OS Archives - Pagefault Blog

Quick setup of VNC server on headless machines (debian)

Quick VNC setup script for Debian

Here is a simple script that will install and setup VNC on a debian machine e.g. Armbian SBC, Nas, Laptop or Desktop etc..
It only requires you to enter your sudo password to install the required packages, and create passwords for a new “vnc” user and a vnc connection password for access from your vnc client machine.

setup-vnc Download

#!/bin/bash

# Don prince 2021/01/17

echo ######## install packages
sudo apt update &amp;&amp; sudo apt -y install xorg lightdm xfce4 tango-icon-theme gnome-icon-theme dbus-x11 tightvncserver xfonts-base thunar-volman udisks2 gvfs

echo ######## create vnc user
sudo adduser vnc
sudo gpasswd -a vnc sudo

echo ######## start vncserver and set password
sudo su - vnc -c "touch ~/.Xresources"
sudo su - vnc -c "vncserver :1"
ps -ef | grep Xtightvnc
sudo su - vnc -c "vncserver -kill :1"

echo ######## xstartup script
cat &lt;&lt;EOF | sudo tee /home/vnc/.vnc/xstartup
#!/bin/sh

xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
#xsetroot -solid grey
#x-terminal-emulator -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" &amp;
#x-window-manager &amp;
# Fix to make GNOME work
export XKL_XMODMAP_DISABLE=1
#/etc/X11/Xsession
#xfce4-session&amp;
/etc/X11/Xsession /usr/bin/startxfce4 &amp;
EOF
sudo chown vnc:vnc /home/vnc/.vnc/xstartup
sudo chmod 755 /home/vnc/.vnc/xstartup

echo ######## vnc start/stop/restart script
cat &lt;&lt;'EOF' | sudo tee /usr/local/bin/tightvncserver
#!/bin/bash
PATH="$PATH:/usr/bin/"
DISPLAY="1"
DEPTH="16"
GEOMETRY="1024x768"
OPTIONS="-depth ${DEPTH} -geometry ${GEOMETRY} :${DISPLAY}"

case "$1" in
start)
/usr/bin/vncserver ${OPTIONS}
;;

stop)
/usr/bin/vncserver -kill :${DISPLAY}
;;

restart)
$0 stop
$0 start
;;
esac
exit 0
EOF
sudo chown root:root /usr/local/bin/tightvncserver
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/tightvncserver

echo ######## vnc systemd service script
echo ######## sudo systemctl [start/stop/reload] tightvncserver.service
cat &lt;&lt;EOF | sudo tee /lib/systemd/system/tightvncserver.service
[Unit]
Description=Manage VNC Server

[Service]
Type=forking
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/tightvncserver start
ExecStop=/usr/local/bin/tightvncserver stop
ExecReload=/usr/local/bin/tightvncserver restart
User=vnc

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF
sudo chown root:root /lib/systemd/system/tightvncserver.service
sudo chmod 644 /lib/systemd/system/tightvncserver.service

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start tightvncserver.service

#!/bin/bash

# Don prince 2021/01/17

echo ######## install packages

sudo apt update && sudo apt -y install xorg lightdm xfce4 tango-icon-theme gnome-icon-theme dbus-x11 tightvncserver xfonts-base thunar-volman udisks2 gvfs

echo ######## create vnc user

sudo adduser vnc

sudo gpasswd -a vnc sudo

echo ######## start vncserver and set password

sudo su - vnc -c "touch ~/.Xresources"

sudo su - vnc -c "vncserver :1"

ps -ef | grep Xtightvnc

sudo su - vnc -c "vncserver -kill :1"

echo ######## xstartup script

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /home/vnc/.vnc/xstartup

#!/bin/sh

xrdb $HOME/.Xresources

#xsetroot -solid grey

#x-terminal-emulator -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" &

#x-window-manager &

# Fix to make GNOME work

export XKL_XMODMAP_DISABLE=1

#/etc/X11/Xsession

#xfce4-session&

/etc/X11/Xsession /usr/bin/startxfce4 &

EOF

sudo chown vnc:vnc /home/vnc/.vnc/xstartup

sudo chmod 755 /home/vnc/.vnc/xstartup

echo ######## vnc start/stop/restart script

cat <<'EOF' | sudo tee /usr/local/bin/tightvncserver

#!/bin/bash

PATH="$PATH:/usr/bin/"

DISPLAY="1"

DEPTH="16"

GEOMETRY="1024x768"

OPTIONS="-depth ${DEPTH} -geometry ${GEOMETRY} :${DISPLAY}"

case "$1" in

start)

/usr/bin/vncserver ${OPTIONS}

;;

stop)

/usr/bin/vncserver -kill :${DISPLAY}

;;

restart)

$0 stop

$0 start

;;

esac

exit 0

EOF

sudo chown root:root /usr/local/bin/tightvncserver

sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/tightvncserver

echo ######## vnc systemd service script

echo ######## sudo systemctl [start/stop/reload] tightvncserver.service

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /lib/systemd/system/tightvncserver.service

[Unit]

Description=Manage VNC Server

[Service]

Type=forking

ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/tightvncserver start

ExecStop=/usr/local/bin/tightvncserver stop

ExecReload=/usr/local/bin/tightvncserver restart

User=vnc

[Install]

WantedBy=multi-user.target

EOF

sudo chown root:root /lib/systemd/system/tightvncserver.service

sudo chmod 644 /lib/systemd/system/tightvncserver.service

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

sudo systemctl start tightvncserver.service

Extract the script and make executable with “chmod +x”. Then run it, entering the passwords for the VNC user and VNC connection when asked.

You can start, stop or reload the tightvncserver by executing one of the following lines

sudo systemctl start tightvncserver.service
sudo systemctl stop tightvncserver.service
sudo systemctl reload tightvncserver.service

sudo systemctl start tightvncserver.service

sudo systemctl stop tightvncserver.service

sudo systemctl reload tightvncserver.service

I use Vinagre, a remote desktop viewer for the GNOME desktop to connect to the VNC host machine from my Ubuntu Laptops.

Below are some results of running the script on various machines

Remove snapd from Ubuntu/Kubuntu 20.04 and restore Chromium apt deb package

Below is a simple script that will remove snaps from the OS and install Chromium from apt deb packaging and prevent Chromium from reverting to the snap version on future updates.

remove-snapd-restore-chromium Download

#!/bin/bash

#snap list | grep -v "^Name" | awk {'print "sudo snap remove " $1'}

sudo snap remove snap-store
sudo snap remove chromium
sudo snap remove gtk-common-themes
sudo snap remove gnome-3-28-1804
sudo snap remove core18
sudo snap remove snapd
snap list

sudo umount /run/snap/ns

sudo systemctl disable snapd.service
sudo systemctl disable snapd.socket
sudo systemctl disable snapd.seeded.service
sudo systemctl disable snapd.autoimport.service
sudo systemctl disable snapd.apparmor.service

sudo rm -rf /etc/apparmor.d/usr.lib.snapd.snap-confine.real

sudo systemctl start apparmor.service

#df | grep snap | awk {'print "sudo umount " $6'}
sudo umount /snap/chromium/1424
sudo umount /snap/gtk-common-themes/1514
sudo umount /snap/gnome-3-28-1804/145
sudo umount /snap/core18/1944
sudo umount /snap/snapd/10492
sudo umount /var/snap

sudo apt purge snapd

rm -rf ~/snap
sudo rm -rf /snap
sudo rm -rf /var/snap
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/snapd

cat &lt;&lt;EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/snapd
Package: snapd
Pin: origin *
Pin-Priority: -1
EOF

cat &lt;&lt;EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/pin-xalt7x-chromium-deb-vaapi
Package: *
Pin: release o=LP-PPA-xalt7x-chromium-deb-vaapi
Pin-Priority: 1337
EOF

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xalt7x/chromium-deb-vaapi

sudo apt update
sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

#!/bin/bash

#snap list | grep -v "^Name" | awk {'print "sudo snap remove " $1'}

sudo snap remove snap-store

sudo snap remove chromium

sudo snap remove gtk-common-themes

sudo snap remove gnome-3-28-1804

sudo snap remove core18

sudo snap remove snapd

snap list

sudo umount /run/snap/ns

sudo systemctl disable snapd.service

sudo systemctl disable snapd.socket

sudo systemctl disable snapd.seeded.service

sudo systemctl disable snapd.autoimport.service

sudo systemctl disable snapd.apparmor.service

sudo rm -rf /etc/apparmor.d/usr.lib.snapd.snap-confine.real

sudo systemctl start apparmor.service

#df | grep snap | awk {'print "sudo umount " $6'}

sudo umount /snap/chromium/1424

sudo umount /snap/gtk-common-themes/1514

sudo umount /snap/gnome-3-28-1804/145

sudo umount /snap/core18/1944

sudo umount /snap/snapd/10492

sudo umount /var/snap

sudo apt purge snapd

rm -rf ~/snap

sudo rm -rf /snap

sudo rm -rf /var/snap

sudo rm -rf /var/lib/snapd

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/snapd

Package: snapd

Pin: origin *

Pin-Priority: -1

EOF

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/pin-xalt7x-chromium-deb-vaapi

Package: *

Pin: release o=LP-PPA-xalt7x-chromium-deb-vaapi

Pin-Priority: 1337

EOF

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xalt7x/chromium-deb-vaapi

sudo apt update

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

Commandline Upgrade Ubuntu/Kubuntu Bionic 18.04 to Focal 20.04

Upgrading is simply a matter of ensuring Bionic is up to date, switching to the Focal repositories and performing and update and upgrade to Focal. e.g.

Bionic Current

$ cat /etc/lsb-release 
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=18.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=bionic
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS"

$ cat /etc/lsb-release

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu

DISTRIB_RELEASE=18.04

DISTRIB_CODENAME=bionic

DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 18.04.5 LTS"

Update Bionic

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt -y dist-upgrade

1 2	$ sudo apt update $ sudo apt -y dist-upgrade

Change Repositories

You may have to check and change any sources you may have in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ to point to Focal

$ sudo sed -i 's/bionic/focal/g' /etc/apt/sources.list

1	$ sudo sed -i 's/bionic/focal/g' /etc/apt/sources.list

Update and Upgrade to Focal

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt -y dist-upgrade

1 2	$ sudo apt update $ sudo apt -y dist-upgrade

Welcome to Focal

$ cat /etc/lsb-release 
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=20.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=focal
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS"

$ cat /etc/lsb-release

DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu

DISTRIB_RELEASE=20.04

DISTRIB_CODENAME=focal

DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS"