[SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

Friedrich · 2019-10-02 13:16:20

Hi,

i use tightvnc-server with this in the ~/.vnc/xstartup and it works

#!/bin/sh
unset SESSION_MANAGER
unset DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
xsetroot -solid grey
autocutsel -fork
geometry 640x480
startxfce4 &

Without 'startxfce4 &' in that file i can connectto the server but see only a grey background. Normally i use a lot of program starters on the desktop. i don't need all of them when connecting to a virtual vnc desktop, also i don't need weather information and the wallpapers. is there a possibility to start xfce with other settings? with a simple background color instead of changing wallpapers and only with some of my important program starters?

Last edited by KBar (2022-08-11 05:53:16)

ToZ · 2019-10-02 19:41:44

At one point in time, it was possible to set XDG_CONFIG_HOME to point to another configuration directory and you could maintain separate Xfce configurations (to some extent). It doesn't seem to work in 4.14 anymore (xfconfd seems to ignore this), but in 4.12 it did work. You can give it try to see if works for you. Simply replace the last line of your xstartup file to read:

XDG_CONFIG_HOME="$HOME/.config-vnc" startxfce4 &

...and your Thunar, panel, and terminal settings should be set and managed in the second ".config-vnc" directory.

Friedrich · 2022-08-10 09:15:37

I'm bringing up this old Thread because the problem was unsolved.

I tried something different. I created a new user with its own home dir, own passwd in the new users home dir and copied the xstartup to the home dir. When i start the vncserver from the new user and connect i have the same problem: there is no xfce desktop also if there is "startxfce4" in the file "xstartup". I guess some config files are missing in the new users home dir that are important for the start of xfce.

Can i realize what i want in this way? what files to i need in the new users home dir?

ToZ · 2022-08-10 10:35:00

Start with a simpler xstartup file. For example:

#!/bin/sh
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
startxfce4 &

Does that bring up a desktop?

Friedrich · 2022-08-10 11:33:47

Same result.

ToZ · 2022-08-10 13:13:32

What does the vnc log file say? It should be located in ~/.vnc.

Friedrich · 2022-08-10 14:19:15

Found the problem. xstartup had the wrong permissions. on the normal user permission are 755, this works. when i tried starting the vnc-server xstartup was ignored and so no xfce was started. Thx.

Skaperen · 2022-08-10 23:17:31

great! yay!

can you go back to your first post in this thread and edit it and insert "[SOLVED] " in the front of the title?

having permissions just right seems to be a perpetual problem in the Unix/Linux world.

i've been wanting to explore using VNC to let me have many users logged in in a way that (hopefully) X doesn't know if the display is not connected (X updates the display and the VNC daemon just updates any buffers it keeps and does nothing more if the VNC client is not connected).

Friedrich · 2022-08-11 05:58:43

Other question (not a Xfce problem). I tried to move an application window to the virtual display :1 that TigerVNC has created. This doesn't work. wmctrl doesn't recognize the display i only have display :0. Is there a difference between a real display and the virtual the VNC has created?

Skaperen · 2022-08-11 07:33:43

my guess is that TightVNC is using :1 for something. where does ":1" show up as in where do you see that listed? e.g. how do you know it is there? if you see it in the output of the "w" command, i'd want to know what user and what command is running there according to that output (under USER column and under WHAT column). if it's some other command, try "w".

Friedrich · 2022-08-14 12:15:36

vncserver is running under an other user, this can be the problem. with 'w' i see only desktop :0. i tried moving the window with wmctrl. with wmctrl -d i can show all available desktops and there also :1 is missing.

Danielsan · 2024-08-05 05:41:52

Hi guys, I followed your suggestions but still I don't get the XFCE4 desktop from the client...

I also checked this other guide that explain the same thing: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/ … untu-16-04

Can you help me?

Danielsan · 2024-08-05 05:59:30

With this setting it works:

unset SESSION_MANAGER
unset DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
startxfce4 &

Skaperen · 2024-08-08 01:07:20

it could be that something essential is run after that script is run. without the "&" the script just hangs there, never exits, and the process that ran the script continues to wait for its child process to exit. since the client can connect in the bad case, something is listening to the VNC port. i guess i need to move "work with VNC" up higher on my to-do list.

i guess i should use TigerVNC since others are.

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#1 2019-10-02 13:16:20

[SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#2 2019-10-02 19:41:44

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#3 2022-08-10 09:15:37

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#4 2022-08-10 10:35:00

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#5 2022-08-10 11:33:47

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#6 2022-08-10 13:13:32

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#7 2022-08-10 14:19:15

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#8 2022-08-10 23:17:31

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#9 2022-08-11 05:58:43

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#10 2022-08-11 07:33:43

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#11 2022-08-14 12:15:36

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#12 2024-08-05 05:41:52

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#13 2024-08-05 05:59:30

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

#14 2024-08-08 01:07:20

Re: [SOLVED] Starting Xfce to use with TightVNC-Server

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