Vncserver / Viewer Prob

[maxthree]

Hi,

I have mandrake 9.1 with VNCSERVER

When I launch vncserver as a 'normal user' on my mandrake box , and I try to view it with a VNCVIEWER on a W2K PC. I get an empty screen.

I get a mouse pointer (watch) that I can move.
Nothing more happens


Now, when I start VNCSERVER as ROOT,
all works fine.
I can connect via a viewer and get the GUI view.


Must be a permission thing somewhere, but I cant figure out what or why.

Anybody know?

[YogaFrog]

you need to start the vnc session as root.

Just login using your normal account (not root).

Then open a terminal and su into root.

Then start the vnc server.

exit the terminal writing exit.

You should now be able to use vnc logged in as a normal user.

/Yoga

[DMR]

You might also want to compare the contents of the files in the non-root user's /home/.vnc directory with those in root's /.vnc. It's possible, for example, that you don't have a window manager/desktop environment specified in xstartup.

[Brink]

I'm having this problem too, you'll have to forgive my complete ignorance of how linux works but...

don't all startup scripts (the ones in the rc.d) run as root? If not, is root specified in the script, or is it an effect of the runlevel (eg, runlevel 5 = root)

I haven't done anything yet here, so I'll report back after I've done a little more messing around, just want to revive the thread for now.

[Brink]

I ditched VNC and I'm using xdmcp now, easier to configure, if anyone needs the howto:

http://www.icewalkers.com/Linux/Howto/XDMCP-HOWTO/index.html


it's better than VNC by a longshot in terms of functionality, but it's probably less secure (not a problem for me because I'm using it inside a firewall'd lan, no spare monitor/deskspace for my linux box)

oh yeah, and you'll need to obtain a copy of exceed (by hummingbird soft) which isn't cheap....so vnc would have an edge being free....

[DMR]

Originally posted by Brink
don't all startup scripts (the ones in the rc.d) run as root? While the startup scripts are owned by root, their permissions are (by default) set to be executable by everyone. That's why you don't need to automagically "become" root in order for the scripts to run during a non-root user's startup.

Originally posted by Brink
or is it an effect of the runlevel (eg, runlevel 5 = root) No- runlevels are basically just customizable startup scenarios. Different services are started depending on which runlevel you boot into, but no runlevel is associated with any given user; users and runlevels are totally independent beasts.