bug

The best and most versatile vnc client for linux is xtightvncviewer. Its easy to install and gives a variety of options. When using it with compiz the fullscreen option, most annoyingly, takes up all the viewports. To clarify compiz take a single workspace and expands it in x and y dimensions. Therefore for viewport 2, the second face of the cube to the right, beings with your desktop resolution +1. My desktop is 1920 x 1080 therefore my viewport 2 starts at 1921. Though not entirely relevant it is important when trying to place different windows automatically on different sides of the cube. While searching for a solution or an alternative to xtightvncviewer I tried many different clients. In the end I didn’t like anything other than xtightvncviewer. Many don’t have x cursors locally, and others dont allow defining the compression type or level. Ultimately I found a ubuntuforums post dealing with placing an xtightvncviewer entirely in a workspace. I see how this is useful using metacity along with the workspace switcher, but very comveniently it is also applicable as a bug workaround! Here is the link to the forum post, but since the availability of internet content is always in question I will make a local link to the perl script, and abbreviate the procedure. http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=3465085&postcount=1 First install some files: sudo aptitude install wmctrl xtightvncviewer zenity perl The forum post provides a link to xtightvncpasswd a renamed passwd file that is compiled for a specific kernel, I think 32 bit which is why it didnt work on my machine. There I recommend to simply compile it yourself. Install build essential and your headers if you dont have then installed. sudo apt-get install build-essential linux-headers-$(uname -r) Then the remaining build dependencies: sudo apt-get build-dep xtightvncviewer Download the source code from http://www.tightvnc.com/download.html: Here is a direct link to the source, but the version will eventuall change which is why the main page is linked to above: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/vnc-tight/tightvnc-1.3.10_winsrc.tar.bz2 Unzip it on your desktop. cd to the directory in a terminal. Then compile with: xmkmf make World Copy the passwd file to /usr/local/bin and rename it to xtightvncpasswd so the script will work right. sudo cp ~/Desktio/vnc_unixsrc/vncpasswd/vncpasswd /usr/bin/xtightvncpasswd sudo chmod 755 /usr/bin/xtightvncpasswd Download the perl script that user Felson so awesomly wrote! vnc_ws Copy it to the /usr/local/bin directory: sudo cp ~/Desktopvnc_ws /usr/local/bin sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/vnc_ws Now your probably going to want it to open the vnc fullscreen on a viewport other than your main. You have two options. The compiz plugin Place Windows, which works fine for this type of window, or a manual wmctrl. I describe use of wmctrl in my previous post. http://www.bgevolution.com/blog/compiz-auto-move-a-window-to-another-desktop-viewport/ Simply configure the compiz plugin Place WIndows to move the vnc fullscreen window to viewport 2, or any viewport that you want. My start vnc quicklaunch button looks as such: vnc_ws -h 192.168.0.102 -p 5900 -P password -w 1 -e zlib -o '-x11cursor' The scripts takes a variety of parameters. Use vnc_ws –help for all options. -h is the ip of the host machine. -P is the password to automate the login process; please note that this is not secure at all and if security is an issue only use this script on a local network behind a fiewall or a properly configured router. -w defines the workspace, this should be one because your compiz cube is in workspace 1. You can use multiple workspace(desktops) but this will just make your headspin unnecessarily. -e is the compression type. -o passes options directly the xtightvncviewer. I use the x11cursor option to render the cursor locally for performance purposes. Fire it up, and fill a viewport with a fullscreen vnc connection. I use this script because I want my headless mac as a viewport. Heres a post with a screenie! http://www.bgevolution.com/blog/ubuntu-mac-tiger-windows-xp-and-mythtv-on-the-same-desktop/