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This document contains instructions for setting up a connection from a Windows PC to a VNC session on a public linux Linux host at SLAC.  

IMPORTANT, PLEASE NOTE:

• Due to timeouts associated with things like afs tokens, kerberos tickets, vpn, and ssh tunnelling, vncserver sessions left running can become inaccessible to VNC Viewers, and need will to be restarted. Troubleshooting section below has some possibilities for getting around the problem, but they are not always successful. In any case, please do not leave unsaved work in an inactive your session.
• The iris group of SCCS machines are equipped with fonts necessary for running edm displays like lclshome. Other machines like noric or yakut do not have these fonts.

Set up your PC (one time)

• 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 for 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 If you install and run vpn, you can get putty from the SLAC xweb: https://xweb.slac.stanford.edu

Configure your vncserver (one time)

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• Using putty (or XWin-32 if you prefer) log into iris01.slac.stanford.edu, providing your unix username and password
• Create your vnc password:
  • > vncpasswd
    Provide a password following the usual SLAC password guidelines.
    The password will be stored in ~/.vnc/passwd
    To reset the password, you can run vncpasswd again.

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• Start vncserver to create your xstartup file:
  • > vncserver -localhost -nolisten tcp -geometry 1440x900
  • Make note of the display number that is returned, for example:
    jrock@iris01> vncserver -localhost -nolisten tcp -geometry 1440x900
    New 'iris01:3 (jrock)' desktop is iris01:3
    Starting applications specified in /u/cd/jrock/.vnc/xstartup
    Log file is /u/cd/jrock/.vnc/iris01:3.log
    In this case, 3 is the display number, which is a unique ID for your particular vncserver session.
    In the following instructions, the display number is indicated by * * displaynum

• Kill the server:
  vncserver -kill :displaynum
  for example
  vncserver -kill :3

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Every time you need a new session.

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• Invoke a command window on your PC:
  • click the Start Button in the lower lefthand corner of your screen
  • enter Command in the search box
  • select "Command line tools" from the list

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

• edm displays (e.g. lclshome) come up without text
  • Not all SCCS machines have the fontset for edm. Please use the iris machines.

References 

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

contacts:

• Judy Rock (x3639)
• Mike Zelazny (x3673)
• Jingchen Zhou (x4661)

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