xsetroot -solid grey vncconfig -iconic & twm & No xdm manager requiered

Hi dbaxps,
You have more of an idea of what you're talking about than I do - but you seem to indicate that this post fixes XDCMP login via VNC (if I'm using the right terminology).

I don't understand your instructions about modifying ~/.vnc/xstartup - because it appears to be the same file, but you modify it at two different times in two different ways!?!?!?!?!?!

If you can help shed light on this, I would be grateful!
Thanks in advance

ABT
PS i'm a point and click man - whose only real command-line journey with Ubuntu/Linux in the last 10 years is "remote desktops" in VNC...