VNC Server password reset

A very useful utility for linux users / admins is the VNC server / client that provides GUI interface. It is much simpler than the x-windows utilities and achieves the same goal of launching GUI applications on linux. Conceptually, you login to linux using putty application and give following command to launch vncserver

$ vncserver

This will prompt you to create a password, which can be anything. Upon successful launch, it will inform you of the vncserver details, including the port number.

Next on your windows client, install "VNC Viewer" software and connect to this server. Thats it!! Now if you give command "firefox" this should open up a web browser window. You can launch any GUI application like RCU or OBIEE installer.

Now if you end up forgetting VNC server password that was given earlier, perform following steps:

• Kill vnc process 'Xvnc' that was started by given user
• remove file in users home directory /home/userid/.vnc/passwd

• Remove file /tmp/.X1-lock to release the port used by previous vnc server session - This is optional step. If lock is not removed, vnc will assign next available port to the server, but make sure to use assigned port when connecting from VNC Viewer.