VNC with GDM performance on Hardy

[GrantParnell]

We have an application server that will be accessed by a bunch of VNC clients from a LAN. We do not want persistent logins so we're using GDM.

In a nutshell, performance has gone backwards when we migrated from dapper to hardy.

I have installed several fresh hardy desktops and added xinetd, vnc4viewer and xvnc4server packages and added the following in /etc/xinetd.d/vnc

service vnc 
{
        socket_type = stream
        protocol = tcp
        wait = no
        user = nobody
        server = /usr/bin/Xvnc
        server_args = -inetd -query 127.0.0.1 -once -securitytypes=none -geometry 1008x700 -depth 16 -extension XFIXES
	disable = no
        
}

I have added an appropriate line in /etc/services for vnc for port 5952 such that I can now do

vncviewer hostname:52

and it up comes the GDM login screen. All good so far.

However in comparison with the same thing we had running on dapper screen throughput is much slower even before we've started the user's desktop. It does appear to be related to xinetd and Xvnc because I have changed gdm to wdm and xdm with no difference. Also the desktop by comparison performs better with straight vncserver rather than through xinetd and gdm. For instance if I do this:-

vncserver :1 -name parngr -geometry 1008x700 -depth 16

The performance of a gnome-terminal for instance is quite acceptable using the latter method.

For comparison here's the xinetd config from dapper..

service vnc
{
        socket_type = stream
        protocol = tcp
        wait = no
        user = nobody
        server = /usr/bin/Xvnc
        server_args = -inetd -query 127.0.0.1 -once -securitytypes=none -geometry 1008x700 -depth 16 -fp /usr/share/X11/fonts/misc,/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi,/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi
        disable = no
}

Firstly, does anybody else have this problem. Secondly where can I find ALL the command line options to Xvnc (vnc4 server). Thirdly has anyone solved it?

Also acceptable solutions are OTHER ways to have non-persistent VNC sessions and what I need to add to /etc/apt/sources to get freenx working. This will be for sites with a couple of hundred seats so no home/hobbled versions acceptable - except for proof of concept.

I'm going to try experimenting with Centos 5 and Fedora 8 at home to see if there's similar issues.

[GrantParnell]

I have now reported this as Bug #227146
Essentially manually copying binaries from Fedora 8 (because it's a later version of vnc4server) solved the problem for me.

[cocjh1]

Also seeing this!

Was previously running Ubuntu 7.10 and had problems with multiple parallel logins (couldn't connect more than two people). Anyway, upgraded OS to 8.04 which solved that problem but hit this new one.

Just downloaded a "try before buy" version of RealVNC from their website, 4.4.1 (r12183), which appears to fix the problem also.

Thanks,
Chris

[cocjh1]

Now using Ubuntu server 8.04 and problem is back. Slow response under VNC. Have tried latest version of RealVNC 4.4.2 but no improvement.

As a test ran the Nibbles game and the worms are very slow in moving, however noticed if the mouse pointer is kept with the window, and moved constantly, the worms speed up to normal.

It's like the system will only respond if the mouse is moved..

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Chris

[d-_-b.za]

I have now reported this as Bug #227146
Essentially manually copying binaries from Fedora 8 (because it's a later version of vnc4server) solved the problem for me.

Had the same problem, thanks for the tip.

But I did not have access to a Fedora Distro so I googled and found this website: VNC Server 4.1.2 packaged for Ubuntu Hardy 8.04

It contains two Debian packages:

* fs-vnc4-common_4.1.2_i386.deb
* fs-vnc4server_4.1.2_i386.deb

you can download and install it with the following commands in the terminal:

wget http://www.francescosantini.com/files/vnc/fs-vnc4-common_4.1.2_i386.deb
wget http://www.francescosantini.com/files/vnc/fs-vnc4server_4.1.2_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i fs-vnc4-common_4.1.2_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i fs-vnc4server_4.1.2_i386.deb

and after the install restart your machine and the vnc4server would run at a acceptable speed.

Regards,

[cocjh1]

Hey, thanks d-_-b.za! That has fixed the problem for me also.

Any ideas where the problem lies?

[Neutrino Sunset]

Thanks from me too d-_-b.za that tip got my VNC to Ubuntu going about 10 times faster than it previously was and it was driving me nuts.

[kermiac]

Had the same problem, thanks for the tip.

But I did not have access to a Fedora Distro so I googled....

SNIP

That sounds like just what the doctor ordered!! Any chance of someone making a 64 BIT .deb for us 64BIT users as I do not have access to the required files from fedora & TBH I'm still a bit of a linux n00b, lol.

[bawilson2]

That sounds like just what the doctor ordered!! Any chance of someone making a 64 BIT .deb for us 64BIT users as I do not have access to the required files from fedora & TBH I'm still a bit of a linux n00b, lol.

I'd also be interested in this. I tried downloading the Fedora files but was having problems when I copied them over. Any help with this would be great.

[kermiac]

Just an update on my version of the 64 bit situation - I found the fedora .rpm's on "RPM Search" & used "alien" to convert them to .deb packages. There were no errors & everything installed fine, all dependencies were met, etc. After a quick reboot I noted the newer version has installed correctly, but there has been NO IMPROVEMENT in speed.
So in a nutshell, I do not believe there is a current solution for us 64 bit users (REMINDER: I'm still a linux n00b, so PLEASE feel free to prove me wrong, lol). If anyone has any suggestions please leave them here so we can try & find a solution to this.

Also, let me know if anyone wants the 64bit .debs uploaded to try them, although it definately didn't fix it for me.