X11VNC is the popular VNC server for creating remote desktop connection and access remote desktop. It works will almost all the desktop environment available for Ubuntu and Debian based systems. Using remote desktop connection we can connect any remote system and access graphical user interface and work. We can use any available vnc viewer like the tight vnc viewer, real vnc viewer or ultra vnc viewer.
X11VNC can be a better remote support software for you. This tutorial will help you to setup x11vnc server on your Ubuntu, LinuxMint & Debian system and connect using vnc viewer from the client system.
Step 1 – Install X11VNC
X11vnc packages are available under default repositories, So just update default repositories and install.
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install x11vnc
Step 2 – Create Password
Now create a password to connect using vnc viewer from client system.
x11vnc -storepasswd Enter VNC password:********* Verify password:********* Write password to /home/rahul/.vnc/passwd? [y]/ny Password written to: /home/rahul/.vnc/passwd
Step 3 – Start X11VNC Server
After successful installation of x11vnc server on your system. Let’s start it using the following command. Change the parameters as per your setup.
sudo x11vnc -auth guess -forever -loop -noxdamage -repeat -rfbauth /home/rahul/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5900 -shared
The VNC server will start on default port 5900. In case the port 5900 is busy with some other service, it will automatically select the next available port like 5901.
Step 4 – Connect from VNC Clinet
To connect to the server using VNC, you need a VNC client on your system. For this tutorial, I am using RealVNC viewer on our system. You can use any other client of your choice.
Step 5 – Setup AutoStart on Boot
Finally setup the auto start of x11vnc server on system boot. Create a x11vnc.conf file under /etc/init/ directory using following content.
sudo vi /etc/init/x11vnc.conf
# description "Start x11vnc on system boot" description "x11vnc" start on runlevel [2345] stop on runlevel [^2345] console log respawn respawn limit 20 5 exec /usr/bin/x11vnc -auth guess -forever -loop -noxdamage -repeat -rfbauth /home/rahul/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5900 -shared
I was able to find a solution to why I was not getting x11vnc server to work. You may need to have the
All users may connect to this network checked in the general tab of the Network Connections manager.
This enabled the IP to be loaded before the x11vnc service.
Thanks for your help. I am able to use vncviewer with your setup. It still will not load at the login prompt.
Any ideas on what I need to do to get the boot up functionality working? I am using LM 19.1.
For AUTOSTART :
1. make file x11vnc.service in /etc/systemd/system :
sudo mcedit /etc/systemd/system/x11vnc.service (mcedit – my prefered editor , i’m sorry for vi :)))
with text (change RAHUL for you name):
[Unit]
Description=x11vnc remote desktop server
After=multi-user.target
[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/bin/x11vnc -auth guess -forever -loop -noxdamage -repeat -rfbauth /home/RAHUL/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5900 -shared
Restart=on-failure
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
2. sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start x11vnc
sudo systemctl status x11vnc
3. if it’s worked
sudo systemctl enable x11vnc.service
et voila
This was very helpful and work great. Thanks!
Awesome, this worked perfectly for me. Thank you very much.
Hi
I am running into something strange that I could not work out:
I have followed the installation in Lubuntu 18.04 and it works perfectly
BUT Now; I am learning Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS, install x11vnc the same way
Could not start service using following command:
sudo x11vnc -auth guess -forever -loop -noxdamage -repeat -rfbauth /home/jacky/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5900 -shared
Error below:
23/02/2019 19:08:42 passing arg to libvncserver: -rfbauth
23/02/2019 19:08:42 passing arg to libvncserver: /home/jacky/.vnc/passwd
23/02/2019 19:08:42 passing arg to libvncserver: -rfbport
23/02/2019 19:08:42 passing arg to libvncserver: 5900
23/02/2019 19:08:42 x11vnc version: 0.9.13 lastmod: 2011-08-10 pid: 2185
^X23/02/2019 19:08:42 -auth guess: failed for display=’:0′
23/02/2019 19:08:42 -auth guess: since we are root, retrying with FD_XDM=1
23/02/2019 19:08:42 -auth guess: failed for display=’:0′
— x11vnc loop: sleeping 2000 ms —
############
so I ran it without sudo and it works:
x11vnc -auth guess -forever -loop -noxdamage -repeat -rfbauth /home/jacky/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5900 -shared
Log in from windows RDC no problem.
##################
But I am not able to get it auto start.
###########
I used exactly CAISY method of systemctl
it is NOT working in Ubuntu (It was working on Lubuntu)
Error below:
[email protected]:~$ sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/x11vnc.service
[email protected]:~$ sudo chmod +x /etc/systemd/system/x11vnc.service
[email protected]:~$ sudo systemctl –system daemon-reload
[email protected]:~$ sudo systemctl start x11vnc
[email protected]:~$ sudo systemctl status x11vnc
● x11vnc.service – x11vnc remote desktop server
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/x11vnc.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Sat 2019-02-23 19:19:06 AEDT; 10s ago
Main PID: 2603 (x11vnc)
Tasks: 1 (limit: 4915)
CGroup: /system.slice/x11vnc.service
└─2603 /usr/bin/x11vnc -auth guess -forever -loop -noxdamage -repeat -rfbauth /home/jack
Feb 23 19:19:15 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: 23/02/2019 19:19:15 passing arg to libvncserver: /home/jacky/
Feb 23 19:19:15 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: 23/02/2019 19:19:15 passing arg to libvncserver: -rfbport
Feb 23 19:19:15 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: 23/02/2019 19:19:15 passing arg to libvncserver: 5900
Feb 23 19:19:15 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: 23/02/2019 19:19:15 x11vnc version: 0.9.13 lastmod: 2011-08-1
Feb 23 19:19:15 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: xauth: unable to generate an authority file name
Feb 23 19:19:15 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: 23/02/2019 19:19:15 -auth guess: failed for display=’unset’
Feb 23 19:19:15 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: 23/02/2019 19:19:15 -auth guess: since we are root, retrying
Feb 23 19:19:15 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: 23/02/2019 19:19:15 -auth guess: failed for display=’unset’
Feb 23 19:19:15 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: — x11vnc loop: sleeping 2000 ms —
Feb 23 19:19:17 jackyhp x11vnc[2603]: — x11vnc loop: 5 —
lines 1-18/18 (END)
#################################
try rc.local approach not working
rc.local does not exist on this Ubuntu installation.
##############
################################
adding xllvnc.conf do not work
sudo nano /etc/init/x11vnc.conf
# description “Start x11vnc on system boot”
description “x11vnc”
start on runlevel [2345]
stop on runlevel [^2345]
console log
respawn
respawn limit 20 5
exec /usr/bin/x11vnc -auth guess -forever -loop -noxdamage -repeat -rfbauth /home/rahul/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5900 -shared
############################
Any Kind Person can help me here?
Thanks in advance
Thank you Caisy, and of course thanks to Rahul
Thank you, after many tutorial, this work immediately with x11vnc. great!
I’ve followed the instructions herein and continue to receive the error message…’password check failed’. Suggestions?
Hey, replace the command with the right username 😉
autostart isn’t working. have you checked autostart?
Dear Batmunkh,
I am relatively new to linux and have just succeed get the VNC connection working. Nevertheless, I am also interested in having the autostart working. I already tried putting the command into “Startup Applications”, but it didn’t work. Would you be so kind to help me find where and how to check for the autostart?
you are a time and energy saver.thanks it worked
I tried following all your steps still its not working. When I try to see the VNC in browser it is not working. I tried localhost:5900 in browser?? Its not working??
Hi Ranjith,
What error are you getting? Have you tried with vnc viewer application?
autostart isn’t working. have you checked autostart?
Hi Rahul,
I have X11vnc in docker container and am accessing this vnc server via noVNC on browser.
Now my question is , not able to copy & paste to remote to local vice versa. Is it possible?
if yes let me know.
Nice and works – but if some other user is on the “server,” I can’t login. With other VNC servers I was, in the distant past, able to log in without controlling the user at the console. Is there a way to make this multi-user?
Thanks! Your instructions work!
Hi, Bojangles,
Please follow the below steps.
its working for me.
On Server
Step 1-:
Install the required x11vnc package in ubuntu.
$ sudo apt-get install -y x11vnc
Step 2-:
Create a password for a user.
$ x11vnc -storepasswd
Output-:
Enter VNC Password:
Verify password:
Write password to /home/user/.vnc/passwd? [y]/n y
Password written to: /home/user/.vnc/passwd
Step 3-:
To run the vnc server on every start automatically. We have to open /etc/rc.local file.
$ sudo nano /etc/rc.local
Copy the below line to start vnc session automatically with system startup, paste it the line before the “exit 0”.
sudo x11vnc -xkb -noxrecord -forever -noxfixes -noxdamage -display :0 -auth /var/run/lightdm/root/:0 -usepw &
Thanks, exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks for your reply. I was able to resolve it by moving the password file outside of the home dir as you had specified. I moved it to “/etc” and now it works at the login screen. Thanks again.
Good stuff and exactly what I am looking for! But unfortunately this is not working for me. When I try to connect via VNC to my Linux Mint instance which is at the login screen I get the following error; “password check failed”. But if I sit in front of the computer and login and then try to connect via VNC it works fine. Any ideas why I cannot get this working via the login screen?
Hi,
Use password you created with “x11vnc -storepasswd” command. System password is bit different than it.