I want to run vnc server as non-root user at boot

link626 · 09-14-2015, 02:28 AM

I don't want someone to hack the vnc server and login to my dedicated server with root privilege.

How do I
1. make vncserver run under regular user privilege,
2. make vncserver start at bootup, running under regular user privilege, without requiring login.
?

Presently, I just install programs like an idiot...
"sudo apt-get install tightvncserver"
and it installs & runs as root.

I would prefer to run vncserver and apache server as low level user with sudo. Not root.

Can anyone show me how to configure this?

frankbell · 09-14-2015, 06:39 PM

This is a very old LQ thread, but it might be worth a look. It was number two in my search results for "run vncserver as user."

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-local-183633/

Keith Hedger · 09-14-2015, 07:46 PM

Although the apache server needs to be started by root it uses its own user/group ( usually www-data )so doesn't actually run with root priviledges, many applications do tjis thay start as root then switch to a specific user/group and drop root priviledges.

frankbell · 09-14-2015, 08:28 PM

Keith Hedger, just so I follow this, are you saying that vncserver applications (I use x11vnc on my file server, because I wanted to see if I could do it) use Apache as a server engine?

Keith Hedger · 09-15-2015, 05:00 AM

no I was just telling you how apache works and dousn't need to be started as a normal user as it will drop unneeded privileges when it starts as far as I know vnc servers have nothing to do with apache

frankbell · 09-15-2015, 06:09 PM

Thanks, Keith Hedger. My question was prompted by curiosity solely and was not really related to OP's question.

I use x11vnc on Slackware. If I start it as root, it belongs to root. Normally, I start it as user in "password required" mode. Indeed, I put the command in my Fluxbox startup file, as I am normally logged into the GUI on this machine.

Keith Hedger · 09-15-2015, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankbell

Thanks, Keith Hedger. My question was prompted by curiosity solely and was not really related to OP's question.

I use x11vnc on Slackware. If I start it as root, it belongs to root. Normally, I start it as user in "password required" mode. Indeed, I put the command in my Fluxbox startup file, as I am normally logged into the GUI on this machine.

Of course not all severs drop privileges, some like vnc servers can and do operate with full root privilages if started as such, but few such severs really need to be root and in fact it can be a security risk.

frankbell · 09-15-2015, 06:55 PM

Agreed.

I have no idea whether x11vnc is representative of vnc servers. But it works really nice.