I am trying to install a VNC server in Zorin 18 Core, following the article "How to install and use VNC on Ubuntu 20.04: but as soon as I use the terminal command "sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies", the installation fails. There are several dozen dependencies that are not satisfied. As, I believe, Zorin 18 is based on Ubuntu 24, perhaps the instructions are out of date.
Any help much appreciated.
Gordon
It looks like whatever guide you were following wanted you to install XFCE and it's "goodies" (which I'm guessing is a collection of extra programs you can get bundled and compatible with XFCE) XFCE is what's called a desktop environment. It's basically a bunch of programs that make up the graphical user interface (GUI). Zorin OS uses the GNOME desktop environment which is very different from XFCE in both looks and many functions. Having multiple desktop environments and changing between them is a hassle that isn't recommended or a common thing to do. You should search up VNC on the Zorin OS Software app to install a VNC server. If you don't find a suitable VNC program on the Software app, you can look it up on a web browser again.
I don't think you should have to install XFCE or another entire desktop environment to get a VNV server on Zorin OS.
Thank you for the reply and explanation. I'll check the Zorin apps but I looked there before and I think I only found viewers, not servers.
Gordon
Try to follow a guide for ubuntu 24.04 to install VNC. You don't need to install a desktop, you already have gnome.
Switch to Xorg if you are on Wayland because I read that Wayland was not compatible with VNC in some cases.
To switch to Xorg logout and at login click on your username then a cog wheal appears at the bottom right corner. There you can switch between Xorg and Wayland.
Take a look at screen echo documentation I uploaded for Tight VNC here:
VNC does not work with Wayland. If you don't want to switch to XOrg, you can use RDP instead. However, there are some pitfalls to solve. This article shows how (in german, pls use Google Translator):
Forgot about Wayland! (Probably because I always disable it!)
I have no idea what you are wanting it for, but I have been using OMV, openmediavault, as a server for my music files for the past 7 or 8yrs. It has been great, even when I was using Mac and Windows!
I would like to see a Windows-user friendly HOW-TO for setting up VNC for Zorin 18. I'm sad that what was so easy in Z-17 is back to frustrating and discouraging.
My goal: to access the PC in the living room connected to the TV from my office Win11 and manage it from my office.
I know it's easier to give a link to a Ubuntu article; but more often than not, there are many caveats to that article. "Oh, don't forget Wayland...""no, you don't need to load a graphic interface..." etc.
This would be great in the Tutorial Section. I don't want to use RDP (and there is still problems with that, according to what I read).
Can someone please spell out clearly and fully the steps I need to get VNC working on Z-18? Just ONE way! I followed the steps above only to jump through multiple caveats, then end up with one more error message that doesn't make sense to me.
Brave A.I. came back with this:
"To link Windows 11 to Ubuntu 24.04 using a TightVNC server , follow these steps:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y tightvncserver xfce4 xfce4-goodies
vncserver
vncserver -kill :1
mv ~/.vnc/xstartup ~/.vnc/xstartup.bak
nano ~/.vnc/xstartup
Paste the following content:
#!/bin/bash
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
startxfce4 &
chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup
vncserver :1
To avoid exposing VNC directly to the internet:
ssh -L 5901:localhost:5901 -C -N -l <your-ubuntu-username> <ubuntu-ip-address>
Replace <your-ubuntu-username> and <ubuntu-ip-address> with your actual details.
localhost:5901
You are now connected to your Ubuntu 24.04 desktop via TightVNC over a secure SSH tunnel.
Note : Ubuntu 24.04 uses Wayland by default. If you encounter issues, ensure you're using an X11 session (select "Ubuntu on Xorg" at login). For better compatibility, TightVNC with XFCE is recommended.
AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts."
Hmmm. That sounds promising. But, per the final comment, are these steps verified? Or am I the verification?
And I don't understand about the desktop environment. See Gordon1M above, who tried this same terminal command to install xfce4 and the installation failed, due to several dozen dependencies not satisfied. A response suggested he shouldn't have to install a desktop environment. So I am highly suspect of this AI answer.
Can you help me understand and provide cleaner directions?
Gnome and Wayland both are poor environments for running VNC, which is what has led to all of this confusion.
And explaining the "why" is probably better than merely telling a person to change Desktop Environment.
What I can tell you: Installing XFCE4 as described won't produce a list of missing dependencies.
In the post above, the user had a typo in their commandline instruction or some other issue.
Gnome Shell and Wayland both lack protocols to fully support VNC server.
Wayland isolates behavior, as well, which will cause VNC to fail.
So Explaining and suggesting using a different environment that fully supports VNC is the correct course.
In X11 (Xorg); the VNC server is able to properly access all parts of X-server in order to operate.
In XFCE4, the XFWM4 Display Manager has full support for compositing, whereas in Gnome, the Mutter Display Manager kicks it back to Wayland to do compositing, which fails.
Your first step is to decide: Is using VNC server your priority to where you are willing to use a different Desktop Environment?
If it is... You can just install Zorin OS Lite, which comes with XFCE4 already to go, and runs on Xorg by default.
Thank you for that explanation. For me, a big part of the confusion comes when Zorin 17 Core "natively" supported VNC. I could easily connect and see my desktop, not needing to install a different environment. But what you're saying is that cannot happen any more with Zorin 18?
I am not saying "cannot." I am saying that due to changes in Mutter and Wayland, it is harder, and has more troublespots.
It is a matter of slow elimination. In Zorin OS 17, there was an earlier version of Mutter that was not as trimmed down as the one in Zorin OS 18.
Gnome has been trimming the Gnome Desktop Environment, Mutter Display Manager and Natuilus File Manager and will continue trimming them.
Much of this effort is to offload as much as they can onto Wayland or Other developers as they possibly can.
This is a long standing Gnome Foundation policy that we can follow through the years, such as using CSD's in order to dump window management and borders onto the application developers.
I am not quite sure what their end goal is; possibly, to trim it down until there is nothing left but a logo and they can pack it in and all go home.
It is deeply troubling. It is frustrating. And I cannot sugarcoat it, in Zorin OS's interests.
What remains is that the advice you seek will almost always point you toward adopting a display protocol (X11) that can run VNC and a Desktop Environment that can manage the display and compositing and framebuffer scraping.
On Zorin OS 17, you may have been logging in on Xorg. And Mutter was less trimmed.
It is possible that on Zorin OS 18, selecting Xorg - you can have some success even with the trimmer Mutter of Gnome 46.
I suspect that by Zorin OS 19, we are looking at a likely "it cannot be done anymore" statement.
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