I’m in a bit of a pickle and could really use some help from the community. I’ve been trying to connect to my Ubuntu machine using x11vnc, and it’s like my screen just wants to play hide and seek! Instead of seeing my desktop, I’m greeted with this frustrating black screen. It’s driving me a little nuts because I rely on this connection for my remote work, and the whole point of using VNC is to get visual access, right?
So, here’s the scoop: I’ve installed x11vnc, set up the password, and made sure the service is running. I’m using a fairly recent version of Ubuntu, but I can’t seem to get past this black screen. I’ve read tons of forums and tried a bunch of different command-line options to configure it, but nothing seems to work. The weird part is that I can connect to it; I just can’t see anything once I do—totally black!
I’ve tried restarting the VNC server and even rebooting the whole system, just in case it was a temporary hiccup. I also checked the lightdm settings since I read that might mess with the display, but still no luck. It’s like the black screen is taunting me.
One thing that crossed my mind is whether it could be related to my display manager settings or something with the graphics drivers. But honestly, I’m not the most tech-savvy when it comes to these deeper configurations, so I’m a bit out of my depth here.
Has anyone else run into this issue? Any tips or tricks you can share would be super helpful! I’d love to hear about any experiences you’ve had or solutions that worked for you. I’m all ears for anyone who’s been through this kind of struggle—thanks in advance for your help!
Hey, sounds like you’re really in a tough spot with that black screen on x11vnc! I totally get how frustrating that is, especially when you’re trying to get some work done. I’m not a VNC pro, but I can share a couple of things that might help you out.
First up, one common fix for that black screen is to make sure you’re starting x11vnc with the right options. Have you tried using the following command?
This might help since it tells x11vnc to use the existing X display. Sometimes, just guessing the auth can get you past the display issues. Also, make sure your desktop environment is running—no desktop = no visuals!
If that doesn’t work, consider checking your VNC session settings. You might want to try using a different desktop environment like XFCE or LXDE as sometimes the default one (like GNOME) can have issues with VNC.
Also, don’t forget to check your graphics drivers! If you have proprietary drivers (like NVIDIA), ensure they are properly installed and configured because sometimes they can mess with remote desktop applications.
And yeah, check the VNC server logs—sometimes they have hints on what’s going wrong. You can usually find those logs in your home directory under
~/.vnc.Hope something here helps! If all else fails, maybe look into alternatives like TeamViewer or AnyDesk for a temporary fix? Best of luck!
The black screen issue when connecting to your Ubuntu machine using x11vnc is a common problem that can stem from various configuration settings, particularly related to your display manager and desktop environment. First, ensure that you’re running x11vnc with the correct display settings. Try starting x11vnc with the `-display :0` flag if you haven’t already, which explicitly tells it which display to connect to. If you’re using a desktop environment like GNOME or Unity, it may also help to disable hardware acceleration by using the `-noxdamage` option when starting the VNC server, as lower-level graphics settings might be interfering. Also, make sure that your desktop environment is running when you try to connect. You might need a script to start your desktop environment automatically before launching x11vnc.
If the issue persists, consider checking your lightdm configuration or switching to another display manager, such as GDM. Sometimes, the desktop session may not be properly recognized due to configuration mismatches. Another potential fix involves creating a startup script that runs the x11vnc server when your desktop session starts. You can add a line to your `.xsession` file, such as `x11vnc -display :0 -usepw -forever -noxdamage &`, ensuring your VNC session starts in conjunction with your graphical session. Additionally, checking the logs (like `/var/log/Xorg.0.log`) can provide insights into any underlying issues with the display management or the graphics drivers that may be causing this black screen. Seeking help on Ubuntu forums with specific error messages or symptoms can also yield custom solutions tailored to your setup.