Problem :
I have a SUSE desktop Linux system running. Now when I am trying to vnc into that system from a VNC client (from a Windows XP box), all I get is a blank desktop with a XTerm running on it. My SUSE desktop had loads of apps and terminals running — can’t see any of them. Any idea what might be going wrong here?
I had earlier invoked vncserver on my SUSE desktop as “vncserver” and no options. Maybe I need additional options to make the desktop visible? Or maybe tweak vnc script or xinitrc files, not sure.
Solution :
Most VNC servers create a new X session and share that. If you want to share your current X session, you have a couple options:
If you’re using KDE, use KDE Desktop Sharing, a.k.a. krfb. It’s included in most default KDE installations, but I can’t speak for SUSE. If it’s not installed, you can install it by locating it in YaST or from a terminal by running:
zypper install krfb
Once installed, just run Desktop Sharing from the Internet menu in Kicker, or by running krfb in KRunner or a terminal. I suggest you set Allow uninvited connections and configure a password in its configuration to prevent having to deal with the invitation system intended for allowing other users to share your desktop.
If you’re using GNOME, use vino instead. It’s available in the openSUSE repositories so I imagine SUSE Linux Enterprise has it too. Install it from YaST or run:
zypper install vino
Once installed, you can find it on the Preferences submenu of your System menu.