VNC- Virtual Network Computing

To configure vncserver as a service on your system, add yourself in following config file.

[harry@beans.com]$ sudo vi /etc/sysconfig/vncservers

# The VNCSERVERS variable is a list of display:user pairs.
#
# Uncomment the line below to start a VNC server on display :1
# as my 'myusername' (adjust this to your own).  You will also
# need to set a VNC password; run 'man vncpasswd' to see how
# to do that.
#
# DO NOT RUN THIS SERVICE if your local area network is
# untrusted!  For a secure way of using VNC, see
# URL:http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/sshvnc.html

# VNCSERVERS="1:myusername"
VNCSERVERS="1:harry"

Before starting vncserver as a service, let’s create a vnc password with vncpasswd command.
Notice it creates a hidden directory .vnc under your home account with file passwd which contains your vnc password.

[tchung@tchung101 tchung]$ vncpasswd

Password:

Verify:

[beans@harry]$ ls -d .vnc

[beans@harry]$ ls .vnc

passwd

[beans@harry]$

Now let’s start vncserver as a service.

[beans@harry.com]$ sudo /sbin/service vncserver start or service vncserver start

Starting VNC server: 1:tchung [ OK ]

[tchung@tchung101 tchung]$

Take a look at the contents of .vnc directory now. You should have something similiar to following.

[tchung@tchung101 tchung]$ cd .vnc

[tchung@tchung101 .vnc]$ ls

passwd tchung101:1.log tchung101:1.pid xstartup

[tchung@tchung101 .vnc]$ If you edit the script called xstartup, you will notice following comment in red.
Uncomment those two lines in red as shown below!!! Otherwise, you will get nothing but grey screen. #!/bin/sh

# Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:

unset SESSION_MANAGER

exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

#!/bin/sh

# vncconfig -iconic &
# 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 $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid grey
xterm -geometry 80×24+10+10 -ls -title “$VNCDESKTOP Desktop” &

twm &

I have add to add these lines just because my fedora box refused to start x without the following lines 3, please remember to delete &twm if you are going to add the below lines

gnome-session &
gnome-wm &
gnome-panel &