# Noob Q about remote desktop x11vnc

## KajOle

Hi

Sorry to bother you with my total nOOb questions.... but here they come.

I have installed gentoo on my via eden esp 6000 ecm3610 setup. I've used genkernel and the standard settings (except IP which is static and the profile is server) as instructed in the guide on gentoo.org furthermore I have added xfce4 and xorg for X. After all this I wanted to be able to remote this server from a windows laptop I don't want to connect anything to the server except power stereo and lan. As far as I have understood I need to install x11vnc to fullfill my wishes please correct me if there is a better alternative. But being a noob I simply can't get it to work although I have used the guide on gentoo wiki solution 1 and I got to this part "To start the vnc server you need the x11vnc command. This could be put somewhere for starting on login. E.g. make a script in ~/.kde/Autostart/ , perhaps by... and as I see it these suggestions only work for a kde install and not my xfce, so what I did instead was to add an autostart of x11vnc through settings and so on. however it doesn't work what should I do instead???

Thanks in advance

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## NeddySeagoon

KajOle,

Welcome to Gentoo.

First, why do you need graphics at all for server management?

You can run PuTTY on windows and use ssh. Its just like sitting at the servers console.

Linux VNC solutions and there are several, do not normally export what the graphics card shows on the connected monitor.

Some can but its not the default behaviour. Instead they create a pixel buffer in main RAM and manipulate that.

Keep in mind that Linux is a multi user system and several users may want to run VNC sessions at the same time.

It also means you need not install a graphics card.

I use tightVNC as its good over low bandwidth links (think dial up modem). You can run any window manager in it you like.

Just as with Xorg, it has its own setup files and you get twm by defualt, thats good over low bandwidth links too.

VNC is a gaping security hole do not attempt this over the internet unless you use a ssh tunnel

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## KajOle

Thanks

I don't know if I need this so I better explain what I plan to use it for...

I would like to use it for a torrent client, fileserver, music and maybe video player for dvd-rips. 

I would like to be able to control the music and video playing from a PDA.

Furthermore I would like to be able to c setup and control everything from a pc on the same router, maybe I would like to access it from an outside connection.

I don't know if 1 program will do the trick or if I need several...

Best regards

Kasper

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## KajOle

I've been researching a bit and I think I need to run X11vnc through SSH but I can't seem to figure it out or find any guides for setting it up on a gentoo machine. Tried the wiki guide but I couldn't get it to work.

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## NeddySeagoon

KajOle,

Providing you run VNC on your own network and the network is behind a firewall, you need not tunnel over ssh.

If you want access while you are away from home thats different.

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## gentoo_ram

I use the package net-misc/vnc.  It will install an X server package that runs an X server inside VNC.  You don't run an X server on a video card on the machine, it creates its own.

1.  In your home directory, create the directory ".vnc".

2.  Run 'vncpasswd' to set a password for the server.

3.  Create the .vnc/xstartup script to start whatever window manager you want.  For example: mine says "startkde".  Make the file executable.

4.  Then I just "vncserver -geometry 1024x768 -depth 16".

It creates an X server you can connect to with a VNC client.  If you'd like it on an alternate port, the give it a display name like: "vncserver -geometry 1024x768 -depth 16  :5".  That will create the VNC server on port 5905.

Then you can SSH into the machine remotely and forward a TCP to port 5905 on your server.  This is how I manage my server remotely via X.

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