Arch Linux

sokol99

Member

Registered: 2021-09-25

Posts: 36

Accessing local display via Tigervnc

Hi. I'm trying to set up tigervnc so I can remotely access the physical screen not matter who is (or isn't) logged in. .. I have tried getting vnc installed on this machine many times but just can't quite get it right.

Tried following the guide here TigerVNC. Step 3: Expose the local display directly.

I created the file: /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-vnc.conf and also moved passwd file to /home/.vnc/ as directed.

Xorg logs show that it attempts to launch the vnc but I've not been able to confirm whether it is actually running.  I expected more in the logs than I get:

[  2755.569] (II) LoadModule: "vnc"
[  2755.569] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libvnc.so
[  2755.617] (II) Module vnc: vendor="TigerVNC project"
[  2755.986] (II) Initializing extension VNC

When I attempt to launch manually I get this.

0vncserver -display :0 -rfbauth /home/user/.vnc/passwd -rfbport 5900
Authorization required, but no authorization protocol specified
x0vncserver: Unable to open display ":0"

My Xauth file has entries for other displays but not for :0.  Nor can I create an entry for :0 via xauth generate. 

So I'm stuck. I don't know exactly when this entry should be getting generated on its own but it obviously is not happening.  ... I've been stuck on this service for a long time but am determined now to figure it out. 

Any wisdom? Thank you!

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 62,312

Re: Accessing local display via Tigervnc

My Xauth file has entries for other displays but not for :0.  Nor can I create an entry for :0 via xauth generate.

xdpyinfo | head

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sokol99

Member

Registered: 2021-09-25

Posts: 36

Re: Accessing local display via Tigervnc

Thank you!

Here's what I have:

xdpyinfo | head
name of display:    :0
version number:    11.0
vendor string:    The X.Org Foundation
vendor release number:    12101016
X.Org version: 21.1.16
maximum request size:  16777212 bytes
motion buffer size:  256
bitmap unit, bit order, padding:    32, LSBFirst, 32
image byte order:    LSBFirst
number of supported pixmap formats:    7

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 62,312

Re: Accessing local display via Tigervnc

echo $XAUTHORITY
xauth info
xauth list | cut -d " " -f-4
hostnamectl
loginctl session-status | head -n16

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

sokol99

Member

Registered: 2021-09-25

Posts: 36

Re: Accessing local display via Tigervnc

Here you go!

echo $XAUTHORITY

Comment: I have manually set the $XAUTHORITY before without impact but I suppose this should be getting set automatically correct?

xauth info

Authority file:       /home/user/.Xauthority
File new:             no
File locked:          no
Number of entries:    6
Changes honored:      yes
Changes made:         no
Current input:        (argv):1

xauth list | cut -d " " -f-4

hero:2  MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 
hero:2  MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 
hero/unix:2  MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 
hero:1  MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 
hero:1  MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 
hero/unix:0  MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 

Comment: This is the first time I have seen :0.  But my user  has logged into the physical display whereas before I was only at the login screen with lightdm.  I want to be able to access that screen so I can transition between users as needed.  Shall I send this data while I am at the login screen then?

hostnamectl

Static hostname: hero
Icon name: computer-desktop
Chassis: desktop ?️
Machine ID: 0dcf8b3336c94038afcf999192cdadec
Boot ID: 854a827a500d4644a85bea3a0b0660e5
Operating System: Arch Linux                                      
Kernel: Linux 6.13.8-arch1-1
Architecture: x86-64
Hardware Vendor: CHUWI Innovation And Technology_ShenZhen_co.,Ltd
Hardware Model: HeroBox
Firmware Version: GB3B 1.02
Firmware Date: Fri 2021-10-29
Firmware Age: 3y 5month 5d   

loginctl session-status | head -n16

15 - user (1000)
  Since: Fri 2025-04-04 09:25:52 MDT; 7min ago
  State: active
 Leader: 18780 (sshd-session)
    TTY: pts/0
 Remote: 104.218.158.189
Service: sshd
   Type: tty
  Class: user
   Idle: no
   Unit: session-15.scope
         ├─18780 "sshd-session: user [priv]"
         ├─18786 "sshd-session: user@pts/0"
         ├─18787 -bash
         ├─18923 loginctl session-status
         └─18924 head -n16

Thank you!