Xvfb + VNC

Laszlo Nagy gandalf at designaproduct.biz
Fri Mar 16 19:12:43 UTC 2007


  Hello,

I could install gdm with Xorg and vnc.so module loaded. This is fine, 
now I can access that X server with vnc. The problem is that the Xorg 
server needs a video card. So if somebody connects a montior to that 
server while I'm working from home then he/she will see what I'm doing. 
(I cannot restrict physical access to that computer, but I do not want 
others to see my desktop...)

My idea is to create a virtual framebuffer server with Xvfb,  and load 
vnc.so module there. Since vnc.so can be password protected, in theory, 
nobody will have access to that X session, except me. But I cannot do 
this. Xvfb(1) tells me that it has the same options that Xserver(1) has. 
The Xserver(1) does not tell me anything about loadable modules, but X 
is a symlink to Xorg. Well, Xorg has a -config option but Xvfb does not. 
:-( Does it mean that I cannot load "vnc.so" into the virtual 
framebuffer server?

Is there a better solution?

In my dreams:

1. I would run a virtual X server, that is not visible directly (not 
requiring any video card)
2. I would access this X server with some program remotely (preferrably VNC)
3. This remote access needs to be secure to some extent
4. This remote access should be fast enough to use through a DSL connection

Can my dreams come true?

Thanks,

   Laszlo



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