I just started subscribing to the web-hosting service with ServerPronto. My server is running on Ubuntu 8.1. Since I am a visual person, it is a lot easier for me to use GUI interface than the command line. VNC offers a remote control, similar to Remote Desktop (Apple and Microsoft) solutions. Below are the steps I used to get it working, using my Mac to control the Ubuntu box.

 

For background information, read the following link:

http://imthi.com/blog/linux/ubuntu-904-remote-desktop-using-vncserver-without-monitor.php

1st, install needed base packages:

apt-get update;  apt-get dist-upgrade;  apt-get install x-window-system-core;  dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg;  apt-get install libtiff-tools; deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu dapper-commercial main;  apt-get update; apt-get install opera;  apt-get install gtk2-engines-ubuntulooks;  apt-get install alien; alien gtk-chtheme-0.3.1-1.i386.rpm;  dpkg -i gtk-chtheme_0.3.1-2_i386.deb; gtk-chtheme; apt-get install kicker-applets;  apt-get install gnome;  apt-get install ubuntu-desktop;  apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree;  apt-get install sun-java5-plugin;  apt-get install openssh-server; 

2nd, install ubuntu desktop

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=459159 

% sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop #this is for gnome (sudo aptitude install ubuntu-desktop)

% sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop #this is for kde (sudo aptitude install kubuntu-desktop)

% sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop #this is for xfce (sudo aptitude install xubuntu-desktop)

3rd, install VNCServer

% apt-get vnc4server xinetd; apt-get vncviewer

the /etc/xinetd.d/Xvnc file need to be updated to 

 

{

type = UNLISTED

disable = no

socket_type = stream

protocol = tcp

wait = yes

user = root

server = /usr/bin/Xvnc

server_args = -inetd :1 -query localhost -geometry 1024×768 -depth 16 -once -fp /usr/share/fonts/X11/misc/ -DisconnectClients=0 -NeverShared passwordFile=/root/.vncpasswd

port = 5901

}

 

4th, unlock /tmp directory

% chmod 1777 /tmp

5th, restart xinet.d

% vi /etc/gdm/gdm.conf (update and allow xdmp to true –> AllowRoot=true)

% sudo /etc/init.d/xinetd stop

% sudo killall Xvnc

% sudo /etc/init.d/xinetd start

%startx

6th, ssh to the server

from mac (ssh username@remote_servers_ip -L 9999:localhost_server:5902)

7th, start vncserver

ubuntu server % vncserver 

8th, use chicken of VNC to start the VNC client locally

open it: 127.0.0.1:9999 (password of the user)

9th, optionally, disable GDM on KVM through system/services

This will cause GDM to not automatically start on the console (KVM)

For running SSH in the background, see below

http://www.kernelhardware.org/how-to-vncserver-secure-connections/ 

for running ssh in background (allowing the console to do other things)

ssh -f -L 9999:127.0.0.1:5902 root@190.120.226.69 sleep 30

 

Below are screen shots of System -> Administration -> Login Window