[SOLVED] Start VNC automatically in Kubuntu

[mwjones]

I am trying to get VNC (server) to start automatically on my desktop running Kubuntu 8.04. I need to be able to graphically login without any local intervention. Our power company is rather inconsistent here, and we lose power fairly frequently. Another requirement is that I also need to be able to connect from both GNU/Linux and Windows XP.

• The Hardy - Kubuntuguide section is close, but requires that the desktop be logged in locally.
  
• This LifeHacker article runs VNC successfully, but it must be manually executed first.

I have read numerous other pages and spent the better part of today searching these forums and Google How do I get this working without local intervention?

[gr4nf]

Do you know the command that starts the server? If so, just append it to ~/.bashrc, the shell script.

[mwjones]

Do you know the command that starts the server? If so, just append it to ~/.bashrc, the shell script.

Then it would run every time a bash shell was spawned. I want it to kick off once when the computer boots, not with me having to login.

The correct way, I thought, to do automatic loading was with a script in /etc/init.d/ and to use update-rc.d; however the x11vnc process does not continue running via that method (or at least with the script I had).

[gr4nf]

check your /etc/rc3.d

it is possible that it is already there, created by the installer, but is not set to run.

[mwjones]

check your /etc/rc3.d

it is possible that it is already there, created by the installer, but is not set to run.

It wasn't. There was no init.d script created or run-level symlinks. I had to make those myself. I saw the script kick off in the framebuffer when Kubuntu was booting, but when the OS was loaded, the x11vnc process was not in memory (ps -ef | grep -i x11).

[gr4nf]

You could try this tiny one:

#!/bin/sh
#
# Startup/Stop script for vncservers for some users.
#

case "$1" in

'start')
   /bin/su - bob -c "/usr/local/bin/vncserver :1"
   /bin/su - sally -c "/usr/local/bin/vncserver :2"
   /bin/su - jim -c "/usr/local/bin/vncserver :3"
   ;;

'stop')
   /bin/su - bob -c "/usr/local/bin/vncserver -kill :1"
   /bin/su - sally -c "/usr/local/bin/vncserver -kill :2"
   /bin/su - jim -c "/usr/local/bin/vncserver -kill :3"
   ;;

*)
   echo "Usage: /etc/init.d/rc.vnc { start | stop }"
   ;;

esac

[mwjones]

Which package is that for? aptitude install ________

[krunge]

The correct way, I thought, to do automatic loading was with a script in /etc/init.d/ and to use update-rc.d; however the x11vnc process does not continue running via that method (or at least with the script I had).

I think the best way is to start x11vnc in an "Xsetup" script. Then whenever the X server is started x11vnc is also started & attached to it. It shows the GDM/KDM/etc login screen.

http://www.karlrunge.com/x11vnc/faq....isplay-manager

Another option is inetd, but like any init.d scheme it needs to guess the DISPLAY (nearly always ":0") and XAUTHORITY (often has a random basename).

http://www.karlrunge.com/x11vnc/faq.html#faq-inetd

[cariboo]

Have you tried the remote desktop software that comes with Ubuntu? You can enable it in System-->Preferences-->Remote Desktop.

Just tried it from windows using vncviewer and it works quite well.

I see you're on Kubuntu, but if you don't mind using a few gnome tools the programs you need are vinagre and vino

Jim

[mwjones]

krunge: Thanks so much, your doc had the piece I needed. Here is the line:

/etc/kde3/kdm/Xsetup

x11vnc -forever -rfbauth /home/xyz/.vnc/passwd -bg -o /var/log/x11vnc.log

From another doc, I already had a couple commands in that file as well as Xsession. But commenting out the previous commands, and just adding the one above has made it work correctly. Thanks!


cariboo907: Thank you for your suggestion and testing as well. Those apps would have been my next move in the process.

Cheers,
mwjones