VNC is a desktop sharing program which helps you share your desktop and user can control your machine from another machine/location andi able to perform tasks remotely.
Before installing the VNC server, make sure the system has the GNOME desktop environment installed
Install VNC Server
The VNC server package (TigerVNC) is available in the CentOS base repository. So, simply install the TigerVNC server and X11 fonts package using the yum command.
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* base: repos.del.extreme-ix.org
* extras: repos.del.extreme-ix.org
* updates: repos.del.extreme-ix.org
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package tigervnc-server.x86_64 0:1.8.0-13.el7 will be installed
---> Package xorg-x11-fonts-Type1.noarch 0:7.5-9.el7 will be installed
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
Dependencies Resolved
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Package Arch Version Repository Size
========================================================================================================
Installing:
tigervnc-server x86_64 1.8.0-13.el7 base 215 k
xorg-x11-fonts-Type1 noarch 7.5-9.el7 base 521 k
Transaction Summary
========================================================================================================
Install 2 Packages
Total download size: 736 k
Installed size: 1.3 M
Downloading packages:
(1/2): tigervnc-server-1.8.0-13.el7.x86_64.rpm | 215 kB 00:00:04
(2/2): xorg-x11-fonts-Type1-7.5-9.el7.noarch.rpm | 521 kB 00:00:05
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 127 kB/s | 736 kB 00:00:05
Running transaction check
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded
Running transaction
Installing : tigervnc-server-1.8.0-13.el7.x86_64 1/2
Installing : xorg-x11-fonts-Type1-7.5-9.el7.noarch 2/2
Verifying : xorg-x11-fonts-Type1-7.5-9.el7.noarch 1/2
Verifying : tigervnc-server-1.8.0-13.el7.x86_64 2/2
Installed:
tigervnc-server.x86_64 0:1.8.0-13.el7 xorg-x11-fonts-Type1.noarch 0:7.5-9.el7
Complete!
Configure VNC Server
Copy the VNC server’s service configuration file to /etc/systemd/system/. While copying, you can mention which port number the VNC server should listen.
By default VNC server listens on port 5900. But, if you setup port-offset for VNC, you can run VNC service on a sub-port of the default port 5900.
For example, if we mention port 1, the desktop will be accessible in 5901. You can connect to the VNC session by specifying ipaddress:sub-port (192.168.1.10:1 or 192.168.1.10:5901)
VNC access is based on VNC desktop sessions started by the service file we just created. To grant remote access to another user, you need to create another service file /etc/systemd/system/vncserver@:2.service for next available port-offset which is 5902.
Firewall
Update the firewall rules to allow the VNC connection. The following rule will allow our port-offset 5901 so that VNC viewer can connect to CentOS 7.
Start VNC server after switching to user linuxbees and set the password for VNC.
[linuxbees@server ~]$ vncserver
Output
You will require a password to access your desktops.
Password:
Verify:
Would you like to enter a view-only password (y/n)? N
A view-only password is not used
xauth: file /home/linuxbees/.Xauthority does not exist
New 'server.linuxbees.local:1 (linuxbees)' desktop is server.linuxbees.local:1
Creating default startup script /home/linuxbees/.vnc/xstartup
Creating default config /home/linuxbees/.vnc/config
Starting applications specified in /home/linuxbees/.vnc/xstartup
Log file is /home/linuxbees/.vnc/server.linuxbees.local:1.log
Enable VNC Server
Switch to the root user.
su –
Reload the systemctl daemon as root.
systemctl daemon-reload
Start the VNC service as root.
systemctl start vncserver@:1.service
Enable it on system startup as root.
systemctl enable vncserver@:1.service
Check the VNC service status.
systemctl status vncserver@:1.service
Output
● vncserver@:1.service - Remote desktop service (VNC)
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/vncserver@:1.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: active (running) since Mon 2019-04-22 08:51:31 IST; 6min ago
Main PID: 6514 (Xvnc)
CGroup: /system.slice/system-vncserver.slice/vncserver@:1.service
‣ 6514 /bin/Xvnc :1 -auth /home/linuxbees/.Xauthority -desktop server.linuxbees.local:1 (linuxbees) -fp catalogue:/etc/X11/fontpath.d -geometry 1024x768 -pn -rfbauth /home/lin...
Apr 22 08:50:56 server.linuxbees.local systemd[1]: Starting Remote desktop service (VNC)...
Apr 22 08:51:32 server.linuxbees.local systemd[1]: Started Remote desktop service (VNC).
Access VNC Desktop
Open up a VNC viewer from Windows machine and enter a remote desktop address.
ipaddress:5901
OR
ipaddress:1
VNC viewer will prompt you for the password. Enter the password that you have created a few steps back.
Install VNC Server on CentOS 7 - Connect To VNC Desktop Session
Now you should get the VNC desktop session of user linuxbees.
Install VNC Server on CentOS 7 - CentOS 7 VNC Desktop Session
Conclusion
That’s All. You have learned how to install VNC server on CentOS 7 and connect to the VNC desktop session using VNC viewer. Share your feedback in the comments section.
