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• Install vpn if you don't have it already. Instructions from SCCS are here: https://confluence.slac.stanford.edu/display/NetMan/How+to+Connect+to+SLAC+VPN
• Download and install the vnc VNC for windows viewer Windows Viewer client software executable from here: http://www.realvnc.com/products/free/4.1/winvncviewer.html; (make a shortcut on your desktop)
• Download and install putty, if you don't have it already. Once you install and run vpn, you can get putty from the SLAC xweb: https://xweb.slac.stanford.edu

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The session will continue to run until you -kill it, or until SCCS does.
Warning - tokens, kerberos tickets, vpn, and ssh tunnelling can all conspire to prevent you from reconnecting to an existing vncserver session. See troubleshooting section below. The safest thing is to re-start a vncserver for every use, and -kill it when done.

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Use VNC Viewer to connect from Windows (every time you connect)

Every time you need a new session.

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• In the command window, use putty to create a secure scp tunnel to the vncserver host and vncserver port:
  • putty -ssh -L pcport:localhost:59displaynum vncserverhost.slac.stanford.edu
    • pcport = port on your pc, e.g. 5902
    • displaynum = vncserver session as noted when you started the vncserver
    • vncserverhost = host where vncserver is running
  • for example
    putty -ssh -L 5902:localhost:5903 iris01.slac.stanford.edu
    or
    putty -ssh -L 5902:localhost:5912 iris02.slac.stanford.edu
    **Enter your unix username and password.

• Now run the vnc client. VNC Viewer (click the shortcut)
  • In the Server box, enter localhost:pcport
    for example localhost:5902
  • click OK
  • The vnc viewer authentication popup will appear; this can take some time.
  • Enter your vnc server password (you don't need to enter username in the popup).

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• When you're ready to close the vnc client, simply click the window close icon, "X", at the upper righthand corner of the display.

Troubleshooting

Here are some VNC Viewer errors you may encounter.

• "No password configured for VNC Auth" no vnc ps configured – get exact message here
  • this means that your session has lost the ability to read the vnc password file, or can't find the pw file. Here are some things to try:
    • Verify you are still connected to SLAC via vpn
    • Verify you're putty-ed into the right host and port for your vncserver, and you've specified the right pc port in the vnc client popup.
    • log into the vncserver host
    with normal ports,
    • and verify your that vncserver session exists:
      
    putty -ssh iris01
    
    • ps -ef | grep vnc | grep yourusername
    • If the process is not running, then restart it as detailed above and try connecting again.
    You
    • If the process is running, you can try to refresh the vnc password (use vncpasswd command, as detailed above)  You can use the same password, or a different one - the goal is to touch the password file.
    • Close your putty ssh sessions
    .Re
    • , and re-establish the tunnel to the vncserver port.
  • If none of these steps are successful, then you will have to -kill the vncserver, restart it, and then reconnect. See above for instructions.

• "Unable to connect to host: Connection refused (10061)"
  • You don't have an ssh tunnel established to the host and port.

• "The connection closed unexpectedly" (at VNC Viewer startup)
  • You're logged into the wrong displaynum port corresponding to your vncserver.

References 

SLAC Linux VNC page: http://www.slac.stanford.edu/comp/unix/vnc.html

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