VNC confusion Linux Client --> Windows Host

blacksiddis · 03-06-2011, 06:20 AM

Ok, firstly forgive me if I posted in the wrong forum, I was unsure! (this is also my firth thread on the forum, although I've lurked around for a bit!)

I just started using Ubuntu 10.10 as my main OS on my netbook, however I would like to access a few programs on my Windows Desktop but I'm having problems with the VNC server. First I tried the Real VNC Enterprise edition which was recommended to me but I noticed some people on this forum said TightVNC is the thing to use! So now I currently run that on my Desktop but I can't seem to connect to it from my Netbook. (connection times out)
Nmap reports that there is no VNC server running my Desktop, but my TightVNC says everything is up and running. Has anyone had any similar problems with VNC from Linux (client) to Windows (host) ? If so how did you work around it?

PS! Somewhat a novice Linux user here, so if you have a solution, be elaborate please!
Cheers

EDIT:
This is just on my own LAN (for now)

stress_junkie · 03-06-2011, 06:43 AM

Did you check the Windows firewall settings? You may need to open a port on the Windows machine. Ubuntu doesn't install or configure a firewall by default so unless you did that yourself then you probably don't have a firewall on Ubuntu so that probably isn't the problem.

blacksiddis · 03-06-2011, 07:27 AM

Well I haven't looked at it but upon installing TightVNC there was an option that would automate that process. Perhaps it failed, but I don't think that would be the case. Checking it out as we speak non the less.
Cheers

wpeckham · 03-06-2011, 07:42 AM

On your Windows machine, after you have checked the firewall and run VNC, check its settings. You need to configure it, set it as a service, and start the service before you can connect.

blacksiddis · 03-06-2011, 07:51 AM

Well, turns out I have had Windows Firewall turned off so it can't be the firewall blocking local VNC connections. Also as far as configuring the TightVNC server, I don't have a whole lot of options. In the configuration menu I can not do much but configuration authentication, change the listening port and the web port for the Java listener (sounds like a web interface for the VNC server, I just disabled that). Furthermore I can manage access control (IP ban generally) and some more technical administration such as session sharing.

How can I verify the server is running as a service on Windows?

agentbuzz · 03-06-2011, 08:38 AM

Navigate to Start>Programs>TightVNC>TightVNC (Service Mode)>Register TightVNC Service
After installing, you may still have to do a "net start tvnserver" from a command prompt to start it. Do "sc query" and tvnserver should be in state "RUNNING". I'm using "SSL/SSH VNC Viewer" here in Ubuntu 10.10 to connect to the Windows 7 VM. If you use that, you will have the choices "Use SSL, Use SSH, SSH+SSL, None". Hit the "None" button before attempting to connect.

blacksiddis · 03-06-2011, 09:48 AM

All indications show that the server is RUNNING. I issued "sudo apt-get install ssvnc" to get the SSL/SSH VNC viewer software. One thing I noticed in the GUI is the field VNC Host

isplay. I've tried running a VNC server on Ubuntu and connecting to it from Windows (that was before I deleted Windows all together) But I don't know what this "Display" option is.

I entered the following into ssvnc:
VNC Host

isplay --> 192.168.0.107 (I tried :1 and :0 at the end but to no use)
VNC Password --> The password I set TightVNC to authenticate users with
Proxy/Gateway --> Was unsure of this so I left it blank and tried the routers IP address (only because the router is referred to as "Default Gateway" in Windows CMD. I have no idea how that would help)

ALSO! When I press "Find" in ssvnc GUI It says "No VNC Servers detected" but as mentioned above, all indicators on Windows says it is and the firewall is down.
I think connection still times out, not sure, the popup window generated upon attempting to connect with ssvnc disappears to quickly.

agentbuzz · 03-06-2011, 10:19 AM

Create a profile with the settings recommended above; you should then find it in your home directory at .vnc/profiles/
Make sure the following are set (the IP will be that of your VNC server, obviously):

[connection]
host=172.16.86.128
port=5900
proxyhost=
proxyport=
disp=172.16.86.128
disable_all_encryption=1
use_ssl=0

Everything else is commented out. When you open the viewer on your Ubuntu box, click "Load", then click the named profile. Then click "Connect".

Do a netstat and you should see something like this:

~$ netstat -an | grep 5900
tcp 0 0 192.168.0.1:60767 192.168.0.107:5900 ESTABLISHED

blacksiddis · 03-06-2011, 10:31 AM

Alright I will try that, just informing you now that my .vnc/profiles directory is empty. You wrote "...Everything else is commented out" implying there should be a profile in this directory to begin with? If so, Mind sharing layout of the file so I may write one manually?

agentbuzz · 03-06-2011, 06:20 PM

This is what the SSL/SSH VNC Viewer app creates when you successfully save a profile:

Code:

[connection]
host=192.168.86.128
port=5900
proxyhost=
proxyport=
disp=192.168.86.128

[options]
# parameters commented out with '#' indicate the default setting.
#additional_port_redirs=0
#additional_port_redirs_list=
#change_vncviewer=0
#change_vncviewer_path=
#choose_desktop=0
#choose_desktop_geom=0
#choose_filexfer=0
#choose_multisession=0
#choose_ncache=0
#choose_othervnc=0
#choose_x11vnc_opts=0
#choose_xserver=0
#compresslevel_text=Compress Level: default
#crlfil=
#crtdir=ACCEPTED_CERTS
#cups_local_server=
#cups_local_smb_server=
#cups_manage_rcfile=1
#cups_remote_port=
#cups_remote_smb_port=
#cups_x11vnc=0
disable_all_encryption=1
#disable_pipeline=0
#disable_ssl_workarounds=0
#disable_ssl_workarounds_type=none
#extra_sleep=
#include_list=
#listen_accept_popup=0
#listen_accept_popup_sc=0
#listen_once=0
#multiple_listen=0
#mycert=
#port_knocking_list=
#quality_text=Quality: default
#rfbversion=
#sbwid_string=
#server_anondh=0
#server_vencrypt=0
#smb_mount_list=
#smb_su_mode=sudo
#sound_daemon_kill=0
#sound_daemon_local_cmd=
#sound_daemon_local_kill=0
#sound_daemon_local_port=
#sound_daemon_local_start=0
#sound_daemon_remote_cmd=
#sound_daemon_remote_port=
#sound_daemon_restart=0
#sound_daemon_x11vnc=0
#ssh_local_protection=1
#ssvnc_encodings=
#ssvnc_escape=
#ssvnc_extra_opts=
#ssvnc_scale=
#stunnel_local_protection=1
#stunnel_local_protection_type=exec
#svcert=
#ts_cups_manage_rcfile=0
#ts_desktop_depth=
#ts_desktop_size=
#ts_desktop_type=
#ts_filexfer=
#ts_mode=0
#ts_multisession=
#ts_ncache=8
#ts_othervnc=
#ts_unixpw=0
#ts_vncshared=0
#ts_x11vnc_autoport=
#ts_x11vnc_opts=
#ts_x11vnc_path=
#ts_xlogin=0
#ts_xserver_type=
#ultra_dsm=0
#ultra_dsm_file=
#ultra_dsm_noultra=0
#ultra_dsm_salt=
#ultra_dsm_type=guess
#unixpw_username=
#use_alpha=0
#use_bgr233=0
#use_compresslevel=default
#use_cups=0
#use_fullscreen=0
#use_grab=0
#use_listen=0
#use_nobell=0
#use_nojpeg=0
#use_notty=0
#use_popupfix=0
#use_port_knocking=0
#use_quality=default
#use_raise_on_beep=0
#use_rawlocal=0
#use_send_always=0
#use_send_clipboard=0
#use_smbmnt=0
#use_sound=0
#use_ssh=0
#use_sshssl=0
use_ssl=0
#use_turbovnc=0
#use_unixpw=0
#use_viewonly=0
#use_x11_macosx=1
#use_x11cursor=0
#use_x11vnc_find=0
#vncviewer_realvnc4=0
#ycrop_string=

wpeckham · 03-07-2011, 10:46 AM

Something is odd or unclear. I use vnc this way ALL the time, and never had a problem.

Running the vnc client (vncviewer) on the ubuntu side, and specifying the IP address and display number 0 on the client side should at LEAST get you to the authentication.

Are you running the VNCSERVER on the Ubuntu workstation, so you can run a local test?
Have you tried testing the reverse (use the tightvncviewer.exe client on windows to see a Ubuntu desktop)?

krunge · 03-12-2011, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacksiddis

ALSO! When I press "Find" in ssvnc GUI It says "No VNC Servers detected" but as mentioned above, all indicators on Windows says it is and the firewall is down.

This is because the VNC server detection is done via Zeroconf (aka mdns, Bonjour, Rendevous, Avahi...) and Windows and/or your VNC server does not support that form of service advertizing.

Regarding your problem connecting, to troubleshoot the connection try typing these commands in a terminal on the Linux machine:

Code:

ping 192.168.0.107
telnet 192.168.0.107 5900

Here is what I see for the latter from a linux machine to a windows machine (using ultravnc server) on my lan:

Code:

# telnet 192.168.2.53 5900
Trying 192.168.2.53...
Connected to 192.168.2.53.
Escape character is '^]'.
RFB 003.006

(RFB=remote frame buffer is the VNC protocol, the above is its initial handshake.) If you can't connect this way directly via telnet(1) then no VNC viewer will be able to either.