HOWTO: Control the gnome VNC vino-server from the command line

[srf21c]

NOTE: At long last here's the updated method. This was tested between two Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick hosts. Thanks to all the contributors to this thread, especially the posts by frafu and InkyDinky

user@localbox:~$ ssh -Y user@remotebox
user@remotebox:~$ vino-preferences

# check settings and hit close button
user@remotebox:~$ sudo -s
root@remotebox:~# export DISPLAY=:0.0
root@remotebox:~# xhost +
root@remotebox:~# /usr/lib/vino/vino-server &
# to start the vino server
root@remotebox:~# netstat -nl | grep 5900
# check to make sure vino server is listening on port 5900
exit or CTRL-D twice to close SSH session to remotebox

user@localbox:~$ ssh -L 5900:localhost:5900 user@remotebox
# establish a new SSH connection to remotebox w/forwarded VNC port
# launch Remote Desktop Viewer (vinagre) under Applications => Internet and connect to localhost

[motin]

Very interesting. Although I am in the same situation I cannot really use your guide, since I am using Putty from Windows... Can you maybe add some comments on how to achieve the same stuff in my situation? In case you know of course...

[srf21c]

You are perfectable capable of setting each value in the /home/<userhomedir>/.gconf/desktop/gnome/remote_access/%gconf.xml file manually using the gconftool-2 command.

I was unable to dig up any documentation on proper syntax of the %gconf.xml file so I did not feel qualified on delving into this method in more detail on my original post.

If you examine an existing %gconf.xml file, and compare that to the gconftool-2 command syntax that I have already posted, you should be able to figure out how to set the other parameters.

[motin]

I have come so far that the vino server asks me for a password. A password that I cannot remember at all.

The problem is that I cannot change it via CLI. It is not written in plain text in ~/.gconf/desktop/gnome/remote_access/%gconf.xml, so changing it to "qwerty" in the file doesn't help.

Also, the command:

gconftool-2 -s -t string /desktop/gnome/remote_access/vnc_password qwerty

Just does the same thing as changing the file manually - ie doesn't help.

Do you or someone else now in what hash-type the vino passwords are written in?

[motin]

I started a new thread on the matter (generating the password): http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=1592817

[srf21c]

Don't know what the vino server hash-type is, but here's the string I get after setting the vino password to "qwerty"

<entry name="vnc_password" mtime="1160442984" type="string">
<stringvalue>cXdlcnR5</stringvalue>
</entry>

[jdong]

Have you tried an htpasswd hash in there?

[jasem-elayeb]

Very interesting. Although I am in the same situation I cannot really use your guide, since I am using Putty from Windows... Can you maybe add some comments on how to achieve the same stuff in my situation? In case you know of course...

use xming with putty

[frafu]

To open the "Login Window" preferences, you have to type into the terminal after opening your ssh -Y connection:

sudo gdmsetup

To open the "Remote Desktop" preferences, you have to type into the terminal:

sudo vino-preferences

But, the changes made in the forwarded preferences seem not to be effective in the session created by the auto-login at startup.

[frafu]

Do you have an X server running on your local machine? If so, try to connect through sh with the following command:

 
ssh -Y loginname@remotecomputerip

Because of the -Y option, the gui of the application started on your remote computer should be displayed on your local machine if there is a X server running on your local machine.

Particularly, you should be able to start the synaptic Package Manager and reinstall vino. Afterwards, you should start "vino-preferences" from the shell which should display the gui of the preferences on your local machine. There you should be able to enable vino (=vnc server of the remote machine)

Have a nice day.