[mythtv-users] vncserver

[Gavin Haslett]

On Tue, 2006-07-11 at 00:36 +1000, Bruce Nordstrand wrote:
> Excellent! That's exactly what I want to do - connect my
> proof-of-concept box to the TV and configure/use it via vncserver on my
> Suse box. Off to lookup how to connect to it :)
> 
> Cheers
> Bruce

Note that if you want to actually control the frontend, this is not the
way to do it. You need to set up your X server config file to include
the VNC server module. Please see this snippet from my xorg.conf file;

Section "Module"
        Load  "v4l"
        Load  "dbe"
        Load  "extmod"
        Load  "fbdevhw"
        Load  "glx"
        Load  "record"
        Load  "freetype"
        Load  "type1"
        Load  "vnc"
#       Load  "dri"
EndSection

Note the vnc module line... that loads the VNC server module so you can
control the :0 desktop. In a VNC client you would put in <address>:0 to
remote control the frontend.

If you start up the vncserver as well (which is a different app) it'll
start another desktop on :1 instead of :0... this gives you the ability
to open up terminal sessions and windows on a virtual desktop, thus
giving you a "backend control function" so to speak. I refer to it as my
"out of band management". I can set it doing stuff like nuvexports or
something and not affect my frontend, and without worrying about the
machine running a nuvexport getting disconnected. Of course, then you've
got worries about memory and CPU... :)

I've got both set up. It's handy to have the ability to remote control
the frontend sometimes, though generally the box is well enough
configured that I rarely worry about it. I use the virtual desktop for
systems upgrades, processes running in the background, monitoring using
TOP, DF and other tools... generally doing stuff you don't want up on
your TV while your kids are watching Spongebob Squarepants :)

Gavin