tigervnc or Xvnc VNC/X server on Pandora?


hmc

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Hi guys,


since I'd like to be able to remotely control the Pandora from another computer via vnc in addition to ssh, and since using x11vnc limits the resolution of the remote desktop to the Pandora's 800x480 pixels, I wish to use a combined VNC/X server, such as Xvnc or tigervnc.


For those who don't know it: That's an X server, which doesn't output the GUI on a screen, but forwards it via vnc to a remote computer.


Should even save performance compared to using a normal X server and x11vnc.


Did anyone succeed yet in compiling tigervnc or Xvnc on/for the Pandora?


If not, I will try.


Daniel
 
Maybe not what you seek in this context, but if you search for a method to just control the Pandora while it's standing beside your monitor and thus you do not have to capture/forward the screen, then Synergy is probably the most efficient approach:


http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=synergy-pnd


I didn't try to compile tivervnc or Xvnc so far. Which one is the more recommended of the two?
 
Ah, thanks for the pointer. Synergy seems to be quite interesting, albeit not exactly what I was looking for. I'd actually like to forward the Pandora's screen to the PC screen, too (for this, x11vnc already works), and, ideally, even have a bigger resolution available (thats what x11vnc cannot do).


I don't know if tigervnc or Xvnc is better.


As far as I have seen, tigervnc actually contains Xvnc in some way.


But I need to dive deeper into this to understand it better.


Too many projects going on at the same time now... all this needs time! ;-)


I have to make a plan of next steps now for my Pandora work.


Daniel
 
Vnc can only forward the sourceresolution iirc, that means with vnc you can't get a higher res than the original screen has.


Windows remote desktop can do that, but there is no server for that in linux iirc.
 
Really? So is it opensource and has a linuxversion?


Edit: yippie, both of the above statements are true.


Maybe this could be your first app?
 
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milkshake: Yes, tigervnc is supposed to do this.


Some days ago I already tried to compile tigervnc, but failed due to missing libs. DId not have enough time to dive deeper into this and install the missing libs, but actually this is software, which does not depend on fancy hardware-related stuff, because it's a combined VNC and X server (X server to the applications, VNC server to the remote computer), only generating a "virtual" desktop, not a real one.


So it should not cause any serious problems compiling. However, I may need some time to really get productive with compiling, as I need a little exercise in these things now after my absence from Linux for some time.


mcobit: If I succeed in compiling this, this won't be my first app, as I published a bunch of PNDs before ;-)


So I have some experience. But I am far from being an expert.


Daniel
 
I think he might have been reffering to me? cos im going to try compiling some stuff in the new year :)
 
Milkshake, I havesomething other for you ;)


And qmeke can be a bitch on pandora, but I would recommend you to setup a toolchain, like sebt3s one.


Compiling on Pandora is nice, but if speed matters to you there is nothing better than a proper toolchain.


Also it has all devpackages from the image installed right away :)
 
I think he might have been reffering to me? cos im going to try compiling some stuff in the new year :)

ok, I see ;-)


I thought as the repo maintainer you have plenty of experience in the field of porting and compiling...


Daniel

I think he might have been reffering to me? cos im going to try compiling some stuff in the new year :)

ok, I see ;-)


I thought as the repo maintainer you have plenty of experience in the field of porting and compiling...


Daniel
 
I've not ttird, but I wonder if freenx might work; NX is far superior to VNC (its more like rdp), but not sure theres any useufl NX server. (Most folks use commercial NX server and commercial or frereware NX client; there are some open source NX servers, but I've not tried to see how capable they are. But an OSS NX server + client would be great ;)


Still, you can do fine with just ssh + emacs or the like ;)


jeff
 
Vnc can only forward the sourceresolution iirc, that means with vnc you can't get a higher res than the original screen has.


Windows remote desktop can do that, but there is no server for that in linux iirc.

I remember in the early days of the EEE PC, when all you had to play with was Xandros and an 800x480 screen... (though somewhat larger than the pandora's screen) The windows video driver had a scaling mode that made the computer think it had a higher res, then scaled the results down to fit the screen, but there was no such thing on the Xandros version. After a while someone published a script that used... VNC 4 I think it was to start an X deskop larger than the original screen, then a VNC client open onto that desktop to scale it to the screen. The details of the hack should still be searchable on the eeeuser forums.


I did actually get it working on my 701, it was a neat way to handle programs that just weren't designed to fit within the 800x400 window, though VNC's scaling method was ugly and hard to read if you were dealing with a lot of text. I eventually gave up on it for that reason.


- Neelix
 
Did some research. X11VNC is only capable of connecting to real displays. You'll need to install vncserver if you want a virtual X server with a different resolution.


If you're running off SD card this is trivial as doing:



Code:
sudo opkg update

sudo opkg install vncserver

vncpasswd

vncserver :1 -geomertry 1024x768

This will start a VNC/X session server on display 1 with a resolution of 1024x768. You could choose any resolution you want of course. There will be no window manager, but just an xterm to begin with. If you want a full XFCE experience. You'll need to edit the ~/.vnc/.xstartup file and include the line:



Code:
startxfce4 &

kill your current session and restart it to have a full dekstop.



Code:
vncserver -kill:1

vncserver :1 -geomertry 1024x768


While untested, I am almost 100% certain this will work. Have fun!
 
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OK, toyed around with tigervnc and the normal vncserver, that does the same, as x11vnc builds easily. But it is limited to the features of vnc.


If you want the x11 display export superfast Xvnc, you need to build a whole xorgserver with it. Something, I don't really want to do in a toolchain...
 
About to find that out now :)


Edit: Seems like a lot of work to get that out the door. I think I won't have time for it, but I think it is doable :)


Only question is: will it be worth the effort?
 
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minilord, thanks a lot for your research!


I am now reflashing the Pandora and setting up everything anew from scratch.


once I am up and running again, I will try your suggestion.


What I don't understand from the discussion of the last few hours:


What should tigervnc do better than your vncserver suggestion?


Daniel
 
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