Confused about how to install VNC server on Ubuntu? We show you the easy way to do it.

Update System Packages

First, ensure your system's package list and installed packages are up-to-date.

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade -y

Install a Desktop Environment

A VNC server needs a desktop environment to display. XFCE is a lightweight and recommended option.

sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies -y

Install TigerVNC Server

We will install TigerVNC, a high-performance VNC server.

sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server tigervnc-common -y

Initial VNC Server Setup

Run vncserver once to create initial configuration files and set a VNC access password. This password is for connecting to the VNC session, not the system user password.

vncserver

You will be prompted to set a password. Enter a password between 6 and 8 characters. You will also be asked if you want to set a view-only password; this is optional.

Once the password is set, an initial VNC session will start (e.g., on display :1). We need to stop it to configure it properly.

vncserver -kill :1

Note: If :1 was already in use, your session might be on :2 or higher. Check the output of the initial vncserver command.

Configure VNC to Use XFCE

Edit the VNC startup script to launch XFCE when a VNC session starts.

nano ~/.vnc/xstartup

Make the file content exactly as follows, commenting out or removing any existing lines:

#!/bin/bash

xrdb $HOME/.Xresources

startxfce4 &

Save the file and exit the editor (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter in nano).

Make the xstartup script executable:

chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup

Start the VNC Server Manually

You can now start the VNC server. For display :1, it will listen on port 5901.

vncserver :1 -localhost no -geometry 1920x1080 -depth 24

• :1 specifies the display number. Port will be 5900 + display number (e.g., 5901).
• -localhost no allows connections from remote machines. If you prefer to use SSH tunneling for security, you can omit this or set it to yes (default).
• -geometry 1920x1080 sets the virtual desktop resolution. Adjust as needed.
• -depth 24 sets the color depth.

Firewall Configuration

If you are using UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall), allow traffic to the VNC port (e.g., 5901 for display :1).

sudo ufw allow 5901/tcp

sudo ufw reload

Connecting with a VNC Client

Use any VNC client software on your local computer (e.g., TigerVNC Viewer, RealVNC Viewer, Remmina) to connect to your_server_ip:1 or your_server_ip:5901. You will be prompted for the VNC password you set earlier.

Optional: Create a Systemd Service for VNC

To manage the VNC server as a system service (e.g., start on boot), create a systemd unit file. Replace <USER> with your actual username.

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/vncserver@.service

Paste the following configuration. Crucially, replace <USER> with your username in all instances.

[Unit]

Description=TigerVNC per-user session for %i

After=* *

[Service]

Type=forking

User=<USER>

Group=<USER>

WorkingDirectory=/home/<USER>

# Clean up old VNC locks

ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/vncserver -kill :%i > /dev/null 2>&1

ExecStart=/usr/bin/vncserver :%i -localhost no -geometry 1920x1080 -depth 24 -fg

PIDFile=/home/<USER>/.vnc/%H:%*

ExecStop=/usr/bin/vncserver -kill :%i

[Install]

WantedBy=*

Save and close the file.

Reload the systemd daemon:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Enable the service to start on boot for a specific display (e.g., display 1):

sudo systemctl enable vncserver@*

Start the service:

sudo systemctl start vncserver@*

Check the status:

sudo systemctl status vncserver@*