Couldn't start Xtightvnc trying default font path - VNCServer

Atlast after tried many solutions and fixes I fixed this issue. I almost give up, but fixed now.

Problem 1: Couldn't start Xtightvnc process.

Solution: check your hostname, and /etc/hosts make sure both are same. To edit those files, use the commands.

nano /etc/hostname
nano /etc/hosts
hostname

Problem 2:

Couldn't start Xtightvnc; trying default font path.
Please set correct fontPath in the vncserver script.
Couldn't start Xtightvnc process.

Solution: The x11 fonts are missing, I don't know why the dependency packages are not installed. Try to find folder

ls /usr/share/fonts/X11/

if it is not found, then try to install xfonts base

apt-get install  xfonts-base

Maybe to help others - check the logs!

I was running

vncserver -geometty 1200x900 -alwaysshared -localhost -compatiblekbd :1

I experienced the same message

Couldn't start Xtightvnc; trying default font path.
Please set correct fontPath in the vncserver script.
Couldn't start Xtightvnc process.

# ... list of tightvnc options

My solution was to check the log

cat ~/.vnc/hostname:display.log | less

which indicated a mispelled option (-geometty) - I missed the message in stdout >_<; it was sandwiched between other things.


On Kubuntu 14.04 I had the same error with tightvnc server, and while debugging switched to vnc4server, which had the same error. I resolved it in vnc4 by setting the font path.

I got the font path by running

xset q

and getting the value of "Font Path:". I then used this as the value for the "-fp" option. E.g.

vncserver -fp "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,built-ins"

which seems to just pass it through to the underlying Xvnc4 server invocation.