README_VNC.md

VNC Server

If you want to test your setup without connecting a monitor to your Pi you can install and start a VNC server.

• VNC Server
  • Install x11vnc
  • Create password file for x11vnc
  • Create x11-vnc systemd drop-in override
  • Start x11vnc

Install x11vnc

Connect to your Pi using SSH. Become root using su - and provide the root password (default=root), then execute the following commands to install x11 vnc:

$# pacman -Sy
$# pacman -S x11vnc --noconfirm

Create password file for x11vnc

Now create the file containing the VNC password (/etc/x11vnc.passwd) by executing the following command:

$# x11vnc -storepasswd alarm /etc/x11vnc.passwd # where the password is 'alarm'

Create x11-vnc systemd drop-in override

Now create a so called drop-in folder to be able to create a drop-in-file to override the default settings of `x11vnc

$# mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/x11vnc.service.d/

Then create the drop-in-file /etc/systemd/system/x11vnc.service.d/override.confusing your favorite editor:

# /etc/systemd/system/x11vnc.service.d/override.conf
[Unit]
After=
After=multi-user.target

[Service]
# Set password by running `sudo x11vnc -storepasswd [PASSWORD] /etc/x11vnc.passwd`
ExecStart=
ExecStart=/usr/bin/x11vnc -auth guess -forever -loop -noxdamage -repeat -rfbauth /etc/x11vnc.passwd -rfbport 5900 -shared
Restart=
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=
RestartSec=2

[Install]
WantedBy=
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Now reload the systemd configuration files with

$# systemctl daemon-reload

Start x11vnc

You can now start the x11vnc service by executing:

$# systemctl start x11vnc

To enable autostart for x11vnc additionally do a

$# systemctl enable x11vnc

You should now be able to connect to the Pi using VNCViewer and point it to your Pis IP address at port 5900.