[SOLVED] VNC, KRDC, and Krfb - help desired

[Snowhog]

I have two laptops. Both are connected to my router, which is configured with WPA2 Personal (PSK) +AES.

What do I have to have installed and running, on both laptops, to be able to connect and control, one from the other?

One laptop has Kubuntu 12.04, and the other, PC-BSD.

[claydoh]

x11vnc, assuming it is available in bsd.
static IP numbers for your systems help.

krdc can be used as the vnc viewer

krfb can work sometimes but is finicky.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VNC
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VNC/Servers#x11vnc

I think you can add a script to run x11vnc in KDE's autoststart but you may have to add it somewhere else if you want it to be run so that you can access the remote's login screen (I think)
I used to use this to set it up (for remote access from the 'net as well), should be the same today, but you may have to test out different parameters to get it working.

[perspectoff]

Yes, X11VNC works on PC-BSD.

In (K)Ubuntu I create a startup script like this so that X11VNC is loaded everytime the computer is rebooted:

echo "/usr/bin/x11vnc -forever -rfbport 5900 -rfbauth ~/.vnc/x11vnc.pass -o ~/.vnc/x11vnc.log -loopbg -display :0" > ~/.config/autostart/x11vnc.sh
chmod +x ~/.config/autostart/x11vnc.sh

... or maybe startup scripts go in the ~/.kde/Autostart folder for Kubuntu. Sometimes I forget which is for Ubuntu and which is for Kubuntu. In that case the script would be

echo "/usr/bin/x11vnc -forever -rfbport 5900 -rfbauth ~/.vnc/x11vnc.pass -o ~/.vnc/x11vnc.log -loopbg -display :0" > ~/.kde/Autostart/x11vnc.sh
chmod +x ~/.kde/Autostart/x11vnc.sh

From:

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Kubuntu_...#Remote_Access

[Snowhog]

I appreciate the information. But, I 'think' a tad differently than most folks. So, if you can, tell me 'exactly' what I must do so that I can 'control' PC 'A' from PC 'B', where 'A' is my Kubuntu laptop, and 'B' is my PC-BSD laptop.

[claydoh]

On PC A, install x11vnc and set it up as described in
my last link above.
(You may have to fiddle with the command string to use - try what my link gives - it worked for me up until natty I think , I have not used it since. If the command does not work, try perspectoff's, there is also one in the comments in my link that may work too)

Reboot

On PC B install krdc, run it, and enter in PC A's ip address using the vnc option.

[Snowhog]

I am able to connect to my Kubuntu laptop from my PC-BSD laptop, with x11vnc running on Kubuntu and running KRDC on PC-BSD. Works like a champ! But, I can't make it work the other direction: connect to my PC-BSD laptop from my Kubuntu laptop, with x11vnc running on PC-BSD and running KRDC on my Kubuntu. In this direction, KRDC reports no server found.

[claydoh]

I dunno
I suggest trying out a different vnc viewer, my bet is that the weak point is krdc.

Sent from my phone

[Snowhog]

I have a gut feeling that isn't the problem. I believe that the PC-BSD laptop is (by default ? ) installed/configured using IpV6. My Kubuntu laptop is using (by default) IpV4. And, I don't want just a vnc viewer - I want the ability to control/work with the remote PC.

[claydoh]

Vnc viewers allow for controlling,.krdc is just one of them.

As to ipv4/6 can you ping the other box? I would think both should be supported, not sure how to configure that, and bsd just adds to my lack of knowledge

Sent from my phone

[Snowhog]

Yes, I can ping the PC-BSD laptop from my Kubuntu. I checked, and when I installed PC-BSD, I left the Network Interface setting at AUTO-DHCP, so both IPv4 and IPv6 are available, and in fact, ifconfig on the PC-BSD laptop shows IPv4 and IPv6 address's for my wired and wireless connections.

[ronw]

You might need to open a listening port in the firewall. I don't have direct experience with PC-BSD, but it looks like they follow the FreeBSD philosophy of closed by default.

http://wiki.pcbsd.org/index.php/Firewall_Manager

[Snowhog]

ronw@

Thank you! That did it! On my PC-BSD laptop I had to create an exception in the firewall, allowing port 5902. That done, and running x11vnc on the PC-BSD laptop, and launching KRDC on Kubuntu with the remote vnc desktop name (pcbsd-3022:2), I was presented with the password prompt. Typed in the remote vnc password and viola, I'm connected!!! Way Cool. :cool:

[ronw]

Glad to hear it was a useful hint. Vnc and friends are indeed cool. Having started out on punch cards, seeing and controlling the full graphical desktop of another computer still kind of amazes me. If you ever need to do this outside your own LAN, definitely check out NX Server and Client.

[vinnywright]

cool......
have you tryed SSH with the -x option on them yet?
when I still had my desktop box setup in hear NC. I could connect to it from MD. and run GUI apps .
one day I was talking to my wife on the phone and sead to her "say baby can you move a little to the left" she sead what? I sed move to the left .....she sead ok .....I sead you dident move .....she sead how did you know .......I sead look at the web cam ,see the green light? ya I'm watching you .......LOL

VINNY