VNC with i3

VNC with i3.md

Using existing display

But default x11vnc on Ubuntu 18.04 also crashes with many Qt applications.

Compile x11vnc with a patch using instructions here: https://gist.github.com/mangoliou/407d6a39a60d128610c20c4143f39f0d

Create a password for vncserver

mkdir -p ~/.vnc
vncpasswd ~/.vnc/passwd

If you have a user logged in,then:

x11vnc -noxdamage -rfbauth ~/.vnc/passwd  -display :0 -forever -bg -repeat -nowf -o ~/.vnc/x11vnc.log

If no user logged in then,

sudo x11vnc -noxdamage -rfbauth ~/.vnc/passwd  -display :0 -forever -bg -repeat -nowf -o ~/.vnc/x11vnc.log -auth /var/run/lightdm/root/:0

You might have to replace -auth for different display manager like gdm, kdm, xfce

Allow a pass-through mode for i3 keybindings to reach the vncserver. Add the following lines in your ~/.config/i3/config

# Helps pass through vnc mode
mode "pass-through" {
    bindsym $mod+t mode "default"
}

bindsym $mod+t mode "pass-through"

I use remmina client for VNC which allows for ssh tunnel to the host. Use hostname:5900 for the host and use the same host as the ssh tunnel.

If you are using tightvncviewer, you have to setup a ssh tunnel yourself

ssh hostname -L5900:hostname:5900

And then connect to localhost:5900 using tightvncviewer.

Using VirtualGL display

Use TurboVNC + VirtualGL

Installation

https://gist.github.com/cyberang3l/422a77a47bdc15a0824d5cca47e64ba2

/opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncserver -vgl -rfbauth ~/.vnc/passwd

~/.vnc/xstartup contains

unset SESSION_MANAGER
export DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS="unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus"
[ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
dbus-launch --exit-with-session i3 &

Gnome session processes

Make sure to kill all gnome- processes from the real display because gnome likes to manage one session per user and remembers the old display.

Check what processes are running.

pgrep -fa gnome-

Kill the processes

pkill -f gnome-

Check if they were killed

pgrep -fa gnome-

Typically the annoying processes are gnome-keyring-daemon and gnome-terminal-server. The former will launch the password asking dialogue onto the original display and the later will launch it on do the same with new gnome-terminals.