I know it is possible to run VNC viewer on a windows box and connect to a linux box with a xserver, but i could not find a tutorial. Also, VNC sends data unencrypted. Apperently you can use SSH to fix this. Is there a howto for this aswell?

Looking @ another post (thread 508601) I see that freeNX is an alternative to VNC. Is freeNX that much better than VNC?

Will there be any differences for instructions for a different distro (mine is FC6) or since X11 is pretty much distro independent it wont matter?

I google'd a little and couldn't find anything.

thanks in advance.

This thread might be useful for you: http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/sho...hlight=vnc+ssh

lazlow thanks for the reply. I was hoping to just configure X Window server or something to use my VNC client, that way I can avoid installing yet another server on my Linux box. I've heard that its possible I just have yet to find clear instructions on how exactly to do that.

If I cant figure it out I'll have to resort to installing the VNC server, I rather not though.

thanks again.

-s

ps. I'm not tied to VNC on the windows box. I just want to be able to make remote x sessions to my linux box.

An X Window server is a completely different beast than what you're thinking. An X server runs on the machine you'd normally call the "client". For example, you can run an X server on a slow 486, which you use as a thin client X terminal logged remotely to a fast computer. The fast computer can be called a terminal server (and it is an XDMCP server), but in terms of X it is the CLIENT. The fast computer doesn't even need an X server on it at all!

Confused? It is confusing.

Now, you can run a Windows compatible X server on a Windows computer, and use it to remotely log into a *nix box. I've never done it myself. But a VNC client will probably be better to use than an X server.

The basic way in which an X server and a VNC server works is completely different, so there's no way to just adapt an X server into a VNC server.

Thanks for the clarification Isaac.

I've moved along a little in my remote x journey, but I'm still a little lost. What command am I supposed to execute to run x windows?

it should be something like
/usr/bin/Xorg -audit 0

or some such nonsense.

I'm running KDE on FC6. Any one know or know where I can find out such a command?

if I do
/usr/bin/Xorg -from <my_ip_address>

I get "Fatal server error: Server is already active for display 0 If this server is no longer running, remove /tmp/.X0-lock and start again."

-s

You need to run the X server on the Windows machine if you want to log into your Linux box from the Windows machine. It's confusing, because the X server is running on what you'd normally expect is the "client" computer.

I've never run an X server on a Windows box, so I don't even know what X servers are available.

There are VNC clients for windows and VNC servers for Linux.

What you are trying to do is remotely view a desktop on your FC box, right? There are a lot of complicated ways to accomplish this. Fortunately there are also a couple of super easy ways.

1. Log into Gnome on the box and go to System=>Preferences=>Remote Desktop and simply enable desktop sharing.

2. Or, if you don't have X started or are logging in via ssh, log on to the console and execute "vncserver :x" where x is simply the screen you wish to run on (X runs on screen 0 at the console so choose 1,2,3,4,5,6,whatever for another session) and enter the password you want to use for authentication when connecting. You'll also probably want to vi ~/.vnc/.xstartup and change the last line to "gnome-session &" or whatever your favorite manager is so that you’ll get that desktop when you connect. Don't forget to restart the server! Try vncserver -kill :screen to end that session. Then restart it with the aforementioned vncserver :screen command.

3. Go to realvnc.com and download the free VNC Viewer program for your Windows (or whatever OS) PC. When you launch it you'll need to enter the hostname or IP address of the FC box with a :screen appended. For example: linuxRULES.somenet.com:27 then enter the password when prompted.

Congratulations! You should now be connected to your Linux desktop. Be aware that VNC is not secure so I would run it only on a private network. Remember also that there are a LOT of different ways to accomplish this in a more elegant fasion - but this should at least get you rolling. I'd also recommend spending some time in a shell learning the vast power of the command line (even in WINblows!)

Enjoy!

Well I am now using VNC successfully. I found a great guide:

http://www.g-loaded.eu/2005/11/10/co...ver-in-fedora/

cheers.