TurboVNC

TurboVNC gives you a full desktop environment.

Installation

cd /tmp

#Download the Debian package
wget https://iweb.dl.sourceforge.net/project/turbovnc/2.2.2/turbovnc_2.2.2_amd64.deb

#install it.
sudo dpkg -i turbovnc_2.2.2_amd64.deb

#Install the JRE for the Java client
sudo apt install -y openjdk-11-jre

Connecting

1. Launch a Terminal and connect to a visualization node.

   #Replace $YOUR_NETID with your netid.
   #vis-0.ph.rc.unr.edu is the CoEN Vis node
   
   ssh -Y -C 4 [email protected]
   

2. You should be connected to the visualization node now. Configure your VNC environment.

   mkdir ~/.vnc && cd ~/.vnc
   wget -O turbovncserver.conf \
   https://github.com/UNR-HPC/pronghorn/blob/master/conf/vnc/turbovncserver.conf?raw=true
   

3. Run the VNC Server on the visualization node

   TVNC_WM=xfce4-session /opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncserver
   

   Your output should look like this:

   Desktop 'TurboVNC: vis-0:1 (newellz2)' started on display vis-0:1
   
   Starting applications specified in /data/gpfs/home/newellz2/.vnc/xstartup.turbovnc
   (Enabling VirtualGL)
   Log file is /data/gpfs/home/newellz2/.vnc/vis-0:1.log
   

   Take note of the integer on the right side of the vis-0:1 string. It is used to connect the server.

4. Run the TurboVNC Java Client.

   /opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncviewer
   

   Put "server:port" in the VNC Address field.

   IE "vis-0.ph.rc.unr.edu:1" for CoEN. Replace :1 with your display number from the previous command.

   Example:

   You should receive a desktop now:

Managing VNC instances

List the instances

/opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncserver -list

Output:

TurboVNC sessions:

X DISPLAY #	PROCESS ID
:1		430477

Take the :1 and add it to 5900 to get the VNC port. So, in this case, the server is hosted on port 5901

Terminating an instance

/opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncserver -list

Output:

TurboVNC sessions:

X DISPLAY #	PROCESS ID
:1		430477

Take not of the :1 and kill the instance:

/opt/TurboVNC/bin/vncserver -kill :1