I have an Ubuntu file server that sits under my desk at work and it has no head. This shoulnd’t really scare little kids or anything, it simply means there’s no monitor connected to it.
Generally I connect to this machine via CLI and do what I need to do. However it’s used by several other folks in my office, not all of who are as comfortable with CLI. I don’t have a GUI desktop installed on this thing, so here’s what I did to make everyone’s life a bit easier.
We’re going to install Tightvnc server and TWM on your server, and enable it. It’s really not very hard.
First, open up a terminal session and ssh to your server.
Now that you’re on your headless wonder, let’s do the install of what we need.
sudo apt-get install tightvncserver xfonts-base xfonts-75dpi twm xterm
Now we’re going to modify the vnc.conf file to tell it where your newly installed xfonts are.
sudo vi /etc/vnc.conf
Add the following line to the bottom of your vnc.conf file.
$fontPath = “/usr/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/,/usr/lib/X11/fonts/misc/”
Now let’s start the VNC server.
vncserver
So you’ve got a basic windows manater, xterm and some fonts with tightvncserver running on your headless server. Let’s go back to your laptop/desktop and make sure you’ve got what it takes to connect.
Open up a terminal xession and type:
xvncviewer
Enter the full path to your server, or the IP address
Then enter your username and password.
*POOF*! You’re on your headless server like stink on a slime mold. You can man vncserver and man xvncviewer for more info and options, but this will get you started.
geek out.
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August 21st, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Great info, thanks.
But how do you boot up a headless server? I’ve got a box I’d like to use as a headless server, and I’m pretty much figuring out how to do that as long as the server is running. But I can’t figure out how to boot it without seeing a log-in prompt/screen and entering username and password!
August 22nd, 2007 at 7:53 am
Hey Greg,
You’ve got to just turn on your machine and then ssh into it from a remote machine. Once a Linux box comes up you can connect to it remotely (VLC or other graphical options are also great), log in and do with it what you’d like.
November 12th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
I’m buying a new Linux server to ship to a colo site to host a new website I’m working on. I will have it shipped to me first so I can install and configure everything at home. The problem is that I don’t have a monitor. Is there anyway to manage a headless server fresh out of the box with a new Linux install?
November 17th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
But Ubuntu already has remote desktop built in. Why not just use that? What we need to know is how to log in over VNC instead of just connecting after the user has already logged in.
January 16th, 2008 at 1:09 am
THANK YOU….I wish i would have found this eariler.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:56 am
Here is how you do it.
Stop remote connections (systems->administration->remote desktop (uncheck)
install vnc4server
run vnc4server (add password)
reboot your box
ssh to your box
start vnc4server (port is most likely 5902 but check the log)
vnc to that box with the port number found, enter password
Wow you have a ugly grey screen… welcome
OK now type “gnome-session &” redirect output to dev/null if you want
guess what you have it running now.
email greg_myers@hotmail.com if this works for you. This worked on ubuntu gutsy running gnome.
June 27th, 2008 at 12:46 am
I have a Sun Fire V100. Has no video card. Want to access the V100 via VNC and graphical interface. Been told I need to have a video card in the V100. Been told there is a very difficult way of providing graphics to a VNC session without the V100 having a video card. Unfortunately need to go with the difficult process:-)
What is the difficult process?
May 15th, 2009 at 2:19 am
I get an ugly gray checkerboard with a grey x. What am I doing wrong?
July 12th, 2010 at 4:32 am
Thank you for this advice I’ll try implementing it, and latter will write a review, I hope it will work.
August 26th, 2010 at 12:10 am
VNC/GUI is just the same with the other server. The procedure and results are almost similarly related from each other.