Last Updated on August 21, 2025 by Freddy Reyes
Running a graphical desktop remotely with VNC is a common need for sysadmins, developers, and tinkerers. On Ubuntu 24.04.1, TigerVNC is a solid choice — but the setup can be tricky.
This guide walks you through installation, configuration, and troubleshooting until you finally see your desktop over VNC.
Step 1: Install TigerVNC
sudo apt update
sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server tigervnc-common tigervnc-viewer -y
Then set your VNC password:
vncpasswd
Step 2: First Start
vncserver :1 -geometry 1280×800 -depth 24
Expected output:
New Xtigervnc server ‘hostname:1 (user)’ on port 5901 for display :1.
If you see an error like:
Session startup via ‘/home/username/.vnc/xstartup’ cleanly exited too early (< 3 seconds)!
That means you need to configure a desktop environment.
Step 3: Configure the Desktop Environment
Option A: XFCE (lightweight & reliable)
sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-terminal -y
Edit the startup script:
nano ~/.vnc/xstartup
Replace with:
#!/bin/sh
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
startxfce4 &
Make it executable:
chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup
Option B: GNOME (Ubuntu default)
Ubuntu uses Wayland by default, which won’t run inside VNC.
Instead, install and use GNOME Flashback (X11-based):
sudo apt install gnome-session gnome-terminal gnome-panel gnome-flashback -y
Edit ~/.vnc/xstartup:
#!/bin/sh
unset SESSION_MANAGER
unset DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
unset WAYLAND_DISPLAY
export XDG_SESSION_TYPE=x11
export GNOME_SHELL_SESSION_MODE=classic
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
exec gnome-session –session=gnome-flashback-metacity
Make it executable:
chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup
Step 4: Restart VNC Server
Kill any running server and restart:
vncserver -kill :1
vncserver :1 -geometry 1280×800 -depth 24
Check if it’s running:
ss -ltnp | grep 5901
If nothing shows, inspect the log:
cat ~/.vnc/hostname:1.log
Step 5: Connect with a Viewer
From your client machine:
• Direct: connect to server-ip:5901
• Secure (recommended): create an SSH tunnel:
ssh -L 5901:localhost:5901 user@server-ip
Then connect your VNC viewer to localhost:5901.
Step 6: Troubleshooting
• Xstartup exits too early → Fix ~/.vnc/xstartup
• No process on port 5901 → The server isn’t running; check logs
• libEGL warning: failed to open /dev/dri/card1 → Harmless
• Keyboard warnings (xkbcomp) → Not fatal
• GNOME crashes → Use gnome-flashback (X11)
Final Notes
a• XFCE is stable and lightweight for VNC
• GNOME works too, but only with X11 (Flashback)
• Logs live in ~/.vnc — always check them if something fails
Once set up, TigerVNC gives you a stable remote desktop experience on Ubuntu 24.04.1.
