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ALA, Kali Linux

Setting up an VNC Server overview

At one time or another almost every system admin has had to setup a VNC server. Here is a brief and haphazard means to accomplish this. For this example we will setup a vncserver that initiated by systemd on a debian derivitive using tigervnc.

For information on how to setup the X-dummy driver for truly headless desktops, please see vnc-xdummy.

Setting up tigervnc-scraping

1. Create a password using vncpassword as the user you intend to login as.
2. Make sure the intended user is listed in the file /etc/tigervnc/vncserver.users.
3. create a config file for vnc by editing/creating ~/.vnc/config with the following syntax.

This was the eventually resolution chosen for setup. As it worked effortlessly, and allowed for good screen resolution and performance.

session=i3
geometry=1920x1080
localhost
alwaysshared

1. Configure X to load libvnc, by adding the following to /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-vnc.conf:

Section "Module"
Load "vnc"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Option "UserPasswdVerifier" "VncAuth"
Option "PasswordFile" "/root/.vnc/passwd"
EndSection

Setting up lightdm to accept and act as a vnc server.

1. Install the tigervnc-standalone package
2. Install lightdm and the lightdm-autologin-greeter package.
3. Open the lightdm configuration file at /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf
4. At the bottom of the configuration file you will find the settings for lightdm to run as a vnc server.
5. Simply uncomment each applicable setting, close the file, and restart the server.

Using xinetd to setup tigerXvnc

Probably not the reccommended way to setup a vnc server, but with this method, one is allowed to run vnc on a truly headless host.

This method was abandoned as it only opened a empty gray screen.

Xinetd Service

We will use Xinetd to manage starting the xnvcserver, and so we will need to configure that service for xinetd.

service xvncserver {
	disable = no
	protocol = tcp
	socket_type = stream
	wait = no
	user = root
	server = /usr/bin/Xtigervnc
	server_args = -inetd -query localhost -once -geometry 1024x768 -depth 24 -fp /usr/share/X11/fonts/misc -securitytypes=none
	}

Defining the service in /etc/services

In order for xinetd to know which service it is to start, you will need to add it to the /etc/services file. Add it to the bottom of the file, where it notates custom services, or some reasonable facsimile thereof.

xvncserver 	5950/tcp 	#for xvncserver

Configure xdm

Both gdm and lightdm can be used for this as well, but gdm tends to be rather heavy and lightdm appears to require a head. So for this xdm was chosen.

• In the file /etc/X11/xdm/Xaccess uncomment the line * #any host can get a login window, this will enable remote access
• In the file /etc/X11/xdm/xdm-config comment the line !DisplayManager.requestPort: 0 with a !.