[Solved, kind of] Remote Desktop on Mint 19

[Hultan]

Why is it so hard to get remote desktop to work between two LM19 machines in the same network? It annoys the hell out of me...

I have tried something called X11-something but that was buggy has hell and crashed all the time...

I have tried Teamviewer which kind of works, but not really, it is basically unusable because of the screen flickering...

I have tried Remmina with all kinds of protocols (RDP, VNC, NX, XDMCP) on both machines but I can't get a connection at all...

I have tried SSH which works, but I had a stroke a few years ago and so my fingers don't really listen to me, so I hate typing. I need to point and click, I need a GUI...

It should not be this hard! If I can't find a bug free Remote Desktop, I have to go back to Windows, I am not going to get out of my chair and walk several meters to my other computers, I refuse...Now I have to cry myself to sleep and maybe I have more energy tomorrow. Tonight I am going to have happy dreams about Windows remote desktop (msdtc.exe), and not nightmares about remote desktop on Linux...

Hopefully tomorrow someone have a super simple bug free solution for me.

[Edit] I have gotten X11vnc + Remmina to work somewhat, and I am using TeamViewer as a backup.

[jretropie]

Have you try this solution for x11vnc:

https://gist.github.com/mangoliou/407d6 ... 4143f39f0d

[Loron]

Hi!
You can also use RDP. http://www.xrdp.org/

Regards

[ralplpcr]

There are several different ways to connect remotely from one Linux machine to another - each with varying degrees of difficulty.

The easiest one for me to connect within my own network is to use a combination of tools - OpenSSH, X11VNC, and Remmina:
You can set it up completely point & click through the software manager, and then through a point & click interface.

On the machine to be controlled:
Install openssh-server
Install X11VNC
Launch X11VNC.
On the first screen, set the Port (usually 5900) and File Transfer type as shown, then click OK:

first.jpg

On the second screen, check the "Accept Connections", enter a password, and click OK:

second.jpg

On the machine you wish to use to connect /control the remote machine:
Install (or launch) Remmina.
Press the big "+" button to create a new connection.
Enter a name for the connection
Set the protocol to VNC
Enter the IP address or machine name of the remote machine
Enter the user name & password to login on the remote machine. (This should be the password you set above under "Accept Connections")
Set your color depth - I have a fast network, so I use 32bit, but if your network isn't as fast you may wish to reduce it.
Set quality - again, choose Poor through Best depending on your network speed.
Press SAVE & CONNECT

Selection_006.jpg

For me, this gives me a very reliable connection to other Linux machines in my own network. If the quality is acceptable, you should be able to simply open Remmina & double-click the connection to launch it in the future.

==========================
Another good alternative is xRDP. There are some caveats to it, however - - it's known to have some display issues with Cinnamon from time to time. Also, under certain circumstances, it doesn't like to connect *if* you are already logged in on the remote machine. If you are logged out of the remote machine, it works very well, however - - just as easy & reliable as Windows RDP.

Check out the instructions on the forum post here: viewtopic.php?t=272329#p1499069

Good luck, and I hope this does the trick for you! Linux can be tricky to configure at times, but once you get it set up & working the way you want, you'll find it to be MUCH more reliable and less problematic than Windows any day.

[Hultan]

Thank you all for the advice!

@ralplpcr, I will try that tonight, even though as I said, I have not had a lot of luck with x11vnc. It crashed all the time for me, but maybe that because of some of the settings that you mentioned, so I will try to follow your guide, and see if it works better.

[SinfulSaint]

Hultan, go try AnyDesk

[jretropie]

Make sure when you run x11vnc, you can set output the log file so you can find out what crashing the program:

Code: Select all

x11vnc -auth guess -forever -noxdamage -repeat -rfbauth /etc/x11vnc/vncpwd -rfbport 5900 -shared -oa /var/log/x11vnc.log

My x11vnc crashing problem fixed by following this link:
https://gist.github.com/mangoliou/407d6 ... 4143f39f0d

Thank you all for the advice!

@ralplpcr, I will try that tonight, even though as I said, I have not had a lot of luck with x11vnc. It crashed all the time for me, but maybe that because of some of the settings that you mentioned, so I will try to follow your guide, and see if it works better.

[Hultan]

I give up, not even @ralplpcr:s very detailed instructions worked (could not connect) and I have had enough. I'll go with TeamViewer for a while even though the quality of the connection is horrible. AnyDesk installed on both computers but only on one of them (the wrong one) I could set unattended access password (it was disabled on the other computer that I wanted to control),

I think I need to refresh my C++ skills and fix Remote Desktop on Linux once and for all. I'll get back to you in a few years

Thank you for trying to help me though...

[smurphos]

Vino (the pre Mint 19 default remote desktop server) is still an option although the Gnome devs have made it as hard as possible to set up in any DE environment that's not Gnome 3...

See the tail end of this thread for how to set it up - viewtopic.php?f=90&t=272356

[Hultan]

UPDATE : I would just like to add that, today with a new fresh install if Linux Mint 19, and version 410.73 of the nvidia drivers on both computers, I get A LOT LESS screen flickering using TeamViewer. It appears to have been a driver problem and not a TeamViewer problem so I am sticking with TV.

I am getting more and more comfortable with Linux though, even if I can't stop whining about all the stuff that was easy in Windows (because I knew how to ) and is much harder in Linux (because I don't know how to ).

[redlined]

UPDATE : I would just like to add that, today with a new fresh install if Linux Mint 19, and version 410.73 of the nvidia drivers on both computers, I get A LOT LESS screen flickering using TeamViewer. It appears to have been a driver problem and not a TeamViewer problem so I am sticking with TV.

I am getting more and more comfortable with Linux though, even if I can't stop whining about all the stuff that was easy in Windows (because I knew how to ) and is much harder in Linux (because I don't know how to ).

hi Hultan!

I see you have a lot of good advice this thread and have found a compromise solution for your needs. I wanted to offer another option to consider because I had very good experience with google's remote desktop (browser extention) some years back after I had frustrated with teamviewer- even playing a web browser graphic intense game it did much better than I had expected.

If you use chrome/chromium on computers concerned then perhaps this will give better results and less screen flickering: Chrome Remote Desktop

[Hultan]

I see you have a lot of good advice this thread and have found a compromise solution for your needs. I wanted to offer another option to consider because I had very good experience with google's remote desktop.

I am sorry, I forgot to include that I am severely allergic to Google.

The reason I switched from Windows this summer is that I got frustrated with Microsoft, and switching from one large company that does not care about my privacy to another large company that does not care, is not really a solution that works for me right now. I am trying to minimize my dependency of large multinational corporations right now. TeamViewer will eventually also have to go...

[redlined]

I see you have a lot of good advice this thread and have found a compromise solution for your needs. I wanted to offer another option to consider because I had very good experience with google's remote desktop.

I am sorry, I forgot to include that I am severely allergic to Google.

The reason I switched from Windows this summer is that I got frustrated with Microsoft, and switching from one large company that does not care about my privacy to another large company that does not care, is not really a solution that works for me right now. I am trying to minimize my dependency of large multinational corporations right now. TeamViewer will eventually also have to go...

lol, I completely understand sever allergies to windows, google, facadebook, etc... (but I still use gmail as it was a gifted account during beta testing over a decade ago). I tend to go overboard on at least maintaining my privacy from the tech devices, apps and services I do choose to use disabling, sandboxing, filtering, blocking everything I do not give explicit permissions and consent when and where I learn of or find questionable. Saying all that I did "tame/cripple" chrome in windows for specific uses but have abandoned it since migrating to linux tis past year, firefox works fine.

I see you had trouble with setting up as ralplpcr advised and since noone wants to see linux frustrated user return to windows (as eluded to in initial post) I strongly urge you to continue troubleshooting in this thread. I also see another option suggested that you tried, AnyDesk and feel that if you stick with sorting thru the issue fully now it will save you stress in the future over teamviewer (which is working, but not desired)

I wish you luck on this journey- the fine linux minds hereabouts will help, but will need more info from you on options that fail to determine what is going wrong, stick with it and it will get sorted creating a better user experience for you (and others that come across similar issue, if it gets solved here)

[diapason]

Hello, Hultan

I stumbled on your post while looking for something else and noticed your comment about Remmina. I have used it successfully for years for making RDP connections to Windows servers over a VPN. Until a couple of weeks ago, I was happy on Mint 17.3 (cinnamon) but support will be ending for that in 2019 so I decided to skip Mint 18 and do a clean install of Mint 19. Remmina continues to work beautifully. My experience is that you can't beat Remmina.

[Hultan]

Well, I finally had some time to give ralplpcr:s and this time it worked perfectly using Remmina and x11vnc. Everything looks amazing, I hope it stays that way...

When I tried this solution last time x11vnc shutdown for me all the time, so I ended up having to walk over to the other computer anyway. Hopefully it works better this time. Plus I had problems with some horrible screen flickering etc, but that was probably just a graphics driver problem then I guess, as it works fine now.

Sorry it took me so long to try your suggestions! Thank you...

[redlined]

Well, I finally had some time to give ralplpcr:s and this time it worked perfectly using Remmina and x11vnc. Everything looks amazing, I hope it stays that way...

When I tried this solution last time x11vnc shutdown for me all the time, so I ended up having to walk over to the other computer anyway. Hopefully it works better this time. Plus I had problems with some horrible screen flickering etc, but that was probably just a graphics driver problem then I guess, as it works fine now.

Sorry it took me so long to try your suggestions! Thank you...

excellent news, glad you got it working!

please consider making an edit to your first post this thread and add [SOLVED] to the thread Subject: Thanks!

[pcpunk]

I was going to say, I've been using TeamViewer with no problems on Mint 18. The portable one and the Installed one. Very simple and familiar as I use it with Windows also.

[ralplpcr]

Well, I finally had some time to give ralplpcr:s and this time it worked perfectly using Remmina and x11vnc. Everything looks amazing, I hope it stays that way...

When I tried this solution last time x11vnc shutdown for me all the time, so I ended up having to walk over to the other computer anyway. Hopefully it works better this time. Plus I had problems with some horrible screen flickering etc, but that was probably just a graphics driver problem then I guess, as it works fine now.

Sorry it took me so long to try your suggestions! Thank you...

Awesome - glad it's working better for you now!

The only thing to watch out for is that *sometimes* the X11VNC service will shut down on your remote machine. If that happens, you just have to manually go kill the process & restart it. It doesn't happen often - mostly only when I have a momentary power outage & my router reboots... but something to be aware of.

[Hultan]

The only thing to watch out for is that *sometimes* the X11VNC service will shut down on your remote machine. If that happens, you just have to manually go kill the process & restart it. It doesn't happen often - mostly only when I have a momentary power outage & my router reboots... but something to be aware of.

Yeah, exactly that happened today and I am no longer as happy as I was yesterday

X11vnc feels very unstable, I had this problem the last time too, but at least the screen issue is solved (by using newer nvidia drivers?). I also have problem with the settings not being stored. I have too re-enter all the settings in x11vnc every time I reboot the computer. We'll see, maybe I go back to using TeamViewer if it annoys me to much.

[ralplpcr]

...I have too re-enter all the settings in x11vnc every time I reboot the computer. We'll see, maybe I go back to using TeamViewer if it annoys me to much.

Yes, that is an annoyance to be sure. You still could go & install xrdp, but you'll need to remember to log out each time you disconnect from the remote Linux machine. It works great otherwise - - and you can also use Remmina to connect in, but you'll have to change the protocol to RDP instead of VNC. It all depends on your usage habits: for me, the occasional "go downstairs & restart X11VNC" is less annoying than "oh crap, I forgot to log out and now I can't connect".