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Hosting VNC Connect on a Linux Network Share

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Tegan
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If you have an Enterprise subscription, you can install VNC Server and supporting programs on a central computer and enable users to run programs from target computers; that is, from Linux computers within the same domain with whom the installation directory is shared.

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Note the following restrictions, which may mean that certain programs and VNC Server modes cannot be hosted in this way:

  • A domain license key is required for VNC Server. Contact Support for more information.
  • VNC Server in Service Mode (vncserver-x11-serviced) and the VNC Server in Virtual Mode daemon (vncserver-virtuald) are not supported.
  • If system authentication or interactive system authentication is specified, connecting users can only authenticate using the credentials of the computer user starting VNC Server. The credentials of other local user accounts registered using the Permissions parameter are ignored.
  • The single sign-on authentication scheme is not available.
  • Printing is not available.
  • The vncserver symlink is not available to start VNC Server in Virtual Mode out-of-the-box.

It is not a requirement for the central computer to be Linux. However, extra steps are required if it is not.

Installing VNC Connect on the central computer

  1. On the central computer, download the appropriate VNC Connect generic installer containing unpackaged binaries for your platform, and extract to <install-dir> in a shared location. Navigate to this directory, but do not run the vncinstall script.

  2. Create an <install-dir>/vnc directory.

    *If your target computers have a mix of 32-bit and 64-bit architecture, follow these instructions. 

  3. Run the following command to license VNC Server:

    vnclicense -LicenseDir= <install-dir>/vnc -add DOMAIN-KEY

  4. Run the command vncinitconfig -config to generate a font path for virtual desktops, and move the resulting /etc/vnc/config file to <install-dir>/vnc.

    *The font path is extracted from the X server of the central computer. If target computers have a different X server configuration, it may be necessary to create an /etc/vnc/config.custom file on each, and populate it with the Font Path output of the command xset -q.

  5. Run the command vncinitconfig -xstartup to generate a start up script for virtual desktops, and move the resulting /etc/vnc/xstartup file to <install-dir>/vnc.

  6. On each target computer, create a mount point and mount <install-dir> read-only, then add this location to users’ paths.

  7. Inform target computer users they can now run VNC Server at the command line.

Using a setup computer to install VNC Connect on the central computer

If your central computer is Windows or Mac, you will additionally need a Linux setup computer. You can then use this setup computer to run installation commands, which are Unix-specific.

  1. On the central computer, download the VNC Connect for Linux generic installer, and extract to an <install-dir> in a shared location.

    *If your target computers have a mix of 32-bit and 64-bit architecture, follow these instructions.

  2. On the setup computer, create a mount point and mount <install-dir> with write permissions.

  3. Navigate to the mounted <install-dir>.

  4. Carry on from step 2.

Serving 32-bit and 64-bit architectures

If your target computers have a mix of 32-bit and 64-bit architecture, you can download both VNC Connect generic installers, then create and share <install-dir>/x86 and <install-dir>/x64 appropriately.

network-share-architecture.png
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