vnserver is installed and running on a headless Ubuntu Mate 15.04 box. My normal process is to ssh to the box an execute a script which starts the server thuly: This seems to work fine and I can connect from another PC using vinagra as the viewer.

However, my account, which has adminstrator privileges on the remote box, does not seem to have its privileges in the vncserver session. For example I cannot activate a VPN from network manager and when I attempt to run software updates - which do not normally require authentication - I am prompted to authenticate. If I attempt to shutdown or restart the box from the panel icon I am asked to authenticate.

I can also connect to the box using x11vnc. The will take me to the "real" display and requires me to logon. When I do this I have my normal privileges.

Is there a way to increase the privileges granted to a vncserver session to match those of the user who initiated the session? I especially want to be able to control the VPN connections.

Thanks,

Ken

Take a look at xhost access controls. The standard X server enables some things for connections from localhost that have to be enabled explicitly for remote connections. Not sure how this ties in to Xvnc.

Thanks smallpond,

I have been away from this problem for a couple of days. I did some reading on xhost but it seems to be a different environment that what I am setting up with vncserver.

I recall MANY years ago when connecting to vnc on a Red Hat system there was a way to bring up the "normal desktop." I do not recall if this had a login dialog. I think that that is the root cause of my issues. I need to logon to my vncserver session (as I do to the x11vnc session). I found some information relating to XRDC and setting configuring the REMOTE GREETER. However, it was an old post and did not translate to my Ubuntu Mate system.

I am still doing some searching and reading. I will update this thread if I find a solution (unless someone else posts one here first).

Ken