Automatically starting remote desktop

Vino-server, enable with GUI

Ubuntu comes with vino-server pre-installed.

To enable go to: System - Preferences - Remote desktop

• Check ‘Allow other users to view your desktop’.
• Check ‘Allow other users to control your desktop’.
• Uncheck ‘Ask you for confirmation’.
• Type in the password you want to use.

Enable with script

To enable using a script:

metacity --replace & disown
vino-preferences & disown
gconftool-2 -s -t bool /desktop/gnome/remote_access/enabled true

Check if the server is enabled:

gconftool-2 -g /desktop/gnome/remote_access/enabled

Note:

• Now you can use remote desktop with VNC, but you need to have a user logged in.
• Remote desktop uses TCP port 5900.

Start vino-server at boot

Note: The following didn't work for me, instead I leave a user logged in and lock the screen

To allow remote desktop at boot modify the gnome startup script to start vino-server:

sudo gedit /etc/gdm/Init/Default

/usr/lib/vino/vino-server &

Then add the line 'KillInitClients=false':

sudo gedit /etc/gdm/custom.conf

...
KillInitClients=false
...

Note: this file has been moved around quite a lot in Ubuntu history. This location is for Ubuntu 10.04.

Troubleshooting

Start vino-server with some logging:

killall vino-server
exec /usr/lib/vino/vino-server > /tmp/vino-server.log 2>&1  & disown

Query remote desktop server configuration:

gconftool -R /desktop/gnome/remote_access

What ports are in-use and by what processes:

sudo netstat -tlnp