Install VNC Server on Debian
Very similar to Ubuntu (since Ubuntu is based on Debian), you only need to use vnc4server package to install VNC Server
# apt-get install tightvncserver
Configure VNC Server to work on Ubuntu 14.04 / Debian 8
You can use any privileged user or root user to login to your VNC Server, but for security reason, I’m going to create vncuser for my VNC Server (you can change vncuser in tutorial to any user that you would like to use, it can be your existing user)
# adduser vncuser # passwd vncuser
We now switch to vncuser to create some VNC configuration’s files.
# su - vncuser
With regular or privileged user, start vncserver for vncserver to creates it’s necessary files.
$ vncserver
After you started VNC Server, you will be asked to create VNC’s password (VNC password can be different or the same password as your user’s password)
vncuser@namhuy:~$ vncserver You will require a password to access your desktops. Password: Verify: xauth: file /home/vncuser/.Xauthority does not exist New 'namhuy:1 (vncuser)' desktop is namhuy:1 Creating default startup script /home/vncuser/.vnc/xstartup Starting applications specified in /home/vncuser/.vnc/xstartup Log file is /home/vncuser/.vnc/namhuy:1.log
After VNC Server generated files, we have to kill it in order to configure xstartup file.
$ vncserver -kill :1
To modify xstartup file
$ cd ~ $ > .vnc/xstartup $ nano .vnc/xstartup
With the content
#!/bin/sh unset SESSION_MANAGER unset DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS xrdb $HOME/.Xresources xsetroot -solid grey #x-terminal-emulator -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" & #x-window-manager & # Fix to make GNOME work export XKL_XMODMAP_DISABLE=1 #/etc/X11/Xsession xfce4-session &
If you choose to use other GUIs, replace startxfce4 & accordingly to
- Gnome-Desktop Environment: gnome-session &
- KDE-Desktop Environment: startkde &
- MATE-Desktop Environment: mate-session &
- LXDE-Desktop Environment: startlxde &
- Cinnamon-Desktop Environment: cinnamon &
- Openbox-Desktop Environment: openbox &
Save xstartup when you are done. The next step is to create VNC Server statup script. You must do this with root user
$ su - # nano/usr/local/bin/myvncserver
With the content
#!/bin/bash
PATH="$PATH:/usr/bin/"
#DISPLAY="1"
DISPLAY="$1"
DEPTH="16"
#GEOMETRY="1024x768"
GEOMETRY="1280x800"
OPTIONS="-depth ${DEPTH} -geometry ${GEOMETRY} :${DISPLAY}"
case "$2" in
start)
/usr/bin/vncserver ${OPTIONS}
;;
stop)
/usr/bin/vncserver -kill :${DISPLAY}
;;
restart)
$0 stop
$0 start
;;
esac
exit 0
Now make vncserver startup script executable
#chmod +x /usr/local/bin/myvncserver
Script usage:
sudo /usr/local/bin/myvncserver [N] start sudo /usr/local/bin/myvncserver [N] stop sudo /usr/local/bin/myvncserver [N] restart
Where [N] in number of Display
The last step is to make VNC Server starts on boot
# nano /lib/systemd/system/myvncserver.service
With the content
[Unit] Description=Manage VNC Server on this droplet [Service] Type=forking ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/myvncserver [N] start ExecStop=/usr/local/bin/myvncserver [N] stop ExecReload=/usr/local/bin/myvncserver [N] restart User=[vncuser] [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
Where [N] in number of Display and [vncuser] is user to start vncserver.
Now we can reload systemctl and enable our service:
# systemctl daemon-reload # systemctl enable myvncserver.service
If you want to start another vncserver for another user add myvncserver2.service with differnet [N] and [vncuser]
Reboot your Debian 8 system and test out your new VNC Server
# reboot
You can login to your remote server via VNC with domain or IP.
Last updated: 14 Giugno 2016 by Pierluigi Minati