How to Install VNC Server on Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop

Installing a VNC (Virtual Network Computing) server on your Ubuntu 20.04 desktop allows you to remotely access and control your computer from another machine. In this guide, we will walk you through the installation process of installing VNC server on Ubuntu 20.04/22.04.

Step 1: Install x11vnc Server

To install the x11vnc server, open a terminal window and run the following command:

```

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install x11vnc

```

You will be prompted to choose a default display manager during the installation process. Select the 'lightdm' option and hit ENTER.

Step 2: Create systemd Service File

Next, we need to create a systemd service file to start the x11vnc server automatically. Open a text editor such as nano and create a new file:

```

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/x11vnc.service

```

Add the following contents to the file:

```

'Unit'

Description=x11vnc Service

After=network.target syslog.target

'Service'

ExecStart=/usr/bin/x11vnc -forever -display :0 -auth guess -password my-password

Restart=always

'Install'

WantedBy=multi-user.target

```

This service file will start the x11vnc server and make it easy to seamlessly manage the service.

Step 3: Start and Enable the Service

To start the x11vnc service, run the following command:

```

sudo systemctl start x11vnc

```

To enable the service to start automatically on boot, run:

```

sudo systemctl enable x11vnc

```

Using VNC Client to Connect to Remote Ubuntu Server

To connect to your remote Ubuntu server using a VNC client, you will need a machine with a VNC client installed. For demonstration purposes, we are using Ubuntu 22.04 as our environment.

1. Open a terminal window on the client machine and install the vncviewer package:

```

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install vncviewer

```

2. Start the vncviewer and connect to your remote Ubuntu server using the following command, replacing '192.168.1.100' with the IP address of your remote server:

```

vncviewer 192.168.1.100:0

```

You will be prompted for a password; enter 'my-password' if you used the same password as in the service file.

By following these steps, you should now have a VNC server installed and running on your Ubuntu 20.04 desktop, allowing you to remotely access and control your computer from another machine.

Install vnc server ubuntu 20.04 desktop