Sunday, September 30, 2007

serving more UNIX GUIs with VNC at the same time


There is an easy way to access your Linux's GUI: VNC.

VNC is a free software and there is a package for example in Debian Etch for a server and client too.
The big advantage of VNC is the easy use of small client. For Windows the client is one standalone .exe, about 200kBs. You can store it on your USB pendrive, and if you have an Internet access where you are you can reach your server's GUI.
In Debian Etch you have to install these packages (kde or gnome is optional, but you can install both).

apt-get install x-window-system
apt-get install vnc4server
apt-get install kde
apt-get install gnome


You can start it like this:
vncserver :0 -geometry 1280x1024

The first time it asks you about the password.

You can customize the window manager in your HOME directory's /$HOME/.vnc/xstartup file:
add to the end of the startup script:
startkde &

if you prefer KDE, or
gnome-session &

if you are a Gnome fan.

Your server limited by its resources resources can act as "GUI terminal server", every user can run one personal GUI on the same server in the same time. The users only have to agree in the used ports.

If you start your VNC session like
vncserver :0 -geometry 1280x1024

it uses tcp/5900. :1 means tcp/5901, and so on...
The next figures shows that two different users have different window managers (one Gnome and one KDE) on the same machine:





If you have small resolution display you can scale higher resolution VNC screens down to your display with the client:

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