{"id":2423,"date":"2014-02-17T16:00:04","date_gmt":"2014-02-17T16:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.shineservers.com\/?p=2423"},"modified":"2014-02-17T16:00:04","modified_gmt":"2014-02-17T16:00:04","slug":"install-vnc-server-on-ubuntu-server","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shineservers.com\/2014\/02\/17\/install-vnc-server-on-ubuntu-server\/","title":{"rendered":"How to install VNC server on Ubuntu Server 12.04"},"content":{"rendered":"

VNC is a protocol that is used to share the desktop with other users\/computers over the network\/Internet.In order to share a desktop, VNC server must be install and configure on the computer and VNC client must be run on the computer that will access the shared desktop.<\/p>\n

When we install the fresh copy of Ubuntu Server, it only gives us the \u201cCommand Line\u201d interface.<\/p>\n

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But some people prefer GUI instead and for this they install Full version of Gnome on Ubuntu Server. Actually there is a better way and that is to install VNC. VNC provides a lightweight virtual desktop than full blown version of Gnome.<\/p>\n

To install the core\u00a0components of gnome, use this command:<\/p>\n

sudo apt-get install gnome-core<\/pre>\n
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To\u00a0install a virtual desktop,\u00a0use this command:<\/p>\n
sudo apt-get install vnc4server<\/pre>\n
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In order to use VNC, we need to\u00a0setup a password using the following command:<\/p>\n
vncserver<\/pre>\n
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To make a tweak in startup script, we need to kill the session that we just created:<\/p>\n
vncserver -kill :1<\/pre>\n
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Now open up the file that we need to edit:<\/p>\n
cd ~\nnano .vnc\/xstartup<\/pre>\n
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And Modify the file so it looks like this:<\/p>\n
#!\/bin\/sh\n# Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:\nunset SESSION_MANAGER\n#exec \/etc\/X11\/xinit\/xinitrc\ngnome-session --session=gnome-classic &\n\n[ -x \/etc\/vnc\/xstartup ] && exec \/etc\/vnc\/xstartup\n[ -r $HOME\/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME\/.Xresources\nxsetroot -solid grey\nvncconfig -iconic &\n#x-terminal-emulator -geometry 1280x1024+10+10 -ls -title \"$VNCDESKTOP Desktop\" &\n#x-window-manager &<\/pre>\n
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Next, create the VNC Session once more:<\/p>\n
vncserver -geometry 1024x600<\/pre>\n
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Now, download\u00a0VNCViewer<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0onto our desktop computer from which we want to access the shared desktop.\u00a0Connect using\u00a0ServerIP\/Name:1\u00a0(:1\u00a0is for the VNC server window), In my case it is\u00a0tendo:1.<\/p>\n
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Enter the password that we created using the\u00a0vncserver<\/strong>\u00a0command:<\/p>\n
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We now have GUI access to our server.<\/p>\n
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After reboot the server, we will not be able to connect to the server with VNC, this is because the \u201cvncserver -geometry 1024\u00d7600\u201d command that we typed above is not persistent. To solve this problem, we will use an excellent script ofJustin Buser<\/a>.<\/p>\n
As sudo user create the file (and directory if it doesn\u2019t exist):<\/p>\n
sudo mkdir -p \/etc\/vncserver\nsudo touch \/etc\/vncserver\/vncservers.conf\nsudo nano \/etc\/vncserver\/vncservers.conf<\/pre>\n
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Add servers as needed for each user by adding something like the following to the\u00a0vncservers.conf\u00a0file we just created:<\/p>\n
VNCSERVERS=\"1:arbab\"\nVNCSERVERARGS[1]=\"-geometry 1024x600 -depth 24\"<\/pre>\n
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Next, create an empty init script and make it executable:<\/p>\n
sudo touch \/etc\/init.d\/vncserver\nsudo chmod +x \/etc\/init.d\/vncserver\nsudo nano \/etc\/init.d\/vncserver<\/pre>\n
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Add the following to\u00a0\/etc\/init.d\/vncserver:<\/p>\n
#!\/bin\/bash\nunset VNCSERVERARGS\nVNCSERVERS=\"\"\n[ -f \/etc\/vncserver\/vncservers.conf ] && . \/etc\/vncserver\/vncservers.conf\nprog=$\"VNC server\"\nstart() {\n . \/lib\/lsb\/init-functions\n REQ_USER=$2\n echo -n $\"Starting $prog: \"\n ulimit -S -c 0 >\/dev\/null 2>&1\n RETVAL=0\n for display in ${VNCSERVERS}\n do\n export USER=\"${display##*:}\"\n if test -z \"${REQ_USER}\" -o \"${REQ_USER}\" == ${USER} ; then\n echo -n \"${display} \"\n unset BASH_ENV ENV\n DISP=\"${display%%:*}\"\n export VNCUSERARGS=\"${VNCSERVERARGS[${DISP}]}\"\n su ${USER} -c \"cd ~${USER} && [ -f .vnc\/passwd ] && vncserver :${DISP} ${VNCUSERARGS}\"\n fi\n done\n}\nstop() {\n . \/lib\/lsb\/init-functions\n REQ_USER=$2\n echo -n $\"Shutting down VNCServer: \"\n for display in ${VNCSERVERS}\n do\n export USER=\"${display##*:}\"\n if test -z \"${REQ_USER}\" -o \"${REQ_USER}\" == ${USER} ; then\n echo -n \"${display} \"\n unset BASH_ENV ENV\n export USER=\"${display##*:}\"\n su ${USER} -c \"vncserver -kill :${display%%:*}\" >\/dev\/null 2>&1\n fi\n done\n echo -e \"\\n\"\n echo \"VNCServer Stopped\"\n}\ncase \"$1\" in\nstart)\nstart $@\n;;\nstop)\nstop $@\n;;\nrestart|reload)\nstop $@\nsleep 3\nstart $@\n;;\ncondrestart)\nif [ -f \/var\/lock\/subsys\/vncserver ]; then\nstop $@\nsleep 3\nstart $@\nfi\n;;\nstatus)\nstatus Xvnc\n;;\n*)\necho $\"Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|condrestart|status}\"\nexit 1\nesac<\/pre>\n
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We\u2019ll need to run\u00a0vncserver\u00a0command AT LEAST ONCE AS EACH USER that want to login as. I put that in caps because if you skip that step none of it will work.<\/p>\n
Finally, do the following:<\/p>\n
sudo update-rc.d vncserver defaults 99<\/pre>\n
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Now, restart the service by typing:<\/p>\n
sudo service vncserver restart<\/pre>\n
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Ability to connect for multiple users:<\/h6>\n
Create a local user, using the following command:<\/p>\n
sudo adduser hussain<\/pre>\n
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Switch to the newly created user and run\u00a0vncserver\u00a0command for it:<\/p>\n
su hussain\nvncserver<\/pre>\n
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Move to the home directory and edit the\u00a0xstartup\u00a0file:<\/p>\n
cd ~\nnano .vnc\/xstartup<\/pre>\n
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Modify the file so it looks like this:<\/p>\n
\u00a0\n#!\/bin\/sh\n# Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:\nunset SESSION_MANAGER\n#exec \/etc\/X11\/xinit\/xinitrc\ngnome-session --session=gnome-classic &[ -x \/etc\/vnc\/xstartup ] && exec \/etc\/vnc\/xstartup\n[ -r $HOME\/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME\/.Xresources\nxsetroot -solid grey\nvncconfig -iconic &\n#x-terminal-emulator -geometry 1280x1024+10+10 -ls -title \"$VNCDESKTOP Desktop\" &\n#x-window-manager &<\/pre>\n
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Now open up the\u00a0\/etc\/vncserver\/vncservers.conf\u00a0file as sudo user:<\/p>\n
sudo nano \/etc\/vncserver\/vncservers.conf<\/pre>\n
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Add servers for newly created user by adding something like this:<\/p>\n
VNCSERVERS=\"1:arbab 2:hussain\"\nVNCSERVERARGS[1]=\"-geometry 1024x600 -depth 24\"\nVNCSERVERARGS[2]=\"-geometry 1024x600 -depth 24\"<\/pre>\n
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Restart the service:<\/p>\n
sudo service vncserver restart<\/pre>\n
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Connect with newly created user using\u00a0tendo:2, Where\u00a0tendo\u00a0is my server name:<\/p>\n
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Enter the password that we created using the\u00a0vncserver<\/strong>\u00a0command:<\/p>\n
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We now have GUI access to our server for newly created user.<\/p>\n
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Preventing Gnome to start on boot on the server:<\/h6>\n
Gnome is automatically started on boot in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, if we connect a monitor to our server we will see that GUI sitting there waiting for us to log in.<\/p>\n
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To prevent it, edit the\u00a0gdm.conf\u00a0file:<\/p>\n
sudo nano \/etc\/init\/gdm.conf<\/pre>\n
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Comment these six lines:<\/p>\n
#start on ((filesystem\n# and runlevel [!06]\n# and started dbus\n# and (drm-device-added card0 PRIMARY_DEVICE_FOR_DISPLAY=1\n# or stopped udev-fallback-graphics))\n# or runlevel PREVLEVEL=S)<\/pre>\n
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Reboot the server and that GUI log-in screen will no longer appear:<\/p>\n
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VNC encrypted through the ssh tunnel:<\/h6>\n
By default, VNC is not secure protocol.VNC uses encryption during initial connection and login (passwords are not sent in plain-text). Once, we connected then all the VNC data is unencrypted and hacker could sniff our VNC session.\u00a0It is better (safer) to start VNC server only on 127.0.0.1(localhost) and tunnel it over secure SSH tunnel (For this,there are options in Putty).<\/p>\n
On Ubuntu, edit\u00a0\/etc\/vncserver\/vncservers.conf:<\/p>\n
sudo nano \/etc\/vncserver\/vncservers.conf<\/pre>\n
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Add the option \u201c-localhost\u201c:<\/p>\n
VNCSERVERS=\"1:arbab 2:hussain\"\nVNCSERVERARGS[1]=\"-geometry 1024x600 -depth 24 -localhost\"\nVNCSERVERARGS[2]=\"-geometry 1024x600 -depth 24 -localhost\"<\/pre>\n
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Restart the service:<\/p>\n
sudo service vncserver restart<\/pre>\n
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Here is visual, how to connect to VNC Server through PuTTY(SSH) from Windows Machine.<\/p>\n
Run\u00a0PuTTY,enter the IP address or hostname of the VNC Server:<\/p>\n
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On the left-hand panel, Go to\u00a0Connection\u00a0-><\/strong>\u00a0SSH\u00a0-><\/strong>\u00a0Tunnels:<\/p>\n
Source Port:590x(Where x is a value that we set in vncservers.conf,like 1 for arbab)\nDestination:localhost:590x(Same x value that we used above in source port)<\/pre>\n
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Click\u00a0Open\u00a0button in order to connect to the Server via SSH:<\/p>\n
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Login to the Ubuntu (VNC Server) with username and password:<\/p>\n
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Upon successful connection to VNC Server, we\u2019ll find port\u00a05901\u00a0is in listening mode on localhost:<\/p>\n
netstat -a<\/pre>\n
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Run\u00a0VNC Viewer\u00a0and enter the\u00a0localhost:1(:1\u00a0is for\u00a0arbab\u00a0user, that we defined in vncservers file):<\/p>\n
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Enter the password, in order to connect to the VNC Server:<\/p>\n
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Now, we are connected to remote VNC Server through ssh tunnel:<\/p>\n
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Hope this will help you!<\/p>\n
Related articles across the web<\/h3>\n