How To Install and Configure TigerVNC server on Ubuntu

Sample setup for installation of VNC server on Ubuntu

A VNC server located at 202.222.1.2 shares a desktop with other client computers or mobile devices over the Internet or LAN. You must install TigerVNC server on Ubuntu server.

Most common VNC application

• Remote technical support
• Access files from home computer or work computer stored on a remote server
• Access remote Linux desktop stored in the cloud-based system
• Troubleshooting server issues. One can control Linux server or desktop when networking service is down. All you need is out of band management with an embedded VNC server in BMC.

How to install and configure TigerVNC server on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

The procedure to install and configure VNC server on Ubuntu Linux is as follows:

1. Login to remote Ubuntu server using ssh command
2. Install the desktop environment such as Gnome or XFCE4 using apt command
3. Install and configure the TigerVNC server
4. Connect to VNC server from your desktop using SSH and vnc client

Let us see all steps in details.

How to Install and Configure VNC on Ubuntu 18.04 or 18.10

Type the following apt command or apt-get command to install tigervnc vnc server on your server:
$ sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server tigervnc-xorg-extension tigervnc-viewer

Install Gnome 3 or 4 desktop

Type the following command to install Ubuntu Linux desktop:
$ sudo apt install ubuntu-gnome-desktop
$ sudo systemctl enable gdm
$ sudo systemctl start gdm

How to configuring the VNC service

Login to user account, say vivek:
$ su - vivek

A sysadmin can create a new VNC user account too for the new desktop user using the useradd command and passwd command. For example, create a VNC user account nixcraft that will need to access the system via VNC:
$ sudo useradd nixcraft
$ sudo passwd nixcraft

Next setup a password for vnc login:
$ vncpasswd
$ ls -l ~/.vnc/

How to configuring Gnome 3 Desktop environment to use with VNC

You need to create a file name ~/.vnc/xstartup using a text editor such as vim command or nano command:
$ vi ~/.vnc/xstartup
Append the following:

#!/bin/sh
# Start Gnome 3 Desktop 
[ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup
[ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
vncconfig -iconic &
dbus-launch --exit-with-session gnome-session &

How to start TigerVNC server

Type the following command to start the vnc server on Ubuntu:
$ vncserver
One can setup desktop bit depth such as 8, 16, 24, 32 and Desktop geometry in {width}x{height} as follows:
$ vncserver -depth {8|16|24|32} -geometry {width}x{height}
$ vncserver -depth 32 -geometry 1680x1050
Verify it with the ss command and pgrep command/egrep command:
$ pgrep Xtigervnc
$ ss -tulpn | egrep -i 'vnc|590'

How to stop TigetVNC server

To klill a VNC server running at desktop at :1
$ vncserver -kill :1
Here is what we see on the terminal window:

Killing Xtigervnc process ID 9523... success!

VNC server to kill all, instances (*) of TigerVNC, run:
$ vncserver -kill :*

How to list VNC server sessions on Ubuntu Linux

Pass the -list option as follows to the vnserver:
$ vncserver -list
Sample outputs:

TigerVNC server sessions:

X DISPLAY #	RFB PORT #	PROCESS ID
:1		5901		9523

Note down the port # 5901. We are going to use that one with the ssh command.

How to connecting with a VNC client and ssh session

Conclusion

You just learned how to install and configure TigerVNC server on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or 18.10. You need to make the communication secure using ssh. Finally, you connected to VNC server using SSH tunnel. For more info see TigerVNC home pager here.