Tiny Core Linux

Tiny Core Extensions => TCE Talk => Topic started by: AlejandroPadrino on December 13, 2011, 06:41:26 PM

Title: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: AlejandroPadrino on December 13, 2011, 06:41:26 PM
Hello, at this moment I can use TeamViewer to connect to Windows hosts over internet.  Using TightVNC I only can connect within local LAN, with 192.168.x.x addresses for Linux hosts.

How can I connect to one internet computer's desktop using TightVNC for Linux?

Thank you.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: gerald_clark on December 13, 2011, 07:02:40 PM
VNC is not secure.
Do not attempt to use it over the internet unless you tunnel it through ssh.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: bmarkus on December 14, 2011, 02:11:28 AM
VNC is not secure.
Do not attempt to use it over the internet unless you tunnel it through ssh.

Not exactly.

VNC is just a common name for many different applications, based on the original RFB protocol or its derivates, While RFB itself is not secure, VNC servers and viewers (clients) are using different encryption mechanism by default without any additional tunneling, so it is safe to use them. Of course it is worth to check what is used by a certain application and it can influence your decision selecting program, if you have any option.

Due to different RFB implementations and encryption VNC implementations are incompatible.

My personal preference is tigervnc. Free, secure, available on different platforms. It is the default VNC in RedHat Enterprise Linux .
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: curaga on December 14, 2011, 04:23:52 AM
Check for firewalls. Likely the receiving end doesn't forward the VNC ports.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: gerald_clark on December 14, 2011, 09:11:08 AM
My personal preference is tigervnc. Free, secure, available on different platforms. It is the default VNC in RedHat Enterprise Linux .

And it uses an ssh tunnel.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: bmarkus on December 14, 2011, 09:20:34 AM
My personal preference is tigervnc. Free, secure, available on different platforms. It is the default VNC in RedHat Enterprise Linux .

And it uses an ssh tunnel.

Maybe yes maybe not. Your original not suggested not to use VNC as it is, add SSH. Just wanted to avoid user request how to install SSH from repo to work with VNC.

In fact, it is hidden so note was misleading for unexperienced users.  ;)
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: AlejandroPadrino on December 14, 2011, 02:21:52 PM
Well, thanks for all replies, but your replies are not related to my question.  I ask for a configuration sample to Remote VNC Desktop using internet.  At this moment I only can connect into local LAN.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: gerald_clark on December 14, 2011, 02:50:05 PM
I will not assist in an untunneled VNC internet connection.
You can try http://tightvnc.org/ (http://tightvnc.org/)
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: bmarkus on December 14, 2011, 02:52:17 PM
Well, thanks for all replies, but your replies are not related to my question.  I ask for a configuration sample to Remote VNC Desktop using internet.  At this moment I only can connect into local LAN.

Are you sure required remote ports available in your network and it is really config related?
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: AlejandroPadrino on December 14, 2011, 04:34:45 PM
I think there is no problem because I'm using TeamViewer to connect to remote computers.  But TeamViewer is Windows software (Linux release don't available for TinyCore and I think is only for Windows remote desktops because it runs using WinE).  Simply I don't know how configure internet access to remote desktop using VNC client/server.  Secure tunneling will be after.

Thanks.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: netnomad on December 14, 2011, 04:39:58 PM
i have two different approaches to get a remote access to windows machines.

first, i setup a ssh-sever on the windows-machine and then connect over ssh to that machine with portforwarding.
then i connect with vnc over my localhost to that windows-machine.

second, i use a virtual-machine with a nested win-installation, start a vncviewer,  and the win-clients connect over the single-click-way of ultra-vnc to my vncviewer.
have a look at their homepage www.uvnc.com (http://www.uvnc.com)
and you will find much information about this topic.

i wish you luck and fun, it works.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: Rich on December 14, 2011, 04:59:17 PM
Hi AlejandroPadrino
There is a  tar.gz  download of TeamViewer available that contains the executables. It says no
installation required. You might give that a try.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: AlejandroPadrino on December 14, 2011, 05:07:24 PM
Netnomad, thank you but I can't virtualize machines with TinyCore.  I'm having several problems with QEmu and Virtual-Box in TinyCore 4.1.

Rich, I will check.  But also I want to know how to connect VNC over internet.

Thank you,
Alejandro.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: Rich on December 14, 2011, 05:56:54 PM
Hi AlejandroPadrino
According to their website, TeamViewer defaults to port 80 which is normally not blocked by the
modem. You have to set your modem to forward the port to the machine you are trying to access.
If the machine you are trying to access is running Windows, you probably need to install the Windows
version of  TightVNC  and configure the Windows firewall not to block the port. I suspect that
TeamViewer accesses Windows through it's built in remote desktop function, which may not be
compatible with TightVNC.
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: bmarkus on December 15, 2011, 12:50:55 AM

first, i setup a ssh-sever on the windows-machine and then connect over ssh to that machine with portforwarding.
then i connect with vnc over my localhost to that windows-machine.


Why do you install ssh server if vnc server provides tunneling and encryption?
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: netnomad on December 15, 2011, 03:58:06 AM
hi bmarkus,

you are right!
but i believe only the encryption and the ssh-server that i configured and audited myself ;-)
this "embedded stuff" is often very comfortable,
but a not fully audited and intensively tested remote connection is,
in my personally perception, a risk that i avoid at every reasonable point.
in my opinion these requirements are reached for remote functions and other channels
that go directly into the core of a system... but one is for sure, it's really more manual configuration...
and sometimes not very comfortable...
additionally we all know that security is not a state, it's a process... and the systems are moving,
but it's interesting to solve new tasks and changes.

thank you all for the nice teamwork!
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: bmarkus on December 15, 2011, 05:51:44 AM
If you not WHAT and WHY are you doung it's fine :)

Regarding SSH, just remember the Debian case when all Debian SSH system were using buggy unsecure SSH for many years...
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: netnomad on December 15, 2011, 10:21:00 AM
yeah, you are right,

remember even the worse case with openbsd...
http://bsd.slashdot.org/story/10/12/15/004235/fbi-alleged-to-have-backdoored-openbsds-ipsec-stack (http://bsd.slashdot.org/story/10/12/15/004235/fbi-alleged-to-have-backdoored-openbsds-ipsec-stack)
...from that i get stomache ache...
auditing is one case, really to understand "what's going on" the other!

but we are all learners on the path of getting a tiny piece of insight in the big picture!
Title: Re: TightVNC over Internet
Post by: bmarkus on December 15, 2011, 10:35:40 AM
TigerVNC supports TLS and X.509 certificates. For more info see

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/TigerVNC1.1 (http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/TigerVNC1.1)