My 1st submission so apologies for any ommissions.

Install & Setup appears OK
Run VNCSERVER & OK

[root@localhost root]# vncserver
New 'X' desktop is localhost:1
Starting applications specified in /root/.vnc/xstartup
Log file is /root/.vnc/localhost:2.l

Run VNCVIEWER & appears OK ...

[root@localhost root]# vncviewer

Asks for server ID, enter 'localhost:1'
Then asks for 'password' & enters OK, then get new vnc window opening OK but stays blank (Red since root) with timer icon as if waiting for server to 'serve'.

Terminal Text is ...
VNC server supports protocol version 3.3 (viewer 3.3)
VNC authentication succeeded
Desktop name "root's X desktop (localhost:1)"
Connected to VNC server, using protocol version 3.3
VNC server default format:
32 bits per pixel.
Least significant byte first in each pixel.
True colour: max red 255 green 255 blue 255, shift red 16 green 8 blue 0
Using default colormap which is TrueColor. Pixel format:
32 bits per pixel.
Least significant byte first in each pixel.
True colour: max red 255 green 255 blue 255, shift red 16 green 8 blue 0
Using shared memory PutImage
Same machine: preferring raw encoding

[root@localhost root]# ps -ax |grep vnc gives ...
Bad syntax, perhaps a bogus '-'?
2183 ? S 0:00 Xvnc :1 -desktop X -httpd /usr/share/vnc/classes -auth /root/.Xauthority -geometry 1024x768 -depth 24 -rfbwait 120000 -rfbauth /root/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5901 -fp unix/:-1
2321 pts/1 T 0:00 vncviewer
...so server running OK?

[root@localhost root]# find / -mount -mmin -1 -name '*.log' -print gives ...
/root/.vnc/localhost:1.log
and
[root@localhost root]# tail /root/.vnc/localhost:1.log reveals the following
08/10/03 17:17:45 Enabling cursor position updates for client 127.0.0.1
08/10/03 17:17:45 Enabling LastRect protocol extension for client 127.0.0.1
08/10/03 17:17:50 Client 127.0.0.1 gone but vncviewer still shows on ps command !!!
08/10/03 17:17:50 Statistics:
08/10/03 17:17:50 key events received 0, pointer events 90
08/10/03 17:17:50 framebuffer updates 3, rectangles 6, bytes 3152678
08/10/03 17:17:50 cursor shape updates 1, bytes 82
08/10/03 17:17:50 cursor position updates 1, bytes 12
08/10/03 17:17:50 raw rectangles 4, bytes 3152584
08/10/03 17:17:50 raw bytes equivalent 3152584, compression ratio 1.000000

[root@localhost root]
[root@localhost root]# netstat -nltp |grep X
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:5801 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2486/Xvnc
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:5901 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2486/Xvnc
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:6000 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 3099/X
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:6001 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 2486/Xv

When connected via Windows Laptop on 10.0.0.1:1 get same !!
[root@localhost root]# netstat -r
Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags MSS Window irtt Iface
10.0.0.0 * 255.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 eth0
127.0.0.0 * 255.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 lo

[root@localhost root]# ping localhost
PING localhost (127.0.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from localhost (127.0.0.1): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.122 ms

[root@localhost root]# ping 10.0.0.1
PING 10.0.0.1 (10.0.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 10.0.0.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.072 ms

[root@localhost root]# vncserver -name andy

[root@localhost root]# ps -ax |grep vnc

2321 pts/1 T 0:00 vncviewer
2377 pts/1 S 0:00 Xvnc :1 -desktop andy -httpd /usr/share/vnc/classes -auth /root/.Xauthority -geometry 1024x768 -depth 24 -rfbwait 120000 -rfbauth /root/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5901 -fp unix/:-1


[root@localhost root]# find / -mount -name '*xsta*' -print
/root/.vnc/xstartup is present !!!

[root@localhost root]# find / -mount -name '*passwd*' -print
/root/.vnc/passwd is also present !!

To save me any more wasted nights, could someone help?
It started working for no apparent reason for 1 night and has now stopped again. I have turned off anything I can think of that may stop communication

I have/had this same problem. Did you get it fixed?

Apologies for not getting back sooner, I've had computer problems !!

Answer is no though, although I have not had time to look again.

Regards

Not sure, but it might have something to do with you running it as root, vs another user.

Try running it as another user.

Thanks for that. I will be depressed if it's that simple after all that time !!

I'll let you know

I know there are some security safeguards set up (such as root not being able to telnet into your box by default...not that you should be using telnet in the first place, but thats another story) and that might be one of them.

Also, if you specified KDE for your window manager, by default, at least Mandrake, the root KDE session will come up with a bright, anoying (by default) red background.