Running a persistent desktop under SuSE 10.x?

Ransak · 04-16-2007, 03:48 PM

I have a need to run a persistent desktop such as what is covered here:

http://www.redhat.com/magazine/006apr05/features/vnc/

This sets up a persistent desktop environment on the server using VNC. This walkthrough however is for Redhat distributions; some of the files mentioned aren't present in SuSE (such as /etc/sysconfig/vncservers).

I have VNC remote management working on SuSE 10.2 (a bit of a bear to configure, but it's fully functional) but the catch is the desktops aren't persistent. Anyone know how to configure persistent VNC desktops on SuSE 10.x?

jschiwal · 04-16-2007, 04:11 PM

It looks like the "service vncserver start" is what does the trick on RHEL. See if there is a "rcvnc" or something similar on SuSE. You could go into YaST and change this service to start on boot as well.

Ransak · 04-16-2007, 07:49 PM

VNC starts on boot currently. I can remote into the server with VNC with no problems at all (even with some tweaked iptables packet filtering - the SuSE firewall is inadequate for what I needed). However, after I log onto the server with VNC and I'm finished doing whatever I needed to do, I close the VNC client window and session is lost, so if I had something running there it's killed. With a persistent desktop such as what's listed in the previous link, the desktop would stay running and allow reconnection to that instance (in my case, :1).

This is the one thing keeping me from using SuSE on several servers instead of Redhat, and I know it has to be possible... I just can't figure it out since SuSE doesn't have a /etc/sysconfig/vncservers file.

jschiwal · 04-17-2007, 01:56 AM

Taking a second look I found that there is an /etc/xinet.d/vnc configuration. Several example configurations are listed. Also the Xvnc manpage give further information, including this sample:

Code:

       5951     stream     tcp   wait     james       /usr/local/bin/Xvnc   Xvnc   -inetd   -query    localhost    -once    password‐
       File=/home/james/.vnc/passwd

       In  fact  typically,  you  would have one entry for each user who uses VNC regularly, each of whom has their own dedicated TCP
       port which they use.  In this example, when user "james" connects to :51, he enters his VNC password, then gets the XDM  login
       screen  where he logs in in the normal way.  However, unlike the previous example, if he disconnects, the session remains per‐
       sistent, and when he reconnects he will get the same session back again.  When he logs out of the X  session,  the  Xvnc  will
       die, but of course a new one will be created automatically the next time he connects.

Ransak · 04-17-2007, 09:03 AM

Aha!

The /etc/xinet.d/vnc configuration was what I've been looking for. I think I danced all around that file but never found it.

The change to the vnc file was changing wait to yes:

Code:

service vnc1
{
	socket_type     = stream
	protocol        = tcp
	wait            = yes
	user            = nobody
	server          = /usr/bin/Xvnc
	server_args     = -SecurityTypes None -inetd -once -query localhost -geometry 1024x768 -depth 16
	type		= UNLISTED
	port		= 5901
}

Thanks jschiwal, appreciate the hand.

reverendtom · 06-14-2007, 02:51 PM

I'm running into the same issue. I'm running SUSE Linux 10.2, and I'd like to have persistent desktops, so that when I reconnect to a VNC session my GUI applications are still running. I tried editing my /etc/xinetd.d/vnc file as indicated in the prior message, but when I did all of my VNC client connections were refused. My vnc file currently has this entry:

service vnc1
{
socket_type = stream
protocol = tcp
wait = no
user = nobody
server = /usr/X11R6/bin/Xvnc
server_args = :42 -inetd -query localhost -geometry 1024x768 -depth 16
type = UNLISTED
port = 5901
}

How should this be modified to allow for persistent sessions? Thanks,

Tom

Ransak · 06-14-2007, 06:30 PM

Did you set a password for the VNC server? That's one thing not mentioned in this thread that is mandatory. VNC won't allow (typically) a connection unless a password has been set.

Look here for info on the vncpasswd command:

http://www.die.net/doc/linux/man/man1/vncpasswd.1.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by reverendtom

I'm running into the same issue. I'm running SUSE Linux 10.2, and I'd like to have persistent desktops, so that when I reconnect to a VNC session my GUI applications are still running. I tried editing my /etc/xinetd.d/vnc file as indicated in the prior message, but when I did all of my VNC client connections were refused. My vnc file currently has this entry:

service vnc1
{
socket_type = stream
protocol = tcp
wait = no
user = nobody
server = /usr/X11R6/bin/Xvnc
server_args = :42 -inetd -query localhost -geometry 1024x768 -depth 16
type = UNLISTED
port = 5901
}

How should this be modified to allow for persistent sessions? Thanks,

Tom