How to Set Up Ubuntu Remote Desktop from Mac

Are you looking for a secure way to access your Ubuntu server from your Mac? Look no further! This article will walk you through the process of setting up a remote desktop connection using VNC and SSH tunneling.

First, you'll need to install the VNC server on your Ubuntu server. You can do this by running the command `sudo apt-get install x11vnc` in your terminal.

Next, you'll need to configure the password for VNC. This will prompt you to enter and confirm a password, as well as choose a location to store it (you can use the default values).

Once you've set up the VNC server, you'll need to start it up by running the command `x11vnc -forever -bg -usepw -httpdir /usr/share/vnc-java/ -httpport 5901 -display :0` in your terminal.

Now, on your Mac, you can use the built-in VNC viewer to connect to your Ubuntu server. To do this, go to Finder and press `shift+cmd+k`, then type `vnc://localhost`.

To tunnel port 5900 from your Mac to your Ubuntu server over SSH, run the command `ssh -L 5900:localhost:5900 your_username@your_ubuntu_server_ip` in your terminal. Replace `your_username` and `your_ubuntu_server_ip` with your actual username and IP address.

Once you've set up the tunnel, you can connect to your Ubuntu server using the VNC viewer on your Mac. Simply enter the URL `vnc://localhost:5900` and log in with the password you set earlier.

That's it! You should now be able to access your Ubuntu server remotely from your Mac using VNC and SSH tunneling. This is a more secure way of connecting to your server, as public keys are used instead of passwords.

Additional Tips

* Make sure to disable screen sharing on your Mac by going to System Preferences > Sharing and un-ticking the 'Screen Sharing' box.

* You can also configure the autostart of x11vnc on the server by adding the command `x11vnc -forever -bg -usepw -httpdir /usr/share/vnc-java/ -httpport 5901 -display :0` to a script in your home directory and then making it executable with the command `chmod +x ~/x11vnc.sh`.

* You can also use the `x11vnc -storepasswd` command to store the VNC password securely on your server.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Ubuntu remote desktop from mac