Using a VNC Server/Client

Instructions for Windows

Downloading the Software

You'll need two pieces of software:

UltraVNC and PuTTY icons on the Desktop

• putty (lets the client talk to the remote machine through the firewall): PuTTY.
  • You want to save the putty.exe to your Desktop.

• VNC client (lets you view the remote screen): UltraVNC
  • UltraVNC comes in a zip file. Open it and drag the executable inside to your desktop next to putty.

Setting up PuTTY

Run putty.exe

PuTTY's connect dialog

Configure host name of remote machine

Fill in the 'Host Name' and 'Saved Sessions' field as shown.

Configure user name

Select the 'Data' entry under 'Connection' in the left column. Fill in the 'Auto-login username' field.

PuTTY's config, username

Configure tunnel

• Click on the '+' next to 'SSH' in the list on the left, then select 'Tunnels'.

PuTTY's config, SSH Option

• Fill in the 'Source port' and 'Destination' fields as shown.
• Then click on the 'Add' button.

PuTTY's config, Tunnel Config

Save configuration

Select the 'Session' entry in the left column (scroll up if you have to), and click on the 'Save' button. This will save your settings.

PuTTY's config, main

Open the session

• Select 'hacuser@hacweb2' from the Saved Sessions list and click 'Load'.
• Click on the 'Open' button at the bottom of the dialog box. A black terminal will open and prompt you for the usual 'hacuser' password. Type it in and you should get a normal shell prompt.

PuTTY's shell

• You can now minimize this window and setup UltraVNC.

Setting up UltraVNC

Run vncviewer.exe

• Enter 'localhost:5901' in the "VNC Server:" field at the top.
• Enable the 'Save connection settings as default' at the bottom.

UltraVNC config window

Connect to the VNC session

• Click on the Connect button and you should see a couple of windows pop up:

UltraVNC auth and status windows

• Enter the 'hacuser' password in the appropriate box and hit return.
• You should be rewarded with the hacuser X session.

UltraVNC Session

• NOTE: If you get a black screen with yet another password prompt, it means the screen saver software has kicked in. Just type in the 'hacuser' password again and you'll be good to go.

Quitting the VNC session

• Be sure to close the UltraVNC window, not one of the windows running

inside the VNC session.

• Any program/stripchart that you start inside the VNC session will keep

running and updating in the background. You can reconnect to the VNC session anytime from (nearly) any machine.

Instructions for Linux

• Type the following at a shell prompt (ie. in an xterm)

 vncviewer -Shared -via hacuser@hacweb2 :1

• When prompted, enter the 'hacuser' password (twice)
• NOTE: If you get a black screen with yet another password prompt, it means the screen saver software has kicked in. Just type in the 'hacuser' password again and you'll be good to go.