X11vnc server creates multiple screens

Hi,

I have configured vnc access to my stations. Server is running , responding etc..
However noticed wired thing while connecting from other device (Ubuntu machine, Android phone, other linux distros). My screen seams to be looping even if I have only one monitor and 1 desktop available. Result is:


Sorry for picture quality (it was made on phone as screenshot to show that strange bahavior). In reality everything is sharp as usually but presented on several mulltipled screens on bottom side. Some of then as you see are cutted , some are fine.

If I connect from Garuda to other x11vnc server then issues is gone. Only Garuda is affected.
Anyone noticed that particular behavior?

How to fix it?

Found a similar case with Ubuntu, but it was posted 6 years ago and as I confirmed doesn't occure anymore.

Believe ixin information isn't required here, hence I skipped it.

Tested on VNC Viewer and Remmina with VNC plugin.

If you just believe it, but don’t know for sure,
I would post the garuda-inxi data.

1 Like

Here you have it.

garuda-inxi
System:
  Kernel: 6.0.6-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=a4e38db2-4f05-4c75-b466-24ea6c7771c6 rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet quiet splash rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
    resume=UUID=87deb984-f5c7-4128-bda8-ec44cdaa4809 loglevel=3
    systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=0
  Console: pty pts/0 DM: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: Gigabyte model: P55-US3L serial: <superuser required>
    BIOS: Award v: FE date: 03/05/2010
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5 750 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Nehalem gen: core 1
    level: v2 built: 2008-10 process: Intel 45nm family: 6 model-id: 0x1E (30)
    stepping: 5 microcode: 0xA
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 256 KiB
    desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 8 MiB
    desc: 1x8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2591 high: 3060 min/max: 1197/2661 boost: enabled
    scaling: driver: acpi-cpufreq governor: performance cores: 1: 3052 2: 2691
    3: 1561 4: 3060 bogomips: 21318
  Flags: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT
    disabled
  Type: mds status: Vulnerable: Clear CPU buffers attempted, no microcode;
    SMT disabled
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Unknown: No mitigations
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
    prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
    sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines, IBPB: conditional, IBRS_FW,
    STIBP: disabled, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD Redwood XT [Radeon HD 5670/5690/5730] vendor: Gigabyte
    driver: radeon v: kernel alternate: amdgpu arch: TeraScale-2
    code: Evergreen process: TSMC 32-40nm built: 2009-15 pcie: gen: 2
    speed: 5 GT/s lanes: 16 ports: active: HDMI-A-1 empty: DVI-I-1,VGA-1
    bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:68d8 class-ID: 0300 temp: 31.5 C
  Display: x11 server: X.org v: 1.21.1.4 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.5
    compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: radeon unloaded: modesetting
    alternate: fbdev,vesa dri: r600 gpu: radeon tty: 80x24
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 model: AOC 2757M serial: <filter> built: 2012
    res: 1920x1080 dpi: 82 gamma: 1.2 size: 598x336mm (23.54x13.23")
    diag: 686mm (27") ratio: 16:9 modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  Message: GL data unavailable in console. Try -G --display
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 5 Series/3400 Series High Definition Audio vendor: Gigabyte
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:3b56
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Redwood HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 5000 Series] vendor: Gigabyte
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 2 speed: 5 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:aa60 class-ID: 0403
  Device-3: Creative Labs CA0106/CA0111 [SB Live!/Audigy/X-Fi Series]
    driver: snd_ca0106 v: kernel bus-ID: 06:04.0 chip-ID: 1102:0007
    class-ID: 0401
  Device-4: Philips s SAA7131/SAA7133/SAA7135 Video Broadcast Decoder
    vendor: Avermedia DVB-T Super 007 driver: saa7134 v: 0, 2, 17
    bus-ID: 06:05.0 chip-ID: 1131:7133 class-ID: 0480
  Sound API: ALSA v: k6.0.6-zen1-1-zen running: yes
  Sound Server-1: PulseAudio v: 16.1 running: no
  Sound Server-2: PipeWire v: 0.3.59 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8192EE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter driver: rtl8192ee
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: ee00 bus-ID: 02:00.0
    chip-ID: 10ec:818b class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp2s0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
    vendor: Gigabyte driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s
    lanes: 1 port: ce00 bus-ID: 05:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp5s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-1: docker0 state: down mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-2: virbr1 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.37 TiB used: 357.12 GiB (25.5%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: SanDisk model: SSDPR-CX400-01T-G2
    size: 953.87 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 3.0 Gb/s
    type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 61.5 scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: GOODRAM model: N/A size: 447.13 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 3.0 Gb/s type: SSD
    serial: <filter> rev: 01.7 scheme: MBR
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 434.28 GiB size: 434.28 GiB (100.00%) used: 75.7 GiB
    (17.4%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sdb1 maj-min: 8:17
  ID-2: /home raw-size: 434.28 GiB size: 434.28 GiB (100.00%) used: 75.7
    GiB (17.4%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sdb1 maj-min: 8:17
  ID-3: /var/log raw-size: 434.28 GiB size: 434.28 GiB (100.00%) used: 75.7
    GiB (17.4%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sdb1 maj-min: 8:17
  ID-4: /var/tmp raw-size: 434.28 GiB size: 434.28 GiB (100.00%) used: 75.7
    GiB (17.4%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sdb1 maj-min: 8:17
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 11.68 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: 100
    dev: /dev/zram0
  ID-2: swap-2 type: partition size: 12.85 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
    priority: -2 dev: /dev/sdb2 maj-min: 8:18
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 39.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: radeon temp: 31.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 282 Uptime: 0m wakeups: 0 Memory: 11.68 GiB used: 1.58 GiB
  (13.5%) Init: systemd v: 251 default: graphical tool: systemctl
  Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 clang: 14.0.6 Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 2056
  libs: 572 tools: octopi,paru Shell: fish v: 3.5.1 running-in: pty pts/0
  (SSH) inxi: 3.3.22
Garuda (2.6.9-1):
  System install date:     2022-07-01
  Last full system update: 2022-11-04
  Is partially upgraded:   Yes
  Relevant software:       NetworkManager
  Windows dual boot:       <superuser required>
  Snapshots:               Timeshift
  Failed units:            systemd-oomd.socket 

That's what I have expected regarding inxi - helped as ..

Anyway, soluttion is described here in case if anyone need it.

That is a link to pages and pages of documentation. Obviously that is very unhelpful for someone searching for a solution to a similar problem in the future.

Can you describe the solution in a more specific way?

I often recommend to avoid VNC, because it's insecure, unencrypted, and requires you to open up ports in order to obtain remote access in, if that's a need.

Would you be open to alternative suggestions?

I have read it :slight_smile:

In my case the problem of looping screens were related to caching. Some vnc players like Remmina with vnc pluging or android vnc apps are not handling caching. So to fix that situation vnc server has to be run with turned off caching.

So -nonc or -ncache 0 makes the job done.

Sure. I have a different softs for remote control like VNC, XRDP, freerdp, nomachine, x2go, x11,team viewer, chrome desktop.
Each one has prons and cons in my opinion. My favourite is definitelly xrdp. It’s nightmare to set up it on Garuda comparing to other distros (Ubuntu, Kali, Sorin, OpenOS, Mint, WindowsFX, LinuxMX -tried all of them…) Plus I feel it’s the fastest and smoothest option during regular working.
I like VNC because a few connections can be made at the same time to the same screen.

Nomachine is cool because it automatically finds available computers, but really dislike user interface design in the same time… Doesn’t feel like UX smart project.

X2go is also great from my experience.

As long as I use it in my home network only I simply don’t care :wink: BTW: which one desn’t require port opening?If opened port is an issue why not use any VPN here (in case when outside connection has to be established)?

Well, I mostly avoid most of that list, personally speaking. I used to use and recommend TeamViewer, until I realized part of their system requires you to run a root-running service, even just to run the client to connect to someone. This to me was an unacceptable addition to the already very insecure design of Team Viewer, which there are plenty of issues there.

X2Go with x2goserver works in a pinch if you want to run locally or even, to some extent, remotely over ssh, to run specific applications. It can work with sharing a desktop, but, it’s not really that wonderful.

Alternative to that my defacto standard is AnyDesk. Similar to TeamViewer, but a heck of a lot more secure by design, and by use with other people, letting them know, by default, who is trying to connect so they can verify them and allow them with specifics of their choice. Handy for helping friends out for sure. At the same time, great mobile apps and desktop apps for pretty much all the OS’s.
And like your nomachine stuff, automatically discovers local instances of AnyDesk so you can easily build your bookmarks of hosts to connect to, both locally and remotely.

Extra bonus… AnyDesk is in chaotic-aur. :slight_smile:

Thanks Eric! Going to check that one for sure. Never heard of them. From what you said looks prommising!

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