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How To Setup Linux VNC Server In 3 Minutes

Copyright © Walker 05 Jul 2007 15:39
VNC server works similar to Telnet or SSH daemon, except that it allows VNC clients running on diverse OS platforms to remotely access Linux Desktop Manager of the server itself, rather than the TTY text-based console!
As such, most of Windows-to-Linux users prefer using VNC server than SSH daemon, who are generally favor on the vivid Desktop Manager (either KDE or Gnome) than the cold black-and-white TTY console!
For the newbie (as myself), here is my another 3-minute Linux guide about How to setup VNC server in Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

Though this Linux-VNC guide is tested on Redhat Enterprise Linux 4, it served the general guide of installing VNC in Linux distributions.
  1. Locate the vnc-server-4.0-8.1.rpm package from the Red Hat Linux installation CD or download the latest free version of VNC server from Real VNC.
     
  2. Install the rpm package of VNC server:
    rpm -Uvh vnc-server-4.0-8.1.rpm
     
  3. VNC server is using different set of login authentication than the Linux /etc/passwd. Meaning that, you have to create VNC login password for individual Linux login accounts who are granted remote access with VNC client.
    To create VNC login password, just execute vncpasswd command and enter a valid password twice as usual.
     
  4. Unlike VNC server for Windows, each user account can run more than one VNC servers in Linux.
    To start an instance of VNC server, just execute vncserver command, which will create the $HOME/.vnc directory with VNC default startup scripts inside (if $HOME/.vnc is not currently exists).
     
  5. The vncserver command will startup a VNC server that open 3 next available TCP/IP port, starting from 5801, 5901, and 6001 respectively.
    Port 5801 is for VNC client connection over HTTP protocol, port 5901 is for VNC client connection over RFB protocol, and port 6001 is to allows X applications to connect to the VNC server. The lsof or netstat command will able to show the network port opened by Xvnc server.

    By executing vncserver for the second time or execute the vncserver :2 command, this will startup VNC server that bind and listen to port 5802, 5902, and 6002 respectively.

    To connect to Linux VNC server over HTTP protocol, just type walkernews.net:5801 (replace walkernews.net with your VNC server IP/hostname) at any javascripts-enabled web browser, such as Mozilla Firefox, Opera, or Internet Explorer.

    To connect to Linux VNC server over RFB protocol, just type walkernews.net:5901 at the VNC client.
     
  6. To kill the VNC server in Linux, just execute vncserver -kill :1 will kill the first VNC server that bind and listen to port 5801, 5901, and 6001. The vncserver -kill :2 will kill the second VNC server, and so on.

How to get KDE or Gnome Desktop Manager running in Linux VNC server?

Don’t worry, it’s just a 3-seconds Linux trick! Edit the default VNC server startup scripts $HOME/.vnc/xstartup and un-remark the two “critical” lines, as per the scripts suggestion:
#!/bin/sh

# Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:
unset SESSION_MANAGER
exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

[ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup
[ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid grey
vncconfig -iconic &
xterm -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" &
twm &

Isn’t easy to setup and configure Real VNC in Linux, particularly with Red Hat Linux?


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  1. Walker July 6th, 2007 5:57 PM

    Correction:
    In order to connect VNC server over HTTP protocol, the web browser should be java-enabled and the correct URL should be

    http://walkernews.net:5801 (replace walkernews.net with your VNC server IP/hostname)

    The HTTP:// prefix is a must, or you won’t get the VNC server authentication prompt!

  2. SSH Port Forwarding – Local VS Remote – Walker News July 22nd, 2007 9:00 PM

    [...] your powerful Core 2 Duo home Desktop running Windows Vista Ultimate is not possible to access the Red Hat VNC server over the RFB [...]

  3. Walker July 28th, 2007 9:31 AM

    If you’re connecting Linux VNC server from Windows VNC Viewer (the client), the working connection string with specific port is

    walkernews.net::5901

    and not

    walkernews.net:5901

    spot the difference

  4. Dave Welsh August 14th, 2007 9:29 PM

    Excellent How-To! Saved me loads of time faffing about – much appreciated :o))

  5. Configure VNC Server To Auto Start Up In Red Hat Linux – Walker News June 20th, 2008 5:08 PM

    [...] year, I wrote a post on how to configure VNC server in Red Hat Linux system. But, that 3-minutes setup guide doesn’t mention about how to auto start VNC server when [...]

  6. How To Restart VNC Server After VNC Service Hangs or Stops Unexpectedly? April 3rd, 2009 6:32 PM

    [...] restart that bloody machine. Worst still, simply reboot the machine might not able restart the VNC server. So, what could you do in order to get the VNC server back to work? Precisely, if you can’t [...]

  7. Shyam June 8th, 2009 10:33 PM

    Thank you very much WALKER……….like u said…..Exactly in 3 minutes……..
    Thanks for saving another one week…………

  8. spongklong July 1st, 2009 1:36 PM

    it didnt work for me in 3 minutes what the bloody hell?

  9. Paul Peavyhouse September 3rd, 2009 7:04 AM

    Or you could just enable VNC in 3-seconds through “System”->”Preferences”->”Remote Desktop”
    http://www.redhat.com/magazine/006apr05/features/vnc/

    Don’t forget to add port 5900 to your firewall exception (also easy to do via “System”->”Administration”->”Security Level and Firewall”)

    I am running an old RedHat5, so YMMV.

  10. megan September 10th, 2009 11:03 PM

    Thanks much! Very useful article. Great writing style…was less than 3 mins for me :).

  11. Mithiya October 19th, 2009 8:01 PM

    Great Doc,
    thanks it works as he said , step by step and inch by inch

    thanks once again.

  12. Scott October 21st, 2009 11:26 AM

    Excellent tutorial!

    It’s always nice when smart people share

    Thanks.

  13. Peter March 12th, 2010 7:18 AM

    Cool, worked like a charm… even when the article is sooo 2007!! Thanks.

  14. Tom April 10th, 2010 9:54 AM

    Worked first go on my beagleboard, w00t! apt-get install vnc-server (for ubuntu)

  15. John May 11th, 2010 10:03 PM

    I have tried to get this set up on my new redhat server and I want to show the Gnome interface but all I get is the twn screen.

    # Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:
    unset SESSION_MANAGER
    exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

    [ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup
    [ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
    xsetroot -solid grey
    vncconfig -iconic &
    xterm -geometry 80×24+10+10 -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” &
    twm &

    any help would be great.

  16. Walker May 12th, 2010 6:31 PM

    @John, did you restart the vncserver after making changes to xstartup file?

    Try to execute service vncserver restart.

    As vncserver starts up, it will execute the xstartup file of user, e.g. when I start it for root:

    Starting VNC server: 1:root
    New ‘btest:1 (root)’ desktop is btest:1

    Starting applications specified in /root/.vnc/xstartup

  17. marky August 4th, 2010 9:28 AM

    how to connect with the vncserver with the display port value is :0 or with the default display

    exam:
    connecting from 192.168.0.100:1 to 192.168.0.100:0 or 192.168.0.100

    i want to connect via vnc cliet with the same display as what my server monitor was..can anyone show me and teach me a little trick for this setup?