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Veovis Muad'dib

Member

Registered: 2009-06-12

Posts: 43

How would I load a DE/WM (Openbox?) only for use in VNC?

tl;dr:
How can I make a segregated virtual display that can only be viewed through a VNC connection?

I have a computer that I'm using as a server (Files, Downloads, IRC bouncer), and soon as an XBMC front end for the living room computer to replace the original XBox.

With the TV it will be attached to: I want to be able to watch videos, play music, look at pictures, and possibly run an emulator or two, and that's it.  No access to virtual terminals, no other programs at all.  I can figure this out on my own, I found a few guides, though if you have a particularly good resource, I'd love to see it.

Here's what I do want suggestions on:
I also want it to start, say, Openbox, with just a file manager, JDownloader, and maybe a VERY light IM client for sending links to the server.  (Taking suggestions, I use IRC, Google Talk, and XFire already, but on my laptop and my phone I use multiprotocol clients.)

I want the IM client and JDownloader to always be running, and I want to only be able to access them (and my entire Openbox session) through VNC.  I will be using VNC clients on either a 15' or 22' monitor from Windows 7, Linux (Arch and Ubuntu) and OS X Snow Leopard, as well as from an iPhone.

I would love for the VNC session to, like Virtual Box, automatically resize itself according to window size (or the iPhone's resolution) but I'd have no problems with a single resolution.

I searched, but I suspect I'm using the wrong keywords, I've seen something about this before...  I'll be doing this in about two days, but I figured I'd ask for help now rather than later.

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: How would I load a DE/WM (Openbox?) only for use in VNC?

Set up an appropriate ~/.vnc/xstartup file - syntax is the same ~/.xinitrc, but it's for the vnc session only.

Details on the wiki's tightvnc page.

Veovis Muad'dib

Member

Registered: 2009-06-12

Posts: 43

Re: How would I load a DE/WM (Openbox?) only for use in VNC?

Thanks, exactly what I was looking for!  In fact, the info I saw before was about tightvnc, I'm pretty sure...