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acegis · 2012-03-16, 18:43

Hi guys, today I am struggling with setting up of a virtual desktop running on my xbmcbuntu box.
I mean that I can connect from my eg. laptop to this desktop and it will be not interacting with XBMC running on the "real" screen.
Purpose - managing downloads via jdownloader.
There is some info in the NET how to do it - with vnc server or with nxserver.
The problem is this manuals are for "normal" ubuntu or for xbmc live and unfortunately are not very helpfull for xbmcbuntu.
Is someone here who can help me or just point me some infos "how to".

(P.S. I am just trying with the nxserver but I am not able to make him to run any Xserver - no idea what's server use xbmcbuntu)

wiz561 · 2012-03-16, 19:04

Don't know what your laptop is running, but you can always tunnel X11 over SSH.

1) Setup x11 server on your laptop.
- Ubuntu has it built in if you install the 'desktop' or 'alternative' version on the laptop, OS X has the "x11" client, and you can use this for windows....although I've never used it before on windows.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/xming/

2) do 'ssh -Y <ip of xbmcbuntu box>' to ssh into it.
3) At the shell, run the jdownloader GUI. Not sure what the command is for it, but check this out.
http://jdownloader.org/knowledge/wiki/terminal/index

As an alternative, it looks like you might be able to ssh into the box and control jdownloader gui-less. Also, but tunneling the x11 across ssh and running the command, the xbmc screen will be unaffected.

Good Luck!

saintalan · 2012-03-16, 19:05

I have used Teamviewer OK on both Windows and Ubuntu.

acegis · 2012-03-16, 19:24

I mean connection Windows xp/7 ----> XBMCBuntu, but what is crucial here - it must be connection to the virtual desktop, not this one where xbmc is running.

vikjon0 · (This post was last modified: 2012-03-16, 22:37 by vikjon0.)

I spent a lot of time sorting this out when I was new to xbmc and linux.
To my surprise a decent solution is not easy to come by.

Not if you by decent mean
multiple background sessions
re-connectable
auto initiated
understandable instruction

I strongly recommend nxserver for this purpose. win RDP is better but this is as good as it get.

These are my notes

Code:
-------------------------------------------------

Install a "remote desktop" - NX server

------------------------------------------------

Login over ssh

mkdir Downloads

cd Downloads

wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/nxclient_3.5.0-7_i386.deb

wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/nxnode_3.5.0-7_i386.deb

wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/FE/nxserver_3.5.0-9_i386.deb

sudo apt-get install libaudiofile0 && sudo dpkg -i nxclient_3.5.0-7_i386.deb nxnode_3.5.0-7_i386.deb nxserver_3.5.0-9_i386.deb

We may get some errors becuase dpkg can not handela the dependencies we can either do that manually or:

sudo apt-get upgrade -f

Now we can connect from the laptop with nx server client for windows.

Select custom and enter 

/usr/bin/startxbmcbuntu

& new virtual desktop

Alternatively:

(/usr/bin/lxsession -s XBMCbuntu -e LXDE)

or

/usr/bin/startfluxbox

or

/usr/bin/openbox-session

or

/usr/bin/lxsession

acegis · 2012-03-16, 22:23

hi vikjon0 - it seems you explanation is exactly as I need.
AS I mentioned already I started struggling with NX server, I menaged to get it running (I hope)
The issue was I couldnt connect from my client PC, I just didn't have any idea what should I use in section desktop as it fails in all tryied configs.
If I need to run only such GUI that I get loging to XBMCBuntu -what should I enter there?
/usr/bin/lxsession?

vikjon0 · 2012-03-16, 22:25

as I write

Select custom and enter
/usr/bin/startxbmcbuntu

& new virtual desktop

acegis · 2012-03-16, 22:33

ok thanks!

bdw - your links are dead

vikjon0 · 2012-03-16, 22:37

fixed

drose25 · 2012-05-03, 17:47

I use NX all the time to connect to my media server, which runs CentOS, and it works great. I've installed it on my XBMCbuntu install and, using your guide above with custom settings, have it "working" on my XBMC box. The problem I'm having is all I get is a screen with an "XBMCbuntu" logo...no taskbar, no menus, nothing. Right-clicking brings up a very short context menu with these options:"Terminal Emulator, Web Browser, Desktops,ObConf, Reconfigure, Restart, and Exit".

How do I get a taskbar or other menu up on screen so I can actually do something useful?

vikjon0 · 2012-05-03, 17:52

do you use /usr/bin/startxbmcbuntu?

Sounds like overscan but you cant get overscan in nx. Have you tried different resolutions?
I have installed gnome as I prefer that for extensive use. But xbmcbuntu works fine as well.

drose25 · 2012-05-03, 18:05

I've tried all of them, but startxbmcbuntu seems to work "best." I've tried using my max resolution (1920x1080) down to 1024x768, still no dice. Not sure what's up. How did you install Gnome?

vikjon0 · 2012-05-03, 18:16

why dont you try "available area"? If it is not resolution I dont know. It works fine on xbmcbuntu with no additional fixes.
and I use the win client on 32bit win7.

drose25 · 2012-05-03, 19:49

Problem Solved: Somehow the display setting in Ubuntu had been set to 1920x1080. Using the NX client at "available area" meant the taskbar was hidden by the Windows taskbar. Changing the NX client to full-screen mode allowed me to see the Ubuntu taskbar and edit the display setting back to "auto". Now it works with whatever screen size I select in the NX client.

On another note, do you have any trouble running Synaptic remotely? I can't get it to load in a remote window, but it loads just fine from the actual PC.

vikjon0 · 2012-05-03, 20:09

hm...does not work.. sudo synaptic in terminal works. No idea why and I do not use it. I just google the package name and install in terminal.