Edit the file ~/.vnc/xstartup

If you don't know what the stuff means, dump the contents here, and someone will help you out.

That script holds the startup commands for the vnc server. It should start x windows and your desktop environment. You should see a startxfce4, startgnome, startkde, etc. near the end which actually starts the nice pretty user interface we've all come to know & love.

happy hacking

#!/bin/sh

Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop:

unset SESSION_MANAGER

exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc

[ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup

[ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources

xsetroot -solid grey

vncconfig -iconic &

xterm -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" &

twm &

Theres my xstartup

I just installed KDE via yum (atleast i think i installed all of kde):

[root@li5-11 .vnc]# yum install kdebase

Gathering header information file(s) from server(s)

Server: Fedora Core 2 - i386 - Base

Server: Fedora Core 2 - i386 - Released Updates

Finding updated packages

Downloading needed headers

Resolving dependencies

..Dependencies resolved

I will do the following:

[install: kdebase 6:3.2.2-6.FC2.i386]

I will install/upgrade these to satisfy the dependencies:

[deps: desktop-backgrounds-basic 2.0-20.noarch]

[deps: samba-common 3.0.7-2.FC2.i386]

[deps: lm_sensors 2.8.6-1.i386]

[deps: audiofile 1:0.2.5-1.1.i386]

[deps: cups-libs 1:1.1.20-11.1.i386]

[deps: arts 8:1.2.2-2.i386]

[deps: redhat-menus 1.4.1-1.noarch]

[deps: fam 2.6.10-9.FC2.i386]

[deps: libmng 1.0.4-5.1.i386]

[deps: libtiff 3.5.7-16.1.i386]

[deps: libxslt 1.1.5-1.i386]

[deps: hicolor-icon-theme 0.3-2.noarch]

[deps: redhat-artwork 0.96-1.i386]

[deps: libart_lgpl 2.3.16-2.1.i386]

[deps: esound 1:0.2.34-2.i386]

[deps: xinetd 2:2.3.13-2.i386]

[deps: libvorbis 1:1.0.1-2.1.i386]

[deps: libraw1394 0.10.1-1.i386]

[deps: qt 1:3.3.3-0.1.i386]

[deps: alsa-lib 1.0.3a-2.i386]

[deps: libogg 2:1.1-2.1.i386]

[deps: kdelibs 6:3.2.2-8.FC2.i386]

[deps: xorg-x11-xdm 6.7.0-5.i386]

[deps: cdparanoia-libs alpha9.8-20.1.i386]

Is this ok [y/N]: y

Downloading Packages

Getting desktop-backgrounds-basic-2.0-20.noarch.rpm

desktop-backgrounds-basic 100% |=========================| 1.6 MB 00:04

Getting samba-common-3.0.7-2.FC2.i386.rpm

samba-common-3.0.7-2.FC2. 100% |=========================| 4.1 MB 00:07

Getting lm_sensors-2.8.6-1.i386.rpm

lm_sensors-2.8.6-1.i386.r 100% |=========================| 405 kB 00:00

Getting audiofile-0.2.5-1.1.i386.rpm

audiofile-0.2.5-1.1.i386. 100% |=========================| 95 kB 00:00

Getting cups-libs-1.1.20-11.1.i386.rpm

cups-libs-1.1.20-11.1.i38 100% |=========================| 101 kB 00:00

Getting arts-1.2.2-2.i386.rpm

arts-1.2.2-2.i386.rpm 100% |=========================| 1.1 MB 00:03

Getting redhat-menus-1.4.1-1.noarch.rpm

redhat-menus-1.4.1-1.noar 100% |=========================| 127 kB 00:00

Getting fam-2.6.10-9.FC2.i386.rpm

fam-2.6.10-9.FC2.i386.rpm 100% |=========================| 81 kB 00:00

Getting libmng-1.0.4-5.1.i386.rpm

libmng-1.0.4-5.1.i386.rpm 100% |=========================| 104 kB 00:00

Getting libtiff-3.5.7-16.1.i386.rpm

libtiff-3.5.7-16.1.i386.r 100% |=========================| 191 kB 00:01

Getting libxslt-1.1.5-1.i386.rpm

libxslt-1.1.5-1.i386.rpm 100% |=========================| 413 kB 00:01

Getting hicolor-icon-theme-0.3-2.noarch.rpm

hicolor-icon-theme-0.3-2. 100% |=========================| 11 kB 00:00

Getting redhat-artwork-0.96-1.i386.rpm

redhat-artwork-0.96-1.i38 100% |=========================| 4.4 MB 00:08

Getting libart_lgpl-2.3.16-2.1.i386.rpm

libart_lgpl-2.3.16-2.1.i3 100% |=========================| 70 kB 00:00

Getting esound-0.2.34-2.i386.rpm

esound-0.2.34-2.i386.rpm 100% |=========================| 120 kB 00:00

Getting xinetd-2.3.13-2.i386.rpm

xinetd-2.3.13-2.i386.rpm 100% |=========================| 129 kB 00:00

Getting libvorbis-1.0.1-2.1.i386.rpm

libvorbis-1.0.1-2.1.i386. 100% |=========================| 184 kB 00:00

Getting libraw1394-0.10.1-1.i386.rpm

libraw1394-0.10.1-1.i386. 100% |=========================| 36 kB 00:00

Getting qt-3.3.3-0.1.i386.rpm

qt-3.3.3-0.1.i386.rpm 100% |=========================| 3.0 MB 00:05

Getting alsa-lib-1.0.3a-2.i386.rpm

alsa-lib-1.0.3a-2.i386.rp 100% |=========================| 300 kB 00:00

Getting libogg-1.1-2.1.i386.rpm

libogg-1.1-2.1.i386.rpm 100% |=========================| 16 kB 00:00

Getting kdelibs-3.2.2-8.FC2.i386.rpm

kdelibs-3.2.2-8.FC2.i386. 100% |=========================| 14 MB 00:27

Getting kdebase-3.2.2-6.FC2.i386.rpm

kdebase-3.2.2-6.FC2.i386. 100% |=========================| 22 MB 00:38

Getting xorg-x11-xdm-6.7.0-5.i386.rpm

xorg-x11-xdm-6.7.0-5.i386 100% |=========================| 298 kB 00:00

Getting cdparanoia-libs-alpha9.8-20.1.i386.rpm

cdparanoia-libs-alpha9.8- 100% |=========================| 48 kB 00:00

Running test transaction:

/etc/security/selinux/file_contexts: No such file or directory

Test transaction complete, Success!

/etc/security/selinux/file_contexts: No such file or directory

libogg 100 % done 1/25

alsa-lib 100 % done 2/25

audiofile 100 % done 3/25

esound 100 % done 4/25

libvorbis 100 % done 5/25

libart_lgpl 100 % done 6/25

redhat-artwork 100 % done 7/25

libtiff 100 % done 8/25

cups-libs 100 % done 9/25

redhat-menus 100 % done 10/25

desktop-backgrounds-basic 100 % done 11/25

samba-common 100 % done 12/25

cdparanoia-libs 100 % done 13/25

xorg-x11-xdm 100 % done 14/25

libraw1394 100 % done 15/25

xinetd 100 % done 16/25

fam 100 % done 17/25

hicolor-icon-theme 100 % done 18/25

libxslt 100 % done 19/25

libmng 100 % done 20/25

qt 100 % done 21/25

arts 100 % done 22/25

kdelibs 100 % done 23/25

lm_sensors 100 % done 24/25

kdebase 100 % done 25/25

Installed: kdebase 6:3.2.2-6.FC2.i386

Dep Installed: desktop-backgrounds-basic 2.0-20.noarch samba-common 3.0.7-2.FC2.i386 lmsensors 2.8.6-1.i386 audiofile 1:0.2.5-1.1.i386 cups-libs 1:1.1.20-11.1.i386 arts 8:1.2.2-2.i386 redhat-menus 1.4.1-1.noarch fam 2.6.10-9.FC2.i386 libmng 1.0.4-5.1.i386 libtiff 3.5.7-16.1.i386 libxslt 1.1.5-1.i386 hicolor-icon-theme 0.3-2.noarch redhat-artwork 0.96-1.i386 libartlgpl 2.3.16-2.1.i386 esound 1:0.2.34-2.i386 xinetd 2:2.3.13-2.i386 libvorbis 1:1.0.1-2.1.i386 libraw1394 0.10.1-1.i386 qt 1:3.3.3-0.1.i386 alsa-lib 1.0.3a-2.i386 libogg 2:1.1-2.1.i386 kdelibs 6:3.2.2-8.FC2.i386 xorg-x11-xdm 6.7.0-5.i386 cdparanoia-libs alpha9.8-20.1.i386

Transaction(s) Complete

so now what do i need to do? :D

hm i got KDE to load up now by putting exec startkde in the xstartup, and now i have a nice pretty purple background and a nice curser, but still no login screen!

how do i get a login screen? :/

nvm, somethin is actually coming up now. a popup saying it couldnt initalize the sound driver lol. i clicked on the OK and now some other background is loading up. yay :D

is it possible to be able to have each user on my linode have their own login for their own desktop?

the only way i know of to do this is to have them SSH into their own shell account, run vncserver (setup their password for the first time), and then have them tunnel their vnc session through the existing SSH session.

while this seems like a lot of work, it forces your users to be secure by tunneling their connection through ssh. in fact i would block ports 5900+ in your firewall for external connections, so they have to login using this method.

each user will have their own desktop and everything stored neatly in their /home directory.

hm, i seem to be having a problem with the vncserver not putting exec startkde in the users xstartup file automatically.

how do i make it do that?