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Accepted
SirCharlo
Asked: 2012-10-03 06:59:11 +0800 CST

Run application in specific X server or VNC port

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I have an application that I'd like to run, yet I'd like it to be visible only through a certain VNC port.

I don't want the app to show up on the normal Ubuntu desktop. I want the app to run "in the background", and be viewable through VNC only. And when connected to this "alternate X server", the end-user wouldn't see any menu bars, no window decorations.. Just the app.

Come to think of it, what I'm asking for is a sort of kiosk-mode for only a certain app, accessible through VNC.

Is this possible or am I really reaching here?

Thanks!

Note that the app I wish to run in this fashion is written in Java. It is a JNLP file.

vnc

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    I have successfully accomplished this. Here's how.

    Install the necessary software.

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install oracle-java7-installer xvfb x11vnc vnc-java blackbox xterm

    Set a password for the VNC connection.

    x11vnc -storepasswd

    Create a script file to run with cron.

    sudo nano /sflowtrend.sh

    These are the contents of the file.

    #!/bin/bash

log="/sflowtrend.log"

echo "Closing existing sFlowTrend windows gracefully." > $log
DISPLAY=:1 wmctrl -c "sFlowTrend"
sleep 5


echo "Killing all existing instances of java, Xvfb, and x11vnc." >> $log
for i in {1..3} ; do
        killall -q java
        killall -q x11vnc
        killall -q Xvfb
        echo "Iteration $i of kill cycle complete." >> $log
        sleep 2
done

echo >> $log

Xvfb :1 -screen 0 1200x800x24+32 -ac &
echo "Fake X launched." >> $log

x11vnc -display :1 --nocursor --httpdir /usr/share/vnc-java --httpport 6789 --usepw --forever --quiet --shared &
echo "VNC launched." >> $log

DISPLAY=:1 blackbox &
echo "BlackBok launched." >> $log

DISPLAY=:1 javaws /home/administrator/Downloads/sFlowTrend.jnlp &
echo "sFlowTrend (Java) launched." >> $log

echo >> $log

echo "Sleeping for one minute." >> $log
sleep 10
echo "Sleeping for fifty seconds." >> $log
sleep 10
echo "Sleeping for forty seconds." >> $log
sleep 10
echo "Sleeping for thirty seconds." >> $log
sleep 10
echo "Sleeping for twenty seconds." >> $log
sleep 10
echo "Sleeping for ten seconds." >> $log
sleep 10

echo >> $log

DISPLAY=:1 wmctrl -r "sFlowTrend" -b add,fullscreen
echo "sFlowTend now running in fullscreen." >> $log

echo >> $log

echo "Have fun!" >> $log

    Edit root's crontab.

    sudo crontab -e

    Add the following line to the end of the crontab.

    @reboot bash /sflowtrend.sh

    Reboot, and try connecting to your server, port 6789

    http://ubuntu-hostname:6789

    This worked for me, and I wanted to share.

    Have fun!

    Sources

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