x11VNC on Ubuntu 14.04

[Bob Jonkman]

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I remote everything through SSH tunnels.  There's an app for that,
ssvnc, available in the Ubuntu repositories.  Of course, it means you
need to run sshd on your host (available in the openssh-server
package).  Remmina (graphical remote viewing client) also supports ssh
tunnelling.

Is it possible your workplace is blocking port 5900 (the default for
VNC)? If they're into port blocking then you may not have any luck
with ssh (port 22) either.  To circumvent that, I sometimes configure
my router to NAT port 443 (https) to port 22 (ssh). Very few
workplaces block port 443, so I can use that to remote into my
servers. A bit of ssh port forwarding magic to tunnel VNC, and Bob's
your uncle.

Command line for ssh VNC tunnel with NAT on port 443:

 ssh -p 443 -L 5900:localhost:5900 crankyoldbugger at yourserver.example.com

Invoke VNC as though you're connecting the local machine

 vncviewer localhost


Note that "localhost" on the ssh command refers to the remote host
computer, but "localhost" on the vncviewer command refers to the
computer you're sitting at.

- --Uncle Bob.



On 14-05-08 11:41 AM, CrankyOldBugger wrote:
> Has anyone been able to get x11VNC working on Ubuntu 14.04?  I had
> it running fine on 13.10 but so far no joy on 14.04.  It installs
> fine but I can't connect to the host.  Error is "No connection
> could be made because the target machine actively refused it".
> 
> I'm using the same port forwarding settings that I had running on
> 13.10 so it's not my router that's causing the break.
> 
> I can ping the laptop by name remotely so my dyndns is working.
> 
> I can Putty to the laptop (by FQDN) and get a login prompt
> (although for some strange reason it wouldn't take my password).
> 
> I'm trying to set up my laptop at home so I can connect to it from
> work, with a full desktop similar to RDP.  x11vnc was pretty snappy
> in 13.10 but I'm open to other ideas if anyone else is getting a
> full desktop display in 14.04.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> 
> 



Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com>          Phone: +1-519-669-0388
SOBAC Microcomputer Services             http://sobac.com/sobac/
http://bob.jonkman.ca/blogs/    http://sn.jonkman.ca/bobjonkman/
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