vnc4server too slow with xinetd/gdm

[GrantParnell]

Binary package hint: vnc4server

Ubuntu version: Hardy
Package: vnc4server
Version: 4.1.1+xorg1.0.2-0ubuntu7
Workaround: Manually copy binaries and libraries from Fedora 8's vnc-server package (4.1.2 release 24.fc8)

/etc/services contains:-
vnc 5952/tcp # vnc

/etc/xinetd.d/vnc contains:-
service vnc
{
        socket_type = stream
        protocol = tcp
        wait = no
        user = nobody
        server = /usr/bin/Xvnc
        server_args = -inetd -query 127.0.0.1 -once -securitytypes=none -geometry 1008x700 -depth 16 -extension XFIXES
        disable = no
}

Ensure xdmcp is enabled in your gdm.conf or gdm.conf-custom
under [xdmcp] put Enable=true
then restart gdm and xinetd

client can connect with:-
vnc4viewer hostname:52

This will bring up a GDM login screen. The connection is very sluggish even when typing the username from a client machine on the same LAN or even the same host!

By copying the binaries, and dependent libraries from Fedora 8's vnc-server 4.1.2 acceptable performance is restored.
Files copied from fedora to same path in Ubuntu are:-
/usr/bin/Xvnc
/usr/bin/vncconfig
/usr/bin/vncpasswd
/usr/bin/vncserver
/usr/bin/x0vncserver
/usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libvnc.so
/usr/lib/librfb.so.0
/usr/lib/librfb.so.0.0.0

[GrantParnell (parngr)]

I also reported this in the Ubuntu forums yesterday more as a query, but now I've proved it.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=4885596

[Martin Jackson (mhjacks)]

I can confirm the behavior, using vnc4server and tightvnc client on Windows.

Interestingly, when I start the process as a normal user (e.g. su - mjackson -c "vncserver :2 -geometry 1280x800" the slowness doesn't seem to be an issue.

[mabawsa (mabawsa)]

I can confirm the behaviour and the workaround.

[d-_-b (ludolph)]

Workaround for people that don't have access to Fedora 8: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=5252422&posted=1#post5252422

[Jason Merrill (jason-merrill)]

This issue also affects tightvncserver. I couldn't find a new binary for 64 bit architectures, so I compiled and installed tightvnc1.2.9 from source. Unfortunately, the problem persists.

[Jason Merrill (jason-merrill)]

installed tightvnc1.3.9 from source, that is.

[Jordan Erickson (lns)]

I can confirm the Hardy packages from http://www.francescosantini.com/index.php?page=linux&lang=en fixed my issues of 'gnome-settings-daemon' constantly restarting and eventually crashing. I also marked my reported bug a duplicate of this one since similar issues were happening on both, and proposed fix on this bug also fixed my bug.

Thanks, and hope to get these packages in Hardy repos!!

- Jordan

[Thomas Hotz (thotz-deactivatedaccount)]

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS is EOL. Does this bug happen to supported Ubuntu versions?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for vnc4 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]