# Changes in recent TigerVNC versions Previous TigerVNC versions had a wrapper script called `vncserver`. This script could be run as a user manually to start *Xvnc* process. The usage was quite simple as you just run: ``` $ vncserver :x [vncserver options] [Xvnc options] ``` and that was it. It worked fine for some cases, but far from all. There were issues when users wanted to use it in combination with *systemd*. Therefore, the implementation had to be changed to comply with *SELinux* and *systemd* rules. # How to start TigerVNC server ## Add a user mapping With this you can map a user to a particular port. The mapping should be done in `vncserver.users` configuration file. It should be pretty straightforward. Once you open the file you will see there are some examples, but basically the mapping is in form: ``` :x=user ``` For example you can have ``` :1=test :2=vncuser ``` ## Configure Xvnc options To configure Xvnc parameters, you need to go to the same directory where you did the user mapping and open `vncserver-config-defaults` configuration file. This file is for the default Xvnc configuration and will be applied to every user unless any of the following applies: * The user has its own configuration in `$HOME/.vnc/config`. * The same option with different value is configured in `vncserver-config-mandatory` configuration file, which replaces the default configuration and has even a higher priority than the per-user configuration. This option is for system administrators when they want to force particular *Xvnc* options. Format of the configuration file is also quite simple as the configuration is in form of: ``` option=value option ``` for example: ``` session=gnome securitytypes=vncauth,tlsvnc geometry=2000x1200 localhost alwaysshared ``` See the following manpage for more details: Xvnc(1). ### Note: It is recommended to set option specifying the session you want to start. E.g. when you want to start GNOME desktop, then you have to use: ``` session=gnome ``` This should match the name of a session desktop file from `/usr/share/xsessions` directory. If you don't specify the session, TigerVNC will try to use the first one it finds, which may or may not work correctly. ## Set VNC password You need to set a password for each user in order to be able to start the TigerVNC server. In order to create a password, you just run: ``` $ vncpasswd ``` You need to run it as the user who will run the server. ### Note: If you used TigerVNC before with your user and you already created a password, then you have to make sure the `$HOME/.vnc` folder created by `vncpasswd` have the correct *SELinux* context. You either can delete this folder and recreate it again by creating the password one more time, or alternatively you can run: ``` $ restorecon -RFv /home/<USER>/.vnc ``` ## Start the TigerVNC server Finally you can start the server using systemd service. To do so just run: ``` $ systemctl start vncserver@:x ``` Run this as the root user or: ``` $ sudo systemctl start vncserver@:x ``` Run it as a regular user in case the user has permissions to run `sudo`. Don't forget to replace the `:x` by the actual number you configured in the user mapping file. For example: ``` $ systemctl start vncserver@:1 ``` This starts a TigerVNC server for user `test` with GNOME session. In case you want your server to be automatically started at boot, you can run: ``` $ systemctl enable vncserver@:1 ``` ### Note: If you previously used TigerVNC and you were used to start it by using *systemd*, then you might need to remove previous *systemd* configuration files placed in `/etc/systemd/system/vncserver@.service`, in order to avoid them being prioritized by the new systemd service files from latest TigerVNC. # Limitations You will not be able to start a TigerVNC server for a user who is already logged into a graphical session. Avoid running the server as the `root` user as it's not a safe thing to do. While running the server as the `root` should work in general, it's not recommended to do so and there might be some things which are not working properly.
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