Hi Darren.
I have installed 12.03 successfully, however do not want to leave monitor/keyboard and mouse connected. I would like to access the server using tightVNC viewer only. How can we remotely start up "remote desktop server", can it be done via WebMin?
Regards
Wombat66
I'm interested in this one as well and have searched endlessly it seems looking for a solution that a linux layman like myself can implement. I don't have the answer yet but here's what I've uncovered so far:
The main problem is that VNC can only be started once logged in. If there is a power failure and restart say, then although Webmin will be available, it is not a simple matter to fire up the desktop from the command line and bypassing the login manager seems to be fraught with problems. I've given up on this method.
A common work-around seems to be to make the login automatic but this too requires a good understanding of what goes on under the bonnet and usually involves compiling a bit of code. So far I've not found a method that I could apply directly to 12.03 although I'm sure it is doable.
The most elegant approach is to get VNC to launch on boot. By doing this one can then login as per normal and be assured that all the things that have to happen when launching the desktop do happen. I've just discovered a thread that started in 2008 and still going strong today which I think may hold the answer. If we get a number of heads working on this (hopefully including yours Darren!) we could well solve the problem for everyone. Check out:
http://www.abdevelopment.ca/blog/start-vnc-server-ubuntu-boot
Cheers Pete
I've been having a play around with a freshly installed UserOS 12.03 and found an easy way to set it to auto start.
It does require you to have the laptop or PC set to auto login. I'm using an old laptop with the lid closed. It is not a true headless system because vino-server needs a 'desktop'. I have a suspicion that you may need to install VNC - apparently this can be configured to run without a desktop. I think that vino-server will run without a monitor though.
Anyway, to run the bundled remote desktop server on startup.
Applications > Settings > Settings Manager
Select "Session and Startup"
Then "Application Autostart"
Add a new application
Give it a name - Vino will do
Give it a description - once again Vino will do unless you want to get creative.
Then add the Command
/usr/lib/vino/vino-server &
Save and exit
To ensure you don't have to give permission to the allow a remote user to use the desktop, configure the Desktop sharing preferences and uncheck the "You must confirm each access to this machine"
If the Desktop Sharing preferences have been deleted following an update - it happened with me twice - then open the Terminal Emulator and type in vino-preferences to launch the Desktop sharing preferences window.
Make sure your Desktop Sharing Preferences also allow others to view and control your desktop
Thanks for that dougall, works like a charm. I can now do away with the great big clunky 19 inch CRT and log in via my desktop flat screens.
Wombat66
Your welcome.
My next project is to get calibre running as a service on the 12.03 server and automatically send the daily newspaper to my kindle each morning before I go to work.
Ok on starting vino but how was auto login enabled? That's been the bigger issue for me and many others. Sounds like it could be trivial - and I'll be kicking myself if it is!
Cheers Pete
For anyone following this thread and are having a problem with auto login as I did, please see Dougall's solutions in the Linux help forum: Q:(home server 12.03)how to make remote server lauch on startup
PeteMcf,
What I have done is followed Dougall's instructions as above, and to access my server remotely all I do is start up TightVNC Viewer on my desktop and log into my server using the address and password and voila the server desltop GUI appears as a window on my desktop screen.
Cheers Wombat66
Thanks for that Wombat66, as a matter of interest, was your system already configured to not require a password at startup?
Cheers
PeteMcF
Yes I configured when I installed it so the server boots to the GUI without a password. On my desktop PC I am running dual HD monitors so that I can have the server window on one monitor and whatever else on the other. Out of interest my desktop is i5 processor 16GB Ram and all software and OS is loaded onto a 120GB SSD..Wow it is fast compared to my old Vista with 2GB ram.
Cheers
Wombat66
Nice one - I like the sound of that!
As mentioned on the other thread http://pcuser.com.au/help/linux/2012/mar/home-server-1203how-to-make-rem... I've moved from vino to xrdp.
It doesn't require the home server 12.03 to have a logged in user, doesn't require a desktop session (as with VNC/vino) and responds quite nicely to a RDP connection from a windows.
Installation as a service is part of the apt install.
As the name suggests, it runs as a service allowing RDP connections from a windows PC.
Install from terminal > sudo apt-get install xrdp
Reboot the PC. If you have a monitor attached, it will sit at the login screen.
From your windows PC, start the Remote Desktop session
Rather than locating the Remote Desktop Program, I find it easier to use windows command line > mstsc.exe
Type in the IP Address of the linux server
enter username and password.
You're now connected in to true remote session. Any services that are set to run on startup are running (web services, mail services, calibre etc).
Somewhere along the way, my applications and widows do not have the min, max and close buttons anymore and each is 'stuck' on top, i.e I can't select a window behind the top window unless I close the top one. It may be related to the way Xrdp handles the desktop or may have happened with me playing around with different desktop looks. If I can't resolve it through configuration changes I'll wipe the drive, reinstall and rebuild to determine where it happened.
As mentioned in previous post, all windows were open stuck in the upper left-hand corner and the min-max-close buttons were missing.
I thought it may have been related to the Xrdp service not displaying the screen correctly. As usual, it was an EBKAC problem when I started tweaking the desktop settings. Luckily, xubuntu has an easy fix.
simply use the command line > xfwm4 --replace
It fixed the windows, buttons, display screen size and the Xrdp service works very nicely.
Thanks again Dougall,
I've followed your tip on installing xrdp and now have the best of both worlds - VNC when two individuals want to see the same thing and RDP when it's just me wanting the extra performance and/or not having to rely on vino-server running.
I also installed the Remmina Remote Desktop Client via the Ubuntu Software Center which means I can now RDP or VNC to any of my other Win7/XP machines on my home LAN via UserOS Homeserver - great if I'm out of town.
Cheers PeteMcF
PS. Had to Google EBKAC... my issues as it turns out were generally PICNIC ;-)
It's a good thing we're not in the ID ten T problem area :-)