VNCServer configuration
Alex Pelts
alexp "at" broadcom.com
Tue Jun 19 05:31:00 2007
Bruce,
I am not sure that you understand how xdm (XDMCP) works. In order to get
xdm screen in the first place you will need xserver or vnc server/client
connection.
You can have one session of vnc for multiple users but they all will see
the same screen.
I am not here to argue with you on what you can or can not do. All I can
say is good luck and I hope it works as you think it does.
Alex
bruce wrote:
> Hi Alex...
>
> Sorry to say, the solution you propose isn't really acceptable for an
> enterprise environment. I don't want potential users to have to 1st ssh into
> the system to then start a vnc session that they would then use...
>
> Nor do I want to somehow allocate 10 sessions of vnc, and then allocate them
> somehow by passing a script to the user....
>
> The real solution might be based on using XPDMC (?) in conjunction with VNC.
> There might be a method of having a single session of VNC that can be used
> by multiple users, while at the same time, providing a unique desktop, and
> allowing the user to login using their user/passwd...
>
> There might also be a solution using the NX app..
>
> thanks
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com [mailto:vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com]On
> Behalf Of Alex Pelts
> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 7:05 PM
> To: bruce
> Cc: 'Boger, Mike'; vnc-list "at" realvnc.com
> Subject: Re: VNCServer configuration
>
>
> One can write web management front end that would start a server and
> publish its screen number. Or maybe you can run bunch of them and tell
> users which are free. With EE user can use their unix password to login.
>
> It is all highly dependent on what users actually do. If the
> applications are computation/graphics intensive you will bring down the
> machine in no time at all. If you already using vnc in such manner and
> just want to separate user sessions you can use ssh to do the work for you.
>
> Run say 10 servers on ports 5900 to 5909. Then for each user setup ssh
> port forwarding where for each user ssh will forward on a different port
> - for first one localhost:5900 to host:5900, for second one
> localhost:5900 to host:5901, etc. Then all user will have to do is to
> connect to localhost screen 1 with vnc and ssh will port forward to the
> correct port for that user. The only downside that it is not dynamic.
>
> If you want something more dynamic, setup script that would start a
> server, generate .vnc file and get it to user somehow. All user will
> have to do is double-click on the file to connect to correct server.
>
> Alex
>
>
> bruce wrote:
>> Hi Mike.
>>
>> Thanks for your reply. What you've described is pretty much what my team
> has
>> been doing for quite awhile. However, in an enterprise situation, I'm
>> considering something that doesn't require users to have to login via ssh,
>> or to really play with vnc session ids.
>>
>> It appears that vnc with xdmcp might actually provide a way to accomplish
>> this. I'm also going to do some research with nx to see if it meets my
>> goals.
>>
>> thanks
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Boger, Mike [mailto:boger_mike "at" ti.com]
>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 3:38 PM
>> To: bruce
>> Cc: vnc-list "at" realvnc.com
>> Subject: RE: VNCServer configuration
>>
>>
>> Bruce-
>>
>> We have our users start up their own vncservers. The user initially logs
>> into the machine (telnet, ssh, etc.) and issues a vncserver command:
>>
>> vncserver -geometry 1024x768
>>
>> They will then be given the following info:
>>
>> ***
>> Reading user's xstartup file
>>
>> VNC Server Enterprise Edition E4.2.6 - built Jul 27 2006 10:19:03
>> Copyright (C) 2002-2006 RealVNC Ltd.
>> See http://www.realvnc.com for information on VNC.
>> Running applications in /home/mikeyb/.vnc/xstartup
>> Log file is /home/mikeyb/.vnc/happybox.domain.com:2.log
>> New desktop is happybox.domain.com:2
>>
>> ****
>>
>> The user then can point his/her vncviewer to happybox.domain.com:2...
>> Depending on how the ~/.vnc/xstartup file reads, is which window manager
>> gets displayed. The first one to get on the machine will get :1, the
>> next :2, so on so forth. As Alex mentions, the load will depend on what
>> each user is doing. Keep an eye out on load. An overloaded machine is a
>> sure fire way to make you very popular.
>>
>> ****
>> Here is our default xstartup (we have RHEL and Solaris in our
>> environment):
>> ****
>>
>> #!/bin/sh
>> [ -r ${HOME}/.Xdefaults ] && xrdb -merge ${HOME}/.Xdefaults
>> [ -r ${HOME}/.Xresources ] && xrdb -merge ${HOME}/.Xresources
>>
>> vncconfig -nowin &
>> if [ "`uname`" = "Linux" ]
>> then
>> /usr/bin/startkde &
>> else
>> /usr/dt/bin/Xsession &
>> sleep 30
>> xset s blank
>> fi
>>
>> ****
>> Hope that this helps-
>> Best Regards-
>> Mike
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com [mailto:vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com] On
>> Behalf Of bruce
>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 1:31 PM
>> To: 'Alex Pelts'
>> Cc: vnc-list "at" realvnc.com
>> Subject: RE: VNCServer configuration
>>
>> Alex...
>>
>> From your scenario.
>>
>> I start the server.
>> I have VNCServer as a service, which gets started when the server is
>> started.
>>
>> A user goes to login, using VNC. How does the user know which port to
>> use?
>> How does the user know which user/passwd to use?
>>
>> You're stating that every user should have the same user/passwd, which
>> implies that every user is also going to have the same desktop/state.
>>
>> This doesn't sound right.
>>
>> It was my understanding that each user should be able to essentially
>> have their own 'desktop' when lokking in/using vnc...
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com [mailto:vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com]On
>> Behalf Of Alex Pelts
>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 1:05 PM
>> To: bruce
>> Cc: vnc-list "at" realvnc.com
>> Subject: Re: VNCServer configuration
>>
>>
>> If any of the users is logged in other users will see what she/he is
>> doing. I am not sure if that is what you want. If you do, then setup vnc
>> server and give everyone the same password. That is it. There is no need
>> for port.
>>
>> If you do not want this behavior then vnc is not for you. I do not know
>> any way to protect one user from another using vnc. The only way to use
>> vnc is for all users to see the same screen. It is not different for EE
>> vs free edition. There are some added features in EE like encryption and
>> better authentication.
>>
>> You can also start multiple vnc servers one per user but this is too
>> resource intensive, just like running multiple X servers on one machine.
>>
>> Alex
>>
>> bruce wrote:
>>> also, if this can't be accomplished with the open source vnc, can it
>>> be handled using the enterprise version... i'm assuming it can,
>>> otherwise, vncserver/client is severley limited...
>>>
>>> thanks
>>>
>>>
>>> hi...
>>>
>>> there's still a confusion.
>>>
>>> i have a linux box:
>>> i have vncserver running on the box
>>> i want to have multiple users be able to remotely access the server
>>> using vnc
>>>
>>>
>>> how can this be accomplished?
>>>
>>> normally, you need to know the "port" in use for the vncserver
>>> session. if you have mulitple users, each user won't know the port to
>>> use when logging in.
>>>
>>> also, how do you setup vncserver to use the underlying system
>> user/passwd...
>>> thanks
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com [mailto:vnc-list-admin "at" realvnc.com]On
>>> Behalf Of Alex Pelts
>>> Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2007 8:26 PM
>>> To: bruce
>>> Cc: vnc-list "at" realvnc.com
>>> Subject: Re: VNCServer configuration
>>>
>>>
>>> Vnc does not work like this. You will need to run multiple instances
>>> of vnc server, which is X server. This will quickly bring performance
>>> of your host down.
>>> Vnc designed to access one instance of X server remotely it is nothing
>>> like a windows terminal server as far as user environment is
>> concerned.
>>> It is more like XP remote desktop.
>>>
>>> With vnc EE you can use unix login facilities so your users will have
>>> same password for vnc as they have for the rest of the system.
>>> What ever you are trying to do is not efficient with vnc but it can be
>>> done by starting multiple vnc servers and giving each user his own.
>>>
>>> Alex
>>>
>>> bruce wrote:
>>>> Hi..
>>>>
>>>> I'm trying to figure out how to setup VNC Server on linux boxes, so
>>>> that
>> I
>>>> can have users login, who can then access their own instance of the
>>> server.
>>>> This would require that they be able to log in without knowing the
>>>> port before logging in... I don't want the user to mix their session
>>>> with the session of someone else... Also, how do i go about
>>>> configuring the
>> system,
>>>> so the user can use their own system login user/passwd...
>>>>
>>>> thanks
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