How To Set Up GUI On Amazon EC2 Ubuntu server
This can be done. Following are the steps to setup the GUI
Create new user with password login
sudo useradd -m awsgui
sudo passwd awsgui
sudo usermod -aG admin awsgui
sudo vim /etc/ssh/sshd_config # edit line "PasswordAuthentication" to yes
sudo /etc/init.d/ssh restart
Setting up ui based ubuntu machine on AWS.
In security group open port 5901. Then ssh to the server instance. Run following commands to install ui and vnc server:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
sudo apt-get install vnc4server
Then run following commands and enter the login password for vnc connection:
su - awsgui
vncserver
vncserver -kill :1
vim /home/awsgui/.vnc/xstartup
Then hit the Insert key, scroll around the text file with the keyboard arrows, and delete the pound (#) sign from the beginning of the two lines under the line that says "Uncomment the following two lines for normal desktop." And on the second line add "sh" so the line reads
exec sh /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.
When you're done, hit Ctrl + C on the keyboard, type :wq and hit Enter.
Then start vnc server again.
vncserver
You can download xtightvncviewer to view desktop(for Ubutnu) from here https://help.ubuntu.com/community/VNC/Clients
In the vnc client, give public DNS plus ":1" (e.g. www.example.com:1). Enter the vnc login password. Make sure to use a normal connection. Don't use the key files.
Additional guide available here: http://www.serverwatch.com/server-tutorials/setting-up-vnc-on-ubuntu-in-the-amazon-ec2-Page-3.html
Mac VNC client can be downloaded from here: https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/download/viewer/
Port opening on console
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5901 -j ACCEPT
If the grey window issue comes. Mostly because of ".vnc/xstartup" file on different user. So run the vnc server also on same user instead of "awsgui" user.
vncserver
So I follow first answer, but my vnc viewer gives me grey screen when I connect to it. And I found this Ask Ubuntu link to solve that.
The only difference with previous answer is you need to install these extra packages:
apt-get install gnome-panel gnome-settings-daemon metacity nautilus gnome-terminal
And use this ~/.vnc/xstartup file:
#!/bin/sh
export XKL_XMODMAP_DISABLE=1
unset SESSION_MANAGER
unset DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
[ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup
[ -r $HOME/.Xresources ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid grey
vncconfig -iconic &
gnome-panel &
gnome-settings-daemon &
metacity &
nautilus &
gnome-terminal &
Everything else is the same.
Tested on EC2 Ubuntu 14.04 LTS.
1) Launch Ubuntu Instance on EC2.
2) Open SSH Port in instance security.
3) Do SSH to instance.
4) Execute:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade
5) Because you will be connecting from Windows Remote Desktop, edit the sshd_config file on your Linux instance to allow password authentication.
sudo vim /etc/ssh/sshd_config
6) Change PasswordAuthentication to yes from no, then save and exit.
7) Restart the SSH daemon to make this change take effect.
sudo /etc/init.d/ssh restart
8) Temporarily gain root privileges and change the password for the ubuntu user to a complex password to enhance security. Press the Enter key after typing the command passwd ubuntu, and you will be prompted to enter the new password twice.
sudo –i
passwd ubuntu
9) Switch back to the ubuntu user account and cd to the ubuntu home directory.
su ubuntu
cd
10) Install Ubuntu desktop functionality on your Linux instance, the last command can take up to 15 minutes to complete.
export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
sudo -E apt-get update
sudo -E apt-get install -y ubuntu-desktop
11) Install xrdp
sudo apt-get install xfce4
sudo apt-get install xfce4 xfce4-goodies
12) Make xfce4 the default window manager for RDP connections.
echo xfce4-session > ~/.xsession
13) Copy .xsession to the /etc/skel folder so that xfce4 is set as the default window manager for any new user accounts that are created.
sudo cp /home/ubuntu/.xsession /etc/skel
14) Open the xrdp.ini file to allow changing of the host port you will connect to.
sudo vim /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini
(xrdp is not installed till now. First Install the xrdp with sudo apt-get install xrdp then edit the above mentioned file)
15) Look for the section [xrdp1] and change the following text (then save and exit [:wq]).
port=-1
- to -
port=ask-1
16) Restart xrdp.
sudo service xrdp restart
17) On Windows, open the Remote Desktop Connection client, paste the fully qualified name of your Amazon EC2 instance for the Computer, and then click Connect.
18) When prompted to Login to xrdp, ensure that the sesman-Xvnc module is selected, and enter the username ubuntu with the new password that you created in step 8. When you start a session, the port number is -1.
19) When the system connects, several status messages are displayed on the Connection Log screen. Pay close attention to these status messages and make note of the VNC port number displayed. If you want to return to a session later, specify this number in the port field of the xrdp login dialog box.
See more details:
https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/connect-to-linux-desktop-from-windows/
http://c-nergy.be/blog/?p=5305
For Ubuntu 16.04
1) Install packages
$ sudo apt update;sudo apt install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop
$ sudo apt install gnome-panel gnome-settings-daemon metacity nautilus gnome-terminal vnc4server
2) Edit /usr/bin/vncserver file and modify as below
Find this line
"# exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc\n\n".
And add these lines below.
"gnome-session &\n".
"gnome-panel &\n".
"gnome-settings-daemon &\n".
"metacity &\n".
"nautilus &\n".
"gnome-terminal &\n".
3) Create VNC password and vnc session for the user using "vncserver" command.
lonely@ubuntu:~$ vncserver
You will require a password to access your desktops.
Password:
Verify:
xauth: file /home/lonely/.Xauthority does not exist
New 'ubuntu:1 (lonely)' desktop is ubuntu:1
Creating default startup script /home/lonely/.vnc/xstartup
Starting applications specified in /home/lonely/.vnc/xstartup
Log file is /home/lonely/.vnc/ubuntu:1.log
Now you can access GUI using IP/Domain and port 1
stackoverflow.com:1
Tested on AWS and digital ocean .
For AWS, you have to allow port 5901 on firewall
To kill session
$ vncserver -kill :1
Refer:
https://linode.com/docs/applications/remote-desktop/install-vnc-on-ubuntu-16-04/
Refer this guide to create permanent sessions as service
http://www.krizna.com/ubuntu/enable-remote-desktop-ubuntu-16-04-vnc/