I'd like to have a unity desktop accessible via VNC on a precise server machine I have running. I installed the ubuntu-desktop package. I'm launching a VNC session with the following in my ~/.vnc/xstartup file:
#!/bin/sh
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid grey
export XKL_XMODMAP_DISABLE=1
gnome-session --session=ubuntu-2d
What could the issue be here? The content of my /usr/share/gnome-session/sessions/ubuntu-2d.session file (this is what 12.04 puts there by default) is:
[GNOME Session]
Name=Ubuntu 2D
RequiredComponents=gnome-settings-daemon;
RequiredProviders=windowmanager;panel;shell;
DefaultProvider-windowmanager=metacity
DefaultProvider-panel=unity-2d-panel
DefaultProvider-shell=unity-2d-shell
DesktopName=Unity
I don't know anything about unity-2d, but I guessed that the default session was not configured to use the launcher. I tried making the following modifications:
[GNOME Session]
Name=Ubuntu 2D
RequiredComponents=gnome-settings-daemon;
RequiredProviders=windowmanager;panel;shell;launcher;
DefaultProvider-windowmanager=metacity
DefaultProvider-panel=unity-2d-panel
DefaultProvider-shell=unity-2d-shell
DefaultProvider-launcher=unity-2d-launcher
DesktopName=Unity
But I got the following warning in my VNC log file:
gnome-session[10354]: WARNING: Unable to find default provider 'qr' of required provider 'launcher'
And the VNC session wouldn't even start with that configuration.
I found this over on the realvnc knowledge base. It works for my set up, I can vnc to my Ubuntu box and the launcher is there ready to go.
Do you have Docky or any other launchers running? If so it might be that. I had the exact same problem and after closing Docky the Unity launcher appeared.
If Unity launcher doesn't appear after you close Docky or whatever other launcher(s) you were running, take Docky out of startup apps and reboot.
See if it works then.
Your configuration is for
Gnome shell. Forvnc,Xfceis best. you can install and configure it from this link