X11vnc - Revision history

Admin: /* Starting */

2011-12-17T01:28:24Z

Starting

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 sudo x11vnc -usepw -display :0 -ncache 10 -forever
 </syntaxhighlight>
 == Tunneling Via SSH ==

Admin: /* Configuring */

2011-12-17T01:26:05Z

Configuring

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:26, 17 December 2011
Line 19:		Line 19:
	<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">		<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
	#!/bin/sh		#!/bin/sh
	#
	~~# run configure~~
	~~# make~~
	~~# make install~~

	./configure \		./configure \
	--prefix=/path/to/x11vnc \		--prefix=/path/to/x11vnc \
	--~~with~~-~~jpeg=/sw~~		--without-x
	</syntaxhighlight>		</syntaxhighlight>

	Then run make and make install.		Then run make and make install.

	~~Once the installation is done,~~ add ~~the bin/ directory~~ to your $PATH ~~variable, and open a new shell. Typing "which x11vnc" should print <code>/path/to/x11vnc/bin/x11vnc</code>~~.		And then add to your $PATH.

	== Starting ==		== Starting ==

Admin: /* Connecting with Chicken of the VNC */

2011-06-17T20:35:34Z

Connecting with Chicken of the VNC

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:35, 17 June 2011
Line 54:		Line 54:
	== Connecting with Chicken of the VNC ==		== Connecting with Chicken of the VNC ==

	Once you've started x11vnc on the remote computer and created an SSH tunnel to your local machine's port 5900 (or whatever port you want your VNC to listen on), you can run Chicken of the VNC to connect the VNC to your local machine's port 5900. Do this by connecting Chicken of the VNC to the host <code>localhost:5900</code>. If you specify the host as <code>localhost</code> and then specify port 5900 in the "port" box, it won't work.		Once you've started x11vnc on the remote computer and created an SSH tunnel to your local machine's port 5900 (or whatever port you want your VNC to listen on), you can run Chicken of the VNC to connect the VNC to your local machine's port 5900. Do this by connecting Chicken of the VNC to the host <code>localhost:5900</code> (once you type the <code>:5900</code>, the port box will be greyed out and will not be used). If you specify the host as <code>localhost</code> and then specify port 5900 in the "port" box, it won't work.

	Your VNC server settings should look like this:		Your VNC server settings should look like this:

Admin: /* Connecting with Chicken of the VNC */

2011-06-17T20:33:08Z

Connecting with Chicken of the VNC

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:33, 17 June 2011
Line 58:		Line 58:
	Your VNC server settings should look like this:		Your VNC server settings should look like this:

	[[ChickenOfTheVNC.png\|400px]]		[[Image:ChickenOfTheVNC.png\|400px]]

Admin: /* Tunneling Via SSH */

2011-06-17T20:31:16Z

Tunneling Via SSH

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:31, 17 June 2011
Line 50:		Line 50:

	To tunnel a VNC connection through SSH, you'll want to make an ssh tunnel from local port 5900 to remote port 5901 (or whatever remote port VNC is listening on).		To tunnel a VNC connection through SSH, you'll want to make an ssh tunnel from local port 5900 to remote port 5901 (or whatever remote port VNC is listening on).


			== Connecting with Chicken of the VNC ==

			Once you've started x11vnc on the remote computer and created an SSH tunnel to your local machine's port 5900 (or whatever port you want your VNC to listen on), you can run Chicken of the VNC to connect the VNC to your local machine's port 5900. Do this by connecting Chicken of the VNC to the host <code>localhost:5900</code>. If you specify the host as <code>localhost</code> and then specify port 5900 in the "port" box, it won't work.

			Your VNC server settings should look like this:

			[[ChickenOfTheVNC.png\|400px]]




	{{Programs}}		{{Programs}}

Admin at 16:47, 28 May 2011

2011-05-28T16:47:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:47, 28 May 2011
Line 47:		Line 47:
	== Tunneling Via SSH ==		== Tunneling Via SSH ==

	See [[SSH#SSH Tunnels\|SSH Tunnels]]		See also [[SSH#SSH Tunnels\|SSH Tunnels]]

			To tunnel a VNC connection through SSH, you'll want to make an ssh tunnel from local port 5900 to remote port 5901 (or whatever remote port VNC is listening on).



			{{Programs}}
	~~[[Category:Computers]]~~
	~~[[Category:~~Programs]]

Admin: /* Tunneling */

2010-10-13T07:37:24Z

Tunneling

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:37, 13 October 2010
Line 45:		Line 45:
	</syntaxhighlight>		</syntaxhighlight>

	== Tunneling ==		== Tunneling Via SSH ==

	See [[SSH#SSH Tunnels\|SSH Tunnels]]		See [[SSH#SSH Tunnels\|SSH Tunnels]]

Admin: /* Tunneling */

2010-10-13T07:37:11Z

Tunneling

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:37, 13 October 2010
Line 47:		Line 47:
	== Tunneling ==		== Tunneling ==

	See [[SSH#SSH Tunnels]]		See [[SSH#SSH Tunnels\|SSH Tunnels]]

Admin: /* Tunneling */

2010-10-13T07:37:00Z

Tunneling

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:37, 13 October 2010
Line 47:		Line 47:
	== Tunneling ==		== Tunneling ==

	This is where things get a little more tricky. Since remote desktop shares such valuable information, it is important to take necessary security mesures. One such measure is tunneling the remote desktop connection through an [~~SSH]] tunnel, encrypting all remote desktop traffic. This can be done as described on the~~ [SSH~~]] page, using the command (run from the client computer):~~		See [[SSH#SSH Tunnels]]

	~~<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">~~
	~~ssh -f -N -L 5900:localhost:5900 server_username@server.com~~
	~~</syntaxhighlight>~~

	One of the problems with tunneling the connection through an SSH tunnel is that it's very slow. The reason for this is, SSH is encrypting all outgoing traffic and decrypting all incoming traffic - a time-consuming and slow process. This makes the response time and graphics quality of remote desktop windows very poor.

	[[SSH]] ~~can be tweaked, however, to use a faster (albeit less secure) cipher called Arcfour (see [[wikipedia:RC4]] for details). This is done by using the <code>-c</code> flag for the SSH command:~~

	~~<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">~~
	~~ssh -c arcfour -f -N -L 5900:localhost:5900 server_username@server.com~~
	~~</syntaxhighlight>~~

	~~If you run the command <code>man ssh</code> you can see all of the different options you have for the -c flag. Arcfour is almost assured to be the fastest, unless your machine is unusual.~~

Admin: Created page with "x11vnc is a virtual network client that allows you to log into a computer and see the desktop screen from a remote location (remote dekstop). This requires running x11vnc as a s..."

2010-10-12T09:27:09Z

Created page with "x11vnc is a virtual network client that allows you to log into a computer and see the desktop screen from a remote location (remote dekstop). This requires running x11vnc as a s..."

New page

x11vnc is a virtual network client that allows you to log into a computer and see the desktop screen from a remote location (remote dekstop). This requires running x11vnc as a server on the server computer, then connecting to the x11vnc server using a host with a remote desktop client (I use [[Chicken of the VNC]]).

= Installing =

== Prerequisites ==

=== Mac ===

To install x11vnc on a Mac, you will need a jpeg library, which I was able to download from Fink.

=== Linux ===

You can use a package management software like aptitude or yum to install x11vnc. This should resolve dependencies.

== Configuring ==

For the Mac, my configure line looked like:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
#!/bin/sh
#
# run configure
# make
# make install

./configure \
--prefix=/path/to/x11vnc \
--with-jpeg=/sw
</syntaxhighlight>

Then run make and make install.

Once the installation is done, add the bin/ directory to your $PATH variable, and open a new shell. Typing "which x11vnc" should print <code>/path/to/x11vnc/bin/x11vnc</code>.

== Starting ==

When you first run x11vnc, you will see a bunch of loud warnings about not setting a password. Follow the instructions given to set a password. This is a password used to access your desktop - without it, anyone who connects to your server can control the screen.

Once you have set your password, create a script for starting x11vnc. Mine looks like this:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
#!/bin/sh

sudo x11vnc -usepw -display :0 -ncache 10 -forever
</syntaxhighlight>

== Tunneling ==

This is where things get a little more tricky. Since remote desktop shares such valuable information, it is important to take necessary security mesures. One such measure is tunneling the remote desktop connection through an [SSH]] tunnel, encrypting all remote desktop traffic. This can be done as described on the [SSH]] page, using the command (run from the client computer):

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
ssh -f -N -L 5900:localhost:5900 server_username@server.com
</syntaxhighlight>

One of the problems with tunneling the connection through an SSH tunnel is that it's very slow. The reason for this is, SSH is encrypting all outgoing traffic and decrypting all incoming traffic - a time-consuming and slow process. This makes the response time and graphics quality of remote desktop windows very poor.

[[SSH]] can be tweaked, however, to use a faster (albeit less secure) cipher called Arcfour (see [[wikipedia:RC4]] for details). This is done by using the <code>-c</code> flag for the SSH command:

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
ssh -c arcfour -f -N -L 5900:localhost:5900 server_username@server.com
</syntaxhighlight>

If you run the command <code>man ssh</code> you can see all of the different options you have for the -c flag. Arcfour is almost assured to be the fastest, unless your machine is unusual.

[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Programs]]