I've been trying to get VNC to work between 2 Linux Mint machines.
On the "target" I have x11vnc (with -ssl option) and on the client I have ssvnc.

If I'm logged in on the "target" it seems to work, but if I'm not, the server closes the connection.

How should the vnc client and server be configured?
Now both machines are at my home, but the idea is that the "target" goes to my parents living 150 km away. (That's why ssh/ssl.)

Also, is there a way to see the logs?
When the connection fails, it shows some "console output" for a couple of seconds, and then closes it.

[EDIT]
A-ha, x11vnc has "-o" option. Haven't find any way to log ssvnc...

look for verbose: http://www.karlrunge.com/x11vnc/ssvnc_help.html

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This doesn't address your specific questions, but...

I use ssh to administer remote 'puters.
Yes, that means all work is done at the command line, but I'm comfortable with that. Are you not?

When I do want a GUI on the remote server, I use webmin.

Then I don't know what my mom sees on the screen, when she calls me and tells me that there's something odd going on...

The problem is that the stuff is visible only for about 5 seconds. Too short time to read the output.

[EDIT]
But in that page it also mentioned SSVNC_FINISH_SLEEP. That might be the trick!

2018.09.23 23:22:51 LOG5[3332:139782574384960]: Reading configuration from file /tmp/ss_vncviewer32456.3167.6bqvMx
2018.09.23 23:22:51 LOG6[3332:139782574384960]: Initializing inetd mode configuration
2018.09.23 23:22:51 LOG5[3332:139782574384960]: Configuration successful
2018.09.23 23:22:51 LOG5[3332:139782574384960]: Service [stunnel] accepted connection
2018.09.23 23:22:51 LOG6[3332:139782574384960]: connect_blocking: connecting 127.0.0.1:5930
2018.09.23 23:22:51 LOG5[3332:139782574384960]: connect_blocking: connected 127.0.0.1:5930
2018.09.23 23:22:51 LOG5[3332:139782574384960]: Service [stunnel] connected remote server from 127.0.0.1:41672
channel 3: open failed: connect failed: Connection refused
2018.09.23 23:22:51 LOG3[3332:139782574384960]: SSL_connect: Peer suddenly disconnected
2018.09.23 23:22:51 LOG5[3332:139782574384960]: Connection reset: 0 byte(s) sent to SSL, 0 byte(s) sent to socket
vncviewer: VNC server closed connection

2018/09/23 23:22:51 VNC Viewer exiting.

This is what I got now that the output was visible long enough. Looks like the problem is in the other end?

Aha. I think I found the problem.
There are instructions how to make the x11vnc to generate your own CA cert and key, and then use those in generating server cert and key.
Too bad that OpenSSL has changed and it doesn't accept those any more. Too weak crypt.
The OpenVPN people have wrestled with that problem already.

You may not like it, but while you're trying to solve this in a more open-source fashion, you could always use TeamViewer - works well for me.

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Any idea if there's a .deb for teamviewer somewhere available?

Yup. https://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/linux/

Installing it also adds the Teamviewer repo to your software sources (it may actually add a "Preview" repo too - consider deleting it).

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I must have had some moment of insanity for not finding it...

Wrestling with the certificates seem to be too much.

I guess I'll try TigerVNC, and if that doesn't go well, then I turn to TeamViewer.

Status update: It looks like TigerVNC doesn't work too well on Mint 19, and a lot of qt5 packages needed by the TeamViewer are not even found in Mint 19 repos. I guess I'm stuck with x11vnc.

I use Teamviewer on Mint 19. If you are not finding its dependencies in the Mint 19 repos, then your repos are set up wrongly.

Can you paste the output from: