[CentOS] remote access info please

[Guy Boisvert]

Monty Shinn wrote:
> Gary wrote:
>> Hi ya'll,
>>
>> I built a new CentOS 5.1 server for a client, housing a Lotus Notes / 
>> Domino
>> server, and various other virtualized IBM software server guests, and 
>> soon
>> will have to physically move that server to another distant location.
>>
>> My question is that I will need secure access to those servers via X, not
>> just the C/L terminal. What do you recommend for a good secure CentOS
>> program which would do this. Would also want to access via a high 
>> port, but
>> I am sure just about any program will allow this to be manually 
>> configured.
>>
>> Thanks for your help and input.
>>
> 
> Gary,
> 
> You can run X apps over ssh if you use the >> -Y << option.  You can 
> also configure ssh to use a non-standard port in it's config page.
> 
> I also believe you can port (tunnel?) VNC through ssh, but I have only 
> heard about that, so I may be off here.  VNC is part of the standard 
> CentOS distribution.
> 
> HTH,
> 
> Monty


Personaly, i use TightVNC and portable PuTTY (USB Key) for Winblows.  It 
works ok.  And the port forwarding thing is easy.  I'm not sure if the 
CentOS' vncserver support compression though (performance is OK for what 
i do).


On the server, edit the file ~/.vnc/xstartup and uncomment the lines (as 
indicated in the first line comment):

# Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:
unset SESSION_MANAGER		<=== This
exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc	<=== and This



Then start the VNC server on the server (first time, it will ask for a 
password which you will use when connecting with TightVNC viewer), for 
example:

vncserver :20 -depth 16 -geometry 1152x864 -name ServerName:MyUserName

where

:20 = the # of the terminal (i arbitrarly choose 20, you can start 
multiple on the same machine and choose whatever you want)

-depth 16: Color bit depth

-geometry 1152x864 = Whatever you see fit

-name = A string that will appear in the window title of the VNC client.



Then, while connected with PuTTY, connect TightVNC viewer to: 
"localhost:20" (without quotes).


To kill the VNC server: vncserver -kill :20


Some more infos there:

http://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos/2006-November/072254.html


Guy Boisvert, ing.
IngTegration inc.