VNC over SSH

For security, all VNC connections must use ssh tunnels.

  • The csovnc.pl script is the recommended method of connecting to the VNC desktops. It works on Mac OSX and linux systems.
  • Download the csovnc.pl script to a convenient location. Make it executable:
    mycomp> chmod 755 csovnc.pl
  • The script sets up the ssh tunnel and opens the VNC viewer:
    mycomp> csovnc.pl -C -l user function
  • The script recognizes either function names or port numbers. For example, to connect to the UIP desktop:
    mycomp> csovnc.pl -C -l user uip
  • Choose the desktop function from this table.
  • Some instruments use more than one desktop; run the script again if necessary.
  • On linux, the script tries the vncviewer, krdc, and vinagre viewers, in that order. To change the order, i. e., to try krdc before vncviewer, use -v:
    mycomp> csovnc.pl -C -v viewer -l user function
  • It is also possible to run the viewer on kilauea with an X window display on your local computer. This is also appropriate if you are at the telescope.
    mycomp> ssh -C -X user@kilauea.caltech.edu
    kilauea> csovnc.pl function

Manual configuration

  • If the csovnc.pl script fails for some reason, manual configuration may be necessary.
  • In these instructions, N is the VNC desktop number and 59NN is the VNC port. Desktop 1 corresponds to port 5901, etc.
  • Choose the desktop function and corresponding port number from this table.
  • To connect to more than one virtual desktop simultaneously, change the intermediate port number, 12345 → 12346, etc., for the subsequent connections.

Mac OSX

  • Either download and use the tunnelopen.pl script,
    mac> tunnelopen.pl -C -l user vnc://kilauea.caltech.edu:59NN
  • Or setup the tunnel and screen sharing (vnc viewer) manually. You'll need two terminal windows:
    mac1> ssh -C -L 12345:localhost:59NN user@kilauea.caltech.edu
    mac2> open vnc://localhost:12345

Linux

  • Either use vncviewer with the via option,
    linux> vncviewer -shared -via user@kilauea.caltech.edu :N
    • Not all versions of vncviewer support the via option.
    • With this method, enabling ssh compression is complicated.
  • Or setup the tunnel and VNC viewer manually. You'll need two terminal windows:
    linux1> ssh -C -L 12345:localhost:59NN user@kilauea.caltech.edu
    linux2> vncviewer -shared localhost::12345

X display

  • It is also possible to run the VNC viewer on kilauea with an X window display on your local computer. This is also appropriate if you are at the telescope.
    mycomp> ssh -C -X user@kilauea.caltech.edu
    kilauea> vncviewer -shared localhost:N

Windows

cso/observing/ssh_vnc.txt · Last modified: 2014-08-26 01:12 by admin
 
Recent changes RSS feed Donate Powered by PHP Valid XHTML 1.0 Valid CSS Driven by DokuWiki