Need a way to remote control my machine

[William]

Going to loose the linux machines monitor after christmas and need to set up remote control so I can control it from another computer. I am assuming VNC is the way to go though I have no idea.

TIA!

 

[Kendan]

I have used VNC before to monitor and control another machine on my network. My advice is to go ahead and set it up while you still have the monitor and try it out. I liked it it gave me full controll over the other comp. without having to mess with a KVM.

 

[dugans]

I've been using VNC on my M$ network- been trying to get it to go on the Linux rig(RH7.2) but too much of a newb!

Works great on the others; and I can check them from the Linux pc (using the hostname:5800 feature in a browser) but I can't get the server configured right- so I'll be interested in hearing about it!

 

[William]

how do I set VNC up then if it is the way to go?

 

[David]

I think you need a host thingy on each machine and you access it using a net browser. I'm not sure.

As X (if you run X) is network capable, you should be able to run programs on a server's X server. Not sure.

 

[dugans]

Come on you Linux gurus!

Help the guy out---and post it here so I can use it too <lol>

I've been trying all kinds of stuff to no avail, and in fact just tried something else on my linux box.....and wrecked the file system!!

While I don't blame linux, it sucks to be a newb at it /me whining/!

Box will be back up soon! So save me from myself!

 

[XWRed1]

Pick yer poison

There's 4 mainstream ways to do it.

1) Telnet. This gives you a console on the machine you are connecting to, but isn't encrypted and hence is insecure.

2) SSH. Basically an encrypted form of telnet. Both SSH and Telnet are plenty to admin a machine remotely. If you want/need a GUI, you can use...

3) VNC. You just need to install the VNC server on the computer you want to control, then use the VNC client software to control it. Works basically like PC Anywhere. You _CAN_ use it through a web browser like penguinfreak said, but you don't need too.

4) X Window System Network transparency. You can have an X app execute on another machine, but have all its interactive stuff (window, buttons, etc) appear on your stream. This is only going to be useful for remote administration if you have a handful of admin-type apps that are X-based. Note: you don't get the full remote desktop this way, you have to launch X applications on the remote computer in such a way that they display on your machine.

 

[Init-0]

or you could put the box next to another pc and use a data switch to share a monitor? ;P

Dont really know much about remote admin though

 

[David]

How many machines have you got? If you have 5 or less I would go with Init-0s suggestion.

 

[William]

eventually will get a KVM for my computers, but want the cheaper route right now. Not too good with the console yet, so VNC sounds like the way to go(used it from a few time from Windows to Linux so i know it works but I didn't set it up). What VNC program should I use and how do I set it up? (remember, I am a doofus in linux right now )

 

[David]

I think (i.e. I am probably wrong ) You need a sort of host proggie on the computers you want to access and you use a browser to view the desktops.

 

[dugans]

I am a doofus in linux right now )

From one Linux doofus to another...........argh!

RedHat 7.2 is running on my 2 old comps right now (Seti Slow Team Races) and it COMES with VNC.....I still can't get it to work!

Not sure if it is the Linux firewall built into the os or what.

Win32 version of vnc is easy: run the server on any pc you want to remotely control, and the viewer on the Boss pc- or the browser method. I can't get VNC Server or Viewer to work in Linux though.

I have quit messing with the Linux rigs for the moment: they are slow enough without me screwing them up!

 

[Fightingpiper]

Well it seems to me to put the linux 2.x forx86 software on the linux machine and set it up according to the instructions which I admittedly no nothing about. then download the Wincows CE program and put it on you windows machine I can definately help set that one up.

 

[David]

You may need to run VNC as root.

 

[XWRed1]

I don't think you need to run the VNC server as root, and you sure as hell aren't even going to get the Windows CE client software to install on a normal Windows machine.

You also don't need to use a web browser as a client.

 

[Fightingpiper]

and you sure as hell aren't even going to get the Windows CE client software to install on a normal Windows machine.

.

And may I ask why not?

 

[chaim79]

I have had to setup VNC to access a server. the way to do it is install the linux version of VNC (duh) then login and start "vncserver" you should see what server number you have and be able to access your account from another pc.

it starts pm instead of KDE, so you have to go into the .something folder and change the startup.... I can't remember what the file was called but it should be somewhat named so you can find it. there should be a line that starts pm, just comment that out and in it's place put "kdestart".

sorry I can't be more spacific, it's at school and I don't get back untill the 7th.

There should be a way to start it up automaticly when booted up.... but your gona hafta look at VNC's website for that info.

 

[XWRed1]

And may I ask why not?

Because Windows CE is an entire other OS than normal Windows, and any binaries you find are probably built for processors OTHER than x86 even though they would probably be win32.

 

[mcrites]

if you want to use telnet, when you telnet into the machine where you want to use the program, I believe you need to set DISPLAY=host_ip:n, where host_ip is the x server you want to display it on, ie your computer you are telnettign from, and n is the number of the x server, if you run one it would be 0. then just run the program. If you use ssh, you need to set the forward x protocol variable in either ssh_config or sshd_config in /etc, i forget which one. maybe both?

 

[XWRed1]

But that only lets him do specific X apps remotely. Seems like he aims to get the entire desktop remotely.