you can check whether there is another vnc server running by executing ‘ps auxw’

however I found that Ubuntu crashes a lot for me and when i try to use

vncserver :3 -geometry 1024×768 -depth 16 -pixelformat rgb565

Warning: (MYVPSSERVERNAME):3 is taken because of /tmp/.X3-lock
Remove this file if there is no X server (MYVPSSERVERNAME):3
A VNC server is already running as :3

How do I get rid of this?

Then it should work.

(2) Add the commands to autostart with crontab. When you are prompted for a password, enter your password. If that fails, try again with root’s password.
$ sudo EDITOR=nano VISUAL=nano crontab -e
[sudo] password for yourusername:

In the text editor, add the following three lines to the end (or simply add them if the file is empty):

@reboot /usr/bin/sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start
@reboot /usr/bin/sudo /usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
@reboot /path/to/vncserver :1 -geometry 1024×768 -depth 16 -pixelformat rgb565

Finally, press Ctrl-O and then Ctrl-X to save your changes and exit from nano. On the next reboot, those commands will hopefully be executed.

This problem had had me against the ropes for two days. i had purchased a vps that only provided linux due it being a third of the cost of a windows vps and then my nightmare started. (i had never used linux before so all i knew is what some websites on google told me.

I wanted to use the gnome desktop through ssh, but what i didn’t understand was that “x server” (the thing that runs the gnome desktop) wont start on a headless computer/server (a computer without a monitor) and most vps providers are very unlikely to have there vps’s hooked up to monitors (That would make them more expensive)

So every time i tried “startx” (the command to start the gnome desktop) through ssh i wold get this error no matter what operating system i installed!

X.Org X Server 1.7.7
Release Date: 2010-05-04
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.32.29-dsa-ia32 i686 Debian
Current Operating System: Linux dot2635 2.6.32-238.19.1.el5.028stab092.2 #1 SMP Thu Jul 21 19:23:22 MSD 2011 i6
86
Kernel command line: quiet
Build Date: 19 February 2011 02:37:36PM
xorg-server 2:1.7.7-13 (Cyril Brulebois )
Current version of pixman: 0.16.4
Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (–) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: “/var/log/Xorg.0.log”, Time: Fri Nov 25 10:31:55 2011
(==) Using system config directory “/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d”

Fatal server error:
xf86OpenConsole: Cannot open /dev/tty0 (No such file or directory)

Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support
at http://wiki.x.org
for help.
Please also check the log file at “/var/log/Xorg.0.log” for additional information.

giving up.
xinit: No such file or directory (errno 2): unable to connect to X server
xinit: No such process (errno 3): Server error.

So anyone getting this error its because your trying to start the gnome desktop on a headless unit and it wont work. Anyway this fixes that and tells vnc to start the gnome desktop on connection and it will use your monitor as hardware.

I had found many tutorials explaining this but they all missed something and didn’t lay it out in absolute layman’s terms for a complete newbie to linux like this guy did.

Also i find whenever the ubuntu server has been shut down I have to use all three of these to get vnc to work everytime:

sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start
sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
vncserver :1 -geometry 1024×768 -depth 16 -pixelformat rgb565

Does the author know the exact command to add these three commands to auto start every time the computer boots?

It would really help me out.

Thanks again.

it’s for Centos though