Virtual Networking Computing (VNC) is a remote sharing system that enables control over any internet-connected computer. Keyboard and mouse inputs can be easily transmitted between systems. This tool allows administrators and technical personnel to manage servers and desktops remotely.

VNC is an open-source application developed in the late 1990s. It is platform-independent, supporting both Windows and Unix/Linux systems. This means a standard Windows user can interact with Linux-based systems seamlessly.

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To use VNC, you need a TCP/IP connection and a VNC viewer client to connect to a computer running the VNC server. The server sends a duplicate of the remote display to the viewer.

This article explains how to install VNC Server using TightVNC, an improved version of the original VNC program, on RHEL-based and Debian-based Linux distributions.

Step 1: Installing the Desktop Environment

If your OS was installed minimally, providing only a command-line interface, then you must install a GUI environment like GNOME or XFCE for VNC access.

<code>$ sudo dnf groupinstall "Server with GUI"   [On <strong>RHEL/CentOS/Fedora</strong> and <strong>Rocky Linux/AlmaLinux</strong>]
OR
$ sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies      [On <strong>Debian, Ubuntu and Mint</strong>]</code>

Step 2: Installing TightVNC Server

TightVNC allows remote desktop access. Install it using the commands below:

<code>$ sudo yum -y install tigervnc-server xorg-x11-fonts-Type1  [On <strong>RHEL/CentOS/Fedora</strong> and <strong>Rocky Linux/AlmaLinux</strong>]
$ sudo apt install tightvncserver      [On <strong>Debian, Ubuntu and Mint</strong>]</code>

Step 3: Create a Normal VNC User

Create a regular user for VNC access. For example, we’ll use “tecmint” as the username.

<code>$ sudo useradd tecmint
OR
$ sudo adduser tecmint
$ sudo passwd tecmint</code>

Step 4: Set VNC Password for User

Switch to the new user and set a password specifically for VNC access.

<code>[root@tecmint ~]# su - tecmint
[tecmint@tecmint ~]$ vncpasswd
Password:
Verify:</code>

This creates a hidden .vnc directory containing a password file in the user's home folder.

Check if the file exists:

<code># ls -l /home/tecmint/.vnc
-rw------- 1 tecmint tecmint 8 Jul 14 21:33 <strong>passwd</strong></code>

Repeat this step for additional users.

Step 5: Configure VNC for Gnome

Edit the configuration file to specify session settings.

<code>$ vim ~/.vnc/config</code>

Add these lines:

<code>session=gnome
geometry=1920x1200
localhost
alwaysshared</code>

Exit from the current user back to root:

<code>$ exit</code>

Assign display ports to users in the following file:

<code># vim /etc/tigervnc/vncserver.users </code>

Set display port :1 for user tecmint:

<code># This file assigns users to specific VNC display numbers.
# The syntax is =. E.g.:
#
# :2=andrew
# :3=lisa
<strong>:1=tecmint</strong></code>

For other users, assign ports starting from :2.

Step 6: Starting the Tigervnc Server

By default, VNC uses port 5900 with ID:0 for the root user. Other users get incremented ports.

Example mapping:

<code>User's      Port's      ID's
5900        root        :0
5901        tecmint     :1
5902        ravi        :2
5903        navin       :3
5904        avishek     :4</code>

Start and enable the service for the assigned display port:

<code># systemctl start vncserver@:1 --now
# systemctl enable vncserver@:1 --now</code>

Confirm the status:

<code># systemctl status vncserver@:1</code>

Adjust port numbers accordingly for other users.

Step 7: Open VNC Ports on Firewall

Allow traffic through the firewall for each VNC user.

For user tecmint on port 5901:

<code># iptables -A INPUT -m state --state NEW -m tcp -p tcp --dport 5901 -j ACCEPT
OR
# firewall-cmd --zone=public --add-port=5901/tcp
OR
$ sudo ufw allow 5901/tcp</code>

For multiple users:

<code># iptables -I INPUT 5 -m state --state NEW -m tcp -p tcp -m multiport --dports 5902:5904 -j ACCEPT
OR
# firewall-cmd --zone=public --add-port=5902-5904/tcp
OR
$ sudo ufw allow 5901:5910/tcp</code>

Restart the firewall service:

<code># service iptables save
# service iptables restart
Or
# firewall-cmd --reload
# systemctl restart firewalld</code>

Step 8: Download VNC Client

Download and install a VNC Viewer client on your local machine.

• Download VNC Viewer

Step 9: Connect to Remote Desktop Using Client

Launch the VNC Viewer, enter the IP address of the server and the display ID (e.g., 192.168.1.100:1).

Enter the password set earlier with vncpasswd.

You are now connected to the remote desktop.

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