VNC server on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS with Unity

Question

Is anyone having problems setting up vncserver with xstartup file to support Unity when remotely connecting over VNC? I read numerous articles on setting up vncserver on 16.04 but all does not work with Unity hence I need to install gnome-panel, gnome-settings-daemon, metacity, nautilus, and gnome-terminal and add couple of lines for the xstartup to get the the VNC working for Gnome classic and not Unity.

Why Unity has no support for VNC?

Any ideas? And if anyone successfully got VNC to remotely connect to the fully Unity desktop on 16.04 please share the setup.

I don't want to use Vino, I need to have multiple sessions over VNC for other users.

Solution 1

Ubuntu 16.04 has a default VNC server VINO and VINO runs with Unity without problems.

Learn more at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VNC/Servers

Solution 2

in ~/.vnc/xstartup

#!/bin/sh
export XKL_XMODMAP_DISABLE=1
unset SESSION_MANAGER
unset DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
[ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup
[ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid grey
vncconfig -nowin &
gnome-session &
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/unity/unity-panel-service &
unity-settings-daemon &
unity &

Comments

[Admin]

Not sure what you want to do. I use x11vnc as a server and vinagre as a client on ubuntu/raspbian and it works fine.

[Aden Cassaidy]

I have tried several vncservers and xstartup configuration in order to remotely connect with fully working Unity default desktop for Ubuntu 16.04 with no success. I usually setup a vncsession and on Windows I connect with Vncviewer on earlier Ubuntus but on 16.04 it doesn't display the full Unity.

[Jonathan Spiller]

@LebLinux Did you manage to find a solution? I have the same issue. vnc doesn't display the full Unity desktop. I have tried a number of vnc servers and different desktop. None work perfectly.

[Aden Cassaidy]

Forget Unity and install LXDE, there is no reliable solution to this problem...

[Grayson Kent]

Thanks for the answer! But the OP said "I dont want to use Vino, I need to have multiple sessions over vnc for other users."

[Aden Cassaidy]

Vino is not managable like VNC

[Roel Van de Paar]

This answer is about gnome, while the original question was about Unity.