Remote Access XDMCP/VNC

[listas at lozano.eti.br]

Hi,

> I've been trying to set up xdmcp/gdm over vnc for about a week now.
> I think that its a great method for remote access.  However, I seem to
> have hit a snag.  Ideally what should happen is that when you start a
> vnc session, gdm will load up and allow you to log in.  It doesn't seem
> to be working though.  I have already configured xdmcp to accept remote
> connections and set up gdm with remote greeter stuff and I also setup an
> xinetd script to run Xnvc as follows:

gdm will not load on connection (to VNC). It has to be loading already.
Configure it to start from inittab or change your runlevel to 5 (that's the way
you get a graphical login at the console).

> service vnc-1024x768
> {
>   disable = no
>   socket_type = stream
>   protocol    = udp
>   wait        = no
>   user        = nobody
>   server      = /usr/bin/Xvnc
>   server_args = :1 -inetd -query localhost -geometry 1024x768 -depth 24
> -once -fp unix/:7100
> }

You can't specify a display number (:1) from inetd or xinetd. They will get all
TCP connections, you just inherit an open file descriptor. Anyway it's
incompatible with -query which tells Xvnc to contact an already running xdm
(gdm, kdm, etc) to get a login window. By the way, protocol should be tcp, not
udp. UDP is connectionless.

You have also to add to /etc/services an entry for "vnc-1024x768" which is the
name of your service. It should be associated to port 59xx (maybe 58xx, I never
remember which one is the internal HTTP server from vnc). The "xx" part will be
the display number your clients (vncviewers) use to connect to get the login
window.

Gdm by default don't accetp XDMCP queries, you have to enable them by editting
/etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf and changing

[xdmcp]
Enable=false

to "trye". Then you have to restart gdm, I use "init 3" then "init 5" from a
virtual tty.


[]s, Fernando Lozano