Trouble running a VNC Server

[sirix]

I have set up an old celeron 400a on Novell Desktop Linux 9, and am hoping to eventually turn it into a:I have set up an old celeron 400a on Novell Desktop Linux 9, and am hoping to eventually turn it into a:

bandwidth shaper

answering machine

firewall

low bandwidth web/email server

I am hoping to get all of these functions up and running for next school year when I move back to my school home. One of the most important things I would like to do is get VNC up and running, so I can tinker with it from my laptop and keep it headless (we need the monitor for another computer).

So if anyone knows Novell desktop linux, it's prettymuch suse 9.2. Further, I have noticed a problem between what I have been getting stuck at, and suse users have been getting stuck with; in the control panel, the option "Enable Remote Administration" will not stay checked. I follow the instructions (to restart the gui) but everytime I go back to check (ha ha) it is always back to an unchecked state.

Now VNC is always running on this computer, but the problem is that I cannot see the desktop. I can connect, but I just see a blank window with my cursor, and the screen is labeled "nobody's X11 desktop". I have tried many times to read through instructions but none of them seem geared towards the newbies such as myself.

So, I thought to write for help...hoping I could save myself some further sessions of wasted time and no results...i'm really liking linux, it's just extremely frustrating for starters when you can't see any results from all of your labour.

Thanks for your time everyone,

Rob

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Yea, I had that once. It is a setup issue and I avoided the problem rather than fixed it.

For a while I installed x11vnc which shares your CURRENT desktop with a remove VNC user (operating in more the style of the Windows VNC servers).

At some point I removed and reinstalled VNC (I use TightVNC on Linux) and I was able to it working the way it was meant to.

So go figure. I never really solved the problem. At least, not intentionally. The problem is no longer there but I don't know how it was resolved. Some things are better off not questioned but just accepted. :D

[+BudMan MVC]

and am hoping to eventually turn it into a:

bandwidth shaper

answering machine

firewall

low bandwidth web/email server

One of the most important things I would like to do is get VNC up and running, so I can tinker with it from my laptop and keep it headless (we need the monitor for another computer).

Now VNC is always running on this computer, but the problem is that I cannot see the desktop. I can connect, but I just see a blank window with my cursor

585878765[/snapback]

Ok for starters why do you need VNC? What does seeing the desktop have to do with using the machine as a bandwidth shaper, answering machine, firewall, etc..

There is NO need to see a desktop to do admin or even setup any of this stuff. You want a headless "server/firewall" - why do you need a GUI desktop? X would not even be installed on a machine like that - what purpose does it serve?

Off the top - I would suggest you look into something like clarkconnect

http://www.clarkconnect.com/

The ClarkConnect solution is built on the stability and security of Linux. The features include:

* Stateful Firewall

* Bandwidth Management

* VPN + Dynamic IP Support

* Content Filter + Weekly Update Service

* Intrusion Prevention + Weekly Update Service

* Resource and Port Monitoring

* Mail Server + Mail/MX Backup Service

* Antispam

* Antivirus

* File Server

* Print Server

* Proxy Server

* Web Server

* Webmail

* Database

As to the answering machine - I do not see that as an addon for the standard distro, but since CC is just a tweaked up fedora distro.. So you can add any type of features you would need - just like you would on any other linux distro..

This might get you started on the answering machine thing

Linux Answering Machine HOWTO

http://www.ilug-hyd.org.in/lamhowto.html

There are other distro's that can do this type of stuff right out of the box - SME server comes to mind - http://contribs.org

Or for that matter pick your FAV distro - install Webmin if it does not already have it.. And way you go.. No need for any X or VNC to the machine to admin it, etc..

[zoolkhan]

Greetings.

I have the same problem and i wonder if anybody was able

to fix it.

I know there are other ways of accomplishing the goal, but that

is workarounding it instead of fixing it. Unfortunately

there are reasons for doing it in exact this way right now :/

So back to the issue:

SUsE 9.2 same problem, remote admin is set back to no: automagically

question: why

best regards,

zool

[Bushrat]

Anyone thought of google?

[zoolkhan]

Anyone thought of google?

586123757[/snapback]

brilliant question, almost not insulting.

yet you fail to present us the google link that would help us.

trust me, i enrolled into this forum just for this one question.

i would not have given away my email if google would have been able

to help me previously.

[+BudMan MVC]

Dude I am really sorry you do not know how to search the net for the info you require.. But I have never had any issues with getting remote desktop working on Suse 9.2 nor the newer 9.3 - its a freaking mouse click.. So I have never had a need to search for a fix to a PEBKAC type problem ;)

Besides that - I can not understand the posters reason for needing some type of GUI remote control in the first place.. He clearly states this will be a headless SERVER.. WTF does a headless server need a GUI for?? NOT one service he states he wants to provides has anything to do with a desktop..

What does your lack of reading the documentation, or selecting the right option have to do with his issue? He is using "Novell Desktop Linux 9" which somehow he thinks is 9.2?? How does that have to do with your 9.2 issue??

[dotRoot]

So if anyone knows Novell desktop linux, it's prettymuch suse 9.2. Further, I have noticed a problem between what I have been getting stuck at, and suse users have been getting stuck with; in the control panel, the option "Enable Remote Administration" will not stay checked. I follow the instructions (to restart the gui) but everytime I go back to check (ha ha) it is always back to an unchecked state.

Now VNC is always running on this computer, but the problem is that I cannot see the desktop. I can connect, but I just see a blank window with my cursor, and the screen is labeled "nobody's X11 desktop". I have tried many times to read through instructions but none of them seem geared towards the newbies such as myself.

585878765[/snapback]

You don't see a blank window really. You see your console. Look inside the file:

/home/YOURUSERNAME/.vnc/xstartup

Open the xstartup file with some sort of text editor. You'll see where it says "twm &" (at the bottom most likely).

If you use KDE you'd replace "twm &" with "startkde &" without the quotation marks of course.

If you use GNOME I don't remember. Its been awhile since I've actually used a desktop manager in linux.

Anyway, I do agree with the rest of the group here though. You don't need a Desktop Manager. Big unneeded resource hog. Now I suspect you want one, because you are pretty new to Linux. So what I'd suggest is ClarkConnect (as someone else suggested), Webmin, etc. They are web-based control panels written in perl and such. So its light on resources and can still make it easier or at the very least, less tedious on you.

Good luck.

Forgot to add. You do need to save the text document: xstartup after you change it and restart VNC.

Edited July 16, 2005 by dotRoot