VNC Server

[Rick Stevens]

Graeme Nichols wrote:
> On Wed, 2004-07-07 at 03:30, Rick Stevens wrote:
> 
>>Graeme Nichols wrote:
>>
>>>Hello Rick, I am having trouble with Evolution at the moment where I am
>>>unable to reply to your post containing the instructions to get VNC
>>>working. I have tried four times so far and all messages have been
>>>empty. Perhaps the time has come to invoke yum and update Evolution :-)
>>>
>>>Anyway, to continue... The xstartup file created by the first invocation
>>>of vncserver did not contain the line 'unset SESSION_MANAGER'. After
>>>inserting that line I managed to get the XWindow I was expecting.
>>>However, to get the vncviewer to work I had to use the following
>>>command:- 'sudo vncviewer -via barney barney:1' Without the 'sudo' it
>>>failed with the 'unable to read password' error. Using sudo it asked for
>>>root's password on barney, then my user password on barney and it all
>>>worked.
>>
>>On the remote end, you have to run "vncserver" or "xvnc" as the user you
>>intend to log in as remotely.  
> 
> 
> Hello Rick,  
> 
> Yep! I started vncserver as my login name, graeme.

Ok.

>>You probably ran vncserver on the remote
>>end as root, so you have to be root at the local end, too.  
> 
> 
> Nope. Started it as my mortal self.
> 
> 
>>The "can't
>>read password" error is caused by the vnc server running as root and you
>>trying to log in as a mortal user.  The mortal user you tried to log in
>>as probably doesn't have a ~/.vnc/passwd file.
> 
> 
> Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so, because if I start vncviewer on
> the same machine I started vncserver the password is read no problem. It
> is only when I start vncviewer on the 'other' machine.

Uh, you realize that using the "-via" bit requires you to use the ssh
password to get into the machine, then you need the vnc password to
access the vnc server?  Which password is pooping out?

>>>One thing I would like to change if I can is the size of the TightVNC
>>>window that comes up. The argument 'fullscreen' defaults to 'no' but
>>>that is almost as big as fullscreen. It is larger than the screen size
>>>and results in a scroll bar right and bottom. Is there a way to set the
>>>screen size?
>>
>>You mean the local VNC window is smaller than the screen size of the 
>>remote end, hence you have scroll bars.  You can either turn on
>>fullscreen (which really only works if your local screen size is the
>>same or larger than the remote end) or you can use the "-geometry"
>>option to specify your local window size.  If you use a 1280x1024
>>display locally, fullscreen mode is essentially:
> 
> 
> No, both machines have a 1024x768 screen size, the machine running the
> server and the machine running the viewer. When I log in from the
> machine running the viewer the window, labeled 'TightVNC: Graeme's X
> Desktop etc...', has scroll bars which interfere with the application.
> The 'actual' window size appears to be 1024x768, the same physical size
> as the screen, but the scroll bars take up display area causing the
> problem.

Ah, yes, that would be an issue.  The scroll bars do occupy desktop
space.  You could specify a smaller desktop on the server using the
"-geometry" parameter:

	vncserver -geometry 800x600

The vncviewer should have a bigger desktop than the server to prevent
that issue.  See next paragraph.

> 
> 
> 
>>	-geometry 1280x1024x0x0
> 
> 
> If I start vncviewer with the command 'vncviewer -geometry 800x600x0x0
> -via barney barney:1' to stick the window in the top right corner, or
> wherever, it still comes up bigger than the screen's real estate with
> the scroll bars. If I then click on the full screen icon (trc) the
> scroll bars disappear but the window is slightly larger than the
> machine's screen resolution/size (1024x768). The docs for X mention the
> the -geometry option but I wasn't able to get it to work when I start an
> Xterm for a particular size, simply puts up the usage screen saying the
> -geometry option was not valid. Perhaps the problem with vncviewer is
> linked with the X problem, I don't know.

That's because the server is using a 1024x768 display (default) but
you've specified an 800x600 window to show it in.  Of course you'll have
scroll bars.  If you use:

	vncserver -geometry 800x600

on the server and

	vncviewer -via barney barney:1

the viewer shouldn't have scrollbars.  Granted the desktop will be
smaller, but no scrollbars.

> Thanks Rick, sorry to be a nuisance but I would like to sort it if I
> can.

'Sok.
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- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
-                                                                    -
-           If it's stupid and it works...it ain't stupid!           -
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