Tks!

Worked first time for me, nice clear instructions

• 2 windows, with each xterm window running the length of the VNC session.
• 4 windows, each of a relatively standard height and width.
• 6 windows, each of a relatively standard height and width.

The code will follow in another comment window!

WINS=$1

if [[ ! -n $1 ]]
then
echo “”
echo “You must enter the number of xterm windows you want to open, as \$1″
echo “on the command line.”
echo “”
echo ” Example:”
echo “”
echo ” ./vncserver 4″
echo “”
echo “Please try again!”
exit
fi

if [[ "$WINS" -eq "2" ]]
then
PORT=”20″
while [[ -n `ps -ef | grep Xvnc | grep "\:$PORT"` ]]
do
let PORT=”$PORT + 1″
done
/usr/bin/vncserver -geometry 1008×955 :$PORT
elif [[ "$WINS" -eq "4" ]]
then
PORT=”40″
while [[ -n `ps -ef | grep Xvnc | grep "\:$PORT"` ]]
do
let PORT=”$PORT + 1″
done
/usr/bin/vncserver -geometry 1008×660 :$PORT
elif [[ "$WINS" -eq "6" ]]
then
PORT=”60″
while [[ -n `ps -ef | grep Xvnc | grep "\:$PORT"` ]]
do
let PORT=”$PORT + 1″
done
/usr/bin/vncserver -geometry 1008×990 :$PORT
fi

To establish a new VNC session, with the pre-configured size, first you need to execute your new script:

./myvncserver 2

./myvncserver 4

./myvncserver 6

Finally, I need to configure my xstartup script so that it can determine on its own, whether it needs to open 2, 4 or 6 xterm windows.

xstartup contents to be displayed in the next comments window.

xsetroot -solid royalblue
vncconfig -iconic &

if [[ -n `/bin/echo $PORT | /bin/egrep '6[0-9]‘` ]]
then

# 6 Windows – 1008×990 resolution:

xterm -geometry 80×23+1+0 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &
xterm -geometry 80×23+505+0 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &
xterm -geometry 80×23+1+330 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &
xterm -geometry 80×23+505+330 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &
xterm -geometry 80×23+1+660 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &
xterm -geometry 80×23+505+660 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &

elif [[ -n `/bin/echo $PORT | /bin/egrep '4[0-9]‘` ]]
then

# 4 Windows – 1008×660 resolution:

xterm -geometry 80×23+1+0 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &
xterm -geometry 80×23+505+0 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &
xterm -geometry 80×23+1+330 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &
xterm -geometry 80×23+505+330 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &

elif [[ -n `/bin/echo $PORT | /bin/egrep '2[0-9]‘` ]]
then

# 2 Windows – 1008×955 resolution:

xterm -geometry 80×71+0+0 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &
xterm -geometry 80×71+504+0 -bg black -fg green -hc white -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” /bin/bash &

fi

twm &

Hope this was useful to someone other than me!
Note that the window sizes used in the above code fill my desktop sessions perfectly.
You may need to tweak the sizes according to your own desktop work space.

I could not find the “$DISPLAY” variable, but I did find the native “$VNCDESKTOP” variable.

Using this variable, I was able to create a conditional statement to set the number of xterm sessions inside of a VNC session, differently, for different VNC sessions.

Here’s the conditional statement I used:

if [[ -n `/bin/echo $VNCDESKTOP | /bin/grep ':2'` ]]

Now I have one more question, if it’s Ok with you:

The VNC geometry that I have set inside of the /etc/sysconfig/vncservers is a non-standard entry.

But, as I have port :2 set for my own personal use, it’s not an issue.

However, when I open a new session, not previously defined within this config file, my .Xauthority file overrides my preferred VNC geometry, setting it to 1024×768.

Is there some way for me to set the VNC session geometry locally, outside of the vncserver config file?

Remember, not the size of the xterm windows, but the actual VNC session geometry.

In other words, I typically upgrade / work on 6 servers at once, all in parallel.

I have my default VNC session set to open 6 xterm windows inside of a single VNC session, with each xterm session set to 80×24.

But, I want to open a new VNC session, with xterm windows that are 80×60, where I can display HOWTO style, cut-n-paste documents. Documents that are prepared in advance of our maintenance windows.

If nothing more, do you know of a way to reset the default 1024×768 to something different, inside of the local .Xauthority file?

You should see your port on the DISPLAY environment variable that was set by the Xvnc process and spawned to your xtartup script.
Once its readily available, abuse of IF statements at will

I know it has been a couple of weeks after you’ve asked and yet I still hope i have helped you or anyone in need.

Sunniest SouthAmerican regards

i.e.

If I open 1 specific VNC session, say on port :2, I want it to open 6 xterm sessions in a pre-defined space.

On the other hand, if I open any other VNC sessions, on any other ports, I want it to only open 4 xterm sessions, in pre-defined spaces.

I already have the xterm statements, and geometry’s calculated and working, I just haven’t hit on a way to differentiate between used ports, from inside of the .xstartup file.

TIA