[KLUG Members] VNC server on linux, not showing X

[Miles Pschigoda]

bill wrote:
> Well, before I get the SSH tunnel working, I wanted to test VNC.  
> 
> A Linux or Win box views another Winx box flawlessly.  But when I ran
> vncserver on the linux box, and logged in from a remote computer, all I
> got was a small shell screen, which worked but was only CLI, no X.  I
> guess I was expecting to see the X screen I would see if I was at the
> Linux box...
> 
> There must be some sort of philosophical difference between the VNC
> server on Linux vs. the VNC server on a Winx box.  Can anybody explain?
> 
> FYI, to run the linux server, I just went to a shell and ran "vncserver"
> and "vncpasswd."  But that was pretty similar to what I did on WinX,
> too, but logging in remotely didn't show me a DOS box, but the full Win
> screen.
> 
> What am I missing here?
> 
> kind regards,
> 
> bill

Last time I did any VNC server work under linux, it was difficult to get 
VNC to export your local display, but of course, that was under XFree86 
before the licensing issues.  vncserver would create a new X server, 
usually running twm.  Try running a command like mozilla in the console 
you get.

If you don't specifically need the local display, you could google for 
something like "change the vnc window manager" or some such to change it 
from twm to {kde, gnome, blackbox, windowmaker, what have you}.

I hear the situation has changed and that it's relatively easy to export 
the local, but I don't know and haven't tried.  I'd be interested in 
reading anyone else's reports, if any of you have exported your local 
displays, how easy it was, and how you did it.

MilesP