BullDog Notes

What - Remote Access to Ubunto 18.04
How do you work with a headless Ubuntu 18.04 system? I would like to make this easy so for me a remote desktop just like the local real desktop would be great. I think I have now, it but it has been hard to get there. I would like to maintain as much security as possible. The access to the Ubuntu machine will be from Windows 10. For me this is all inside my local network. I have found 3 useful ways to do this on my system:


 * Get command line access ( Putty and SSH )
 * Webmin, remote http web access.
 * Full VNC desktop ( there are other remote desktops )
 * Why not just use option Share Desktop ? Because mine would not turn on thats why.  Why it would not turn on, I was not able to figure out.

Of these VNC is the most difficult, and the one I wanted, it will be discussed first. It also mentions tools that may be useful in other approaches.

VNC full Desktop -- My Goal
I would like to use VNC to access a Ubuntu 18.04 system from windows like I do with the Raspberry Pi.


 * Connect to the existing desktop
 * Keep the connection secure
 * Stick to open source.

This has been a bit of a struggle for a number of gotchas.

Overview
As I understand it ( may not have figured it out all the way )


 * VNC has a server ( run on the machine you wish to view ) and viewer ( run on the machine you wish to access).
 * In addition to having several components there are many versions of VNC. Directions for each differ, and differ across versions of Linux.  Make sure you directions match your software.
 * I will focus on Tiger VNC and Ubuntu 18.04
 * To get VNC working there seem to be various components.
 * VNC server
 * Desktop software ( there are many different ones, you may need to install -- however here I want to run on the default Ubuntu 18.04 desktop so, of course, it is already installed. )
 * A way to connect to the VNC server -- many servers will only connect to localhost 127.0.0.1 so we will use vnc tunnelling to make a remote connection appear to be on localhost

Software Used
before installs


 * sudo apt update


 * sudo apt upgrade

Process viewer (htop)

 * Why This will let you see what vnc software is running.
 * Install >> sudo apt -install htop
 * Run >> htop
 * Exit >> ctrl-c

IfConfig

 * Why see your server's tcp ip address
 * Install >> sudo apt -install ??
 * Run >> ifconfig
 * Exit >> just ends

SSH

 * Install >> sudo apt install openssh-server

what
might this help gconf-editor

System Control
systemctl vs. service


 * sudo systemctl stop httpd << The Apache server would stop and you'd be returned to the bash prompt. To start the same service, we'd issue the command:


 * sudo systemctl start httpd << The service would start and you'd be returned to your bash prompt.


 * sudo systemctl restart httpd << to restart the same service

Ubuntu text editor ( gedit )

 * Install >> apt-get -install ??
 * Run >> htop

Tiger VNC

 * Note: there may already be vncserver software installed perhaps vineo ??


 * Install >> sudo apt-get install tigervnc-scraping-server


 * Install ( may not be needed ) >> sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server tigervnc-viewer


 * Set password >>vncpasswd << gotcha, if run server with no password set. If this does not run find an install -- perhaps full tiger vnc to get it.


 * Run gotcha >> x0tigervncserver  << but gotcha, needs to be pointed to password file so
 * Run >> x0tigervncserver -PasswordFile ~/.vnc/passwd


 * Run gotcha this is not the scraping server may not be installed >> tigervncserver -xstartup /usr/bin/xterm


 * Set password >>vncpasswd << gotcha, if run server with no password set it will not work.


 * edit configuration file >> use file browser but .vnc is hidden so turn on hidden file abillity ( one of its menus )


 * starting thru ssh with putty does not work ( get an authentication error, but can start locally )
 * to start thru ssh install startup script as on https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/how-to-start-a-vnc-server-for-the-actual-display-scraping-with-tigervnc/ this script can be run thru putty


 * sudo apt-get install git psmisc


 * git clone https://github.com/sebestyenistvan/runvncserver
 * cp ~/runvncserver/startvnc ~
 * chmod +x ~/startvnc
 * ./startvnc start


 * Manual Page: may not be the best >> https://man.cx/x0tigervncserver(1)

right answer is ?? /usr/bin/vncserver
 * set password with >> vncpasswd
 * see running servers >> vncserver -list
 * what runs with command vncserver >> which vncserver


 * what about owner of the .Xauthority file,   https://askubuntu.com/questions/772090/how-can-i-resolve-x11-problem-with-putty-if-i-have-this-error-putty-x11-proxy

PuTTY X11 proxy: Unsupported authorisation protocol

How to start a vnc server for the actual display (scraping) with TigerVNC https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/how-to-start-a-vnc-server-for-the-actual-display-scraping-with-tigervnc/

Workflow In Use

 * Boot the Ubuntu machine, if powered off just power on, if you have access sudo reboot ?? or restart will boot it.
 * Wait
 * On the windows machine connect with Putty and log in with your password and id
 * In Putty issue the command to start the VNC Server >> ./startvnc start
 * Start the windows VNC viewer the one I used is VNC viewer from RealVNC ... because this is the one I use for the Rasberry Pi ( you need to have a configuration with the right ip address of the Ubuntu Machine the same as the one in Putty

Easiest, no Desktop Putty SSH

 * Install ssh on Ubuntu


 * Run Putty on windows using the IP address of the Ubuntu machine

.

Webmin Somewhat Graphical, Easier than Command Line

 * rather than use the desktop use a web based admin tool:


 * Website Webmin http://www.webmin.com/


 * Install >> sudo apt-get install webmin << seems to work on virtual machine but not real one ??
 * Start >> sudo /etc/webmin/start  << you can do this thru putty, then open your browser
 * Stop >> /etc/webmin/stop << not tested may need sudo
 * Restart >>/etc/init.d/webmin restart


 * access on your browser >>https://192.168.0.95:10000/   not work:??  http://192.168.0.95:10000/

How To Install Webmin on Ubuntu 18.04 | DigitalOcean https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-install-webmin-on-ubuntu-18-04 sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list