VNC Server with x2vnc Clients

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
Hi guys -



I just today recieved my dual G5 and am trying to learn my way through MacOS (first Mac I've ever owned.) One of my goals is to get VNC running between it and my Linux box. I'd like to be able to "share" my Linux keyboard and mouse (no, I don't like the Mac versions of either. :-)) between the two machines.



This should work like so: I run a VNC server on the Mac, which I'm doing. I fire up an application on Linux called x2vnc, and connect it to the Mac (done.) Now I can just move the mouse pointer over the Mac and use both it and keyboard on the Mac.



The problem I'm running into is mouse movement. Once the pointer hits the Mac desktop, it's very jerky and unsmooth. The pointer follows my mouse movements correctly, but it isn't keeping up. I can't tell if it's an acceleration problem, or what.



Any ideas? If I haven't described this clearly enough, please let me know and I'll have another crack at it.



Thanks!



jas

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    Try using a real mouse instead of a kludge.
  • Reply 2 of 14
    Quote:

    Originally posted by wmf

    Try using a real mouse instead of a kludge.



    Thanks for your oh-so-insightful answer.



    Has anyone else other than WonderBoy here played around with the VNC servers for Mac?



    jas
  • Reply 3 of 14
    I use VNC all of the time. (I've even written a tutorial for Securing a Remote VNC Session with SSH. )



    I've never used x2vnc. My only advice is to try another client and see if something else will perform better. I use the original RealVNC on the linux boxes around campuses to get to my Mac.



    Also, since this would seem to be more of a third-party software issue, I'm moving this to the Software forum.
  • Reply 4 of 14
    jasonvpjasonvp Posts: 33member
    Hi Brad -



    Quote:

    Originally posted by Brad

    I've never used x2vnc. My only advice is to try another client and see if something else will perform better.



    Thanks for your reply. I've got RealVNC running on my Linux box but I'm not sure it's exactly what I'm after. Is there a way to make the vncviewer software share screens? In other words, I don't want a window to pop up, or a full screen app. I just want to be able to move my mouse cursor between my desktops.



    What x2vnc allows you to do is start it with a -DIRECTION flag, like -west or -east. If you start it with -west, you can move your mouse towards the left side of your client screen, and the pointer will be picked up on the server side and continue moving. It's almost like having two monitors on your machine, but not really.



    jas
  • Reply 5 of 14
    Quote:

    Originally posted by jasonvp

    Is there a way to make the vncviewer software share screens? In other words, I don't want a window to pop up, or a full screen app. I just want to be able to move my mouse cursor between my desktops.



    No, I believe that is a feature available only for the client you were using before. There may be another third party VNC client that can do it.



    Something I sometimes do on the remote client is fill a workspace with the viewer and then just press a hot key to essentially toggle to and from the Mac side.



    But, to the original issue, did switching clients solve the skipping issue?
  • Reply 6 of 14
    Hi,



    With OSXvnc, has anyone found a solution with it running while unsanity's APE is installed? I can't sem to get them to play nice with each other.



    Also, is there another vnc server for OSX too?



    cheers.
  • Reply 7 of 14
    jasonvpjasonvp Posts: 33member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Brad

    But, to the original issue, did switching clients solve the skipping issue?



    I found another way around it that'll probably make you sick. I bought a PS/2-to-USB convertor, connected an extra PS/2 keybd (I've got a ton of them) to the Mac, ran osx2x on the Mac, and voila. I can move my Mac mouse to the East and it appears on my Linux desktop. :-) What I lose is the Eject key for the CDROM, and the Apple/Command key. I'll have to figure out a way around that.



    Sick, ain't it?



    jas
  • Reply 8 of 14
    mmmpiemmmpie Posts: 628member
    Im using win2vnc to control my iMac ( 350 ) from a PC ( 2.8 ).

    It works well.

    Sometimes the mouse will lag on the iMac. It only happens when it is busy, so Im guessing the VNC server isnt getting enough cpu time to generate the mouse events.

    It certainly isnt a fault of the PC, as it often works perfectly when the PC is heavily loaded.

    The network is 100mbit, with nothing else major on it.



    I dont think that VNC is a good solution for doing this in general it works ok ), so keep an eye on synergy2 ( sourceforge ). I havent used x2vnc, it may suffer from issues of its own. Try testing with a win2vnc to see if it still happens.
  • Reply 9 of 14
    jasonvpjasonvp Posts: 33member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by mmmpie

    I dont think that VNC is a good solution for doing this in general it works ok ), so keep an eye on synergy2 ( sourceforge ). I havent used x2vnc, it may suffer from issues of its own. Try testing with a win2vnc to see if it still happens.



    Actually, it's a perfectly adequate solution for the problem at hand. I've done more testing and I suspect the fault is with x2vnc's communication to a Mac's VNC server.



    I installed a VNC server on my Windows box, and used x2vnc to connect to it. It worked perfectly from my Linux box, no lag, no slowness, no jumpy mouse pointer, nothing. This is what I'd expected as I run this exact configuration at work.



    I then installed win2vnc on the same Windows box and connected to the Mac. Just like in the previous case, perfect mouse movement, keyboard movement, etc. No jumpiness or anything like that.



    It's only when I connect to the Mac with the Linux version of x2vnc that I have an issue. Since it's the same author who wrote both x2 and win2vnc, I'm going to take it up with him.



    Thanks and sorry for the wasted bandwidth.



    jas
  • Reply 10 of 14
    cubedudecubedude Posts: 1,556member
    Why didn't you just pick up a KVM?
  • Reply 11 of 14
    jasonvpjasonvp Posts: 33member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by CubeDude

    Why didn't you just pick up a KVM?



    I get this question a lot. I actually don't want one. I want both monitors active at the same time. I also want to be able to move between them seamlessly like x2vnc/osx2vnc/etc allow. KVMs also don't allow cutting and pasting between desktops; it's another service the vnc clients provide.



    jas
  • Reply 12 of 14
    I'm curious about how you're doing a few things. If I understand correctly, you're using two computers with one monitor, one keyboard, and one mouse. The only way you're accessing the second computer is through VNC. Correct?



    Okay, then. Here are my questions.



    First, VNC, as I recall, doesn't transport audio. Do you have two sets of speakers, one on each computer?



    Second, what are you doing about the special keys for your Mac? Specifically, I am referring to the mute, volume, and eject keys on Apple's keyboard. Have you found a way to map to those from your PC's keyboard? Or do you just do without?



    Third, how are your computers connected? Through a 100BaseT or faster hub/router? I haven't seen satisfactory enough performance through 10BaseT to use it full time at full screen. Videos and animations like Exposé are still too jerky at that speed.



    Fourth, do you ever encounter problems with keyboard shortcuts when using VNC to access your Mac? When I'm in the labs, I think the alt key maps to the apple key and whenever I use it with the arrows (such as for web browsing or navigating text) the keystrokes are picked up by the local wm and I accidentally throw myself into the next workspace instead. Have you had to overcome issues like this?



    Thanks.
  • Reply 13 of 14
    jasonvpjasonvp Posts: 33member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Brad

    I'm curious about how you're doing a few things. If I understand correctly, you're using two computers with one monitor, one keyboard, and one mouse. The only way you're accessing the second computer is through VNC. Correct?



    Nope. Two computers, two monitors, one keyboard and mouse. All of the Linux stuff stays on the Linux display, all of the Mac stuff stays on the Mac display. Think of it like a dual-headed system: I move the mouse to the left side of my Linux desktop and the pointer is automatically picked up on the right side of the Mac's. Once over there, all mouse and keyboard events are sent to the Mac. When I move the mouse back to the right side of the Mac's monitor, the pointer returns to the Linux display.



    Quote:

    First, VNC, as I recall, doesn't transport audio. Do you have two sets of speakers, one on each computer?



    I do, but don't control the audio via a keyboard in either case. I use a volume slider with the mouse.



    Quote:

    Second, what are you doing about the special keys for your Mac? Specifically, I am referring to the mute, volume, and eject keys on Apple's keyboard. Have you found a way to map to those from your PC's keyboard? Or do you just do without?



    See above for the mute and volume keys. I don't use them. As for the eject key, I have to do without. I leave the Mac's keyboard connected, but resting on top of the box. If I need to access the drive, I lean over, push the button on the keyboard, and all is well.



    As for the command/Apple key, that appears to be remapped by x2vnc to the PC keyboard's ALT key.



    Quote:

    Third, how are your computers connected? Through a 100BaseT or faster hub/router? I haven't seen satisfactory enough performance through 10BaseT to use it full time at full screen. Videos and animations like Exposé are still too jerky at that speed.



    GigE switch sitting in my closet. The Linux and Mac boxen both have GigE NICs in them. The Windows box has a 100BT NIC, and it does the VNC thing fine. I'm pretty sure it's not a bandwidth issue.



    Quote:

    Fourth, do you ever encounter problems with keyboard shortcuts when using VNC to access your Mac? When I'm in the labs, I think the alt key maps to the apple key and whenever I use it with the arrows (such as for web browsing or navigating text) the keystrokes are picked up by the local wm and I accidentally throw myself into the next workspace instead. Have you had to overcome issues like this?



    I haven't run into this yet, but keep in mind, I haven't been using the Mac for more than a day or two either. For surfing, I'm sticking with my Linux box. I've found all of the browsers on the Mac to be painfully slow at downloading and rendering images, movies, etc. The plug-ins for MS Media don't work well either. So far, browsing on the Mac has been unpleasant. As for other Apple-keystrokes, as you mentioned, the ALT key does the trick. And, since ALL keyboard events are sent to the Mac when the pointer is on its screen, I don't have to worry about my local window manager grabbing them.



    jas
  • Reply 14 of 14
    mmmpiemmmpie Posts: 628member
    There are a few issues.



    I have my PC audio routed to my iMac line in, then out to headphones.



    I have an Apple Adjustable Keyboard hooked up to my PC with an ADB->USB adapter. The Apple, Option, and Control keys work exactly as expected on the Mac. Only, when I press option ( is Alt on the PC ) Windows will pop open the start menu ( as well as having it work on the Mac as expected ).



    Network is 100mbit, Ive just changed over to a dedicated card in the PC, which also shares its internet for the iMac to use. My 100mbit hub also worked fine. But VNC is running without transfering images, so even a really slow network should work fine ( its just mouse and keyboard info ). My iMac does lag a bit on occasion when it is heavily loaded.



    Ive got a slot loading drive, so no eject issues, when I want to get a disc out I right click->eject it.



    Copy and paste between two machines just has to be tried to be believed. I think it is text only, but thats enough.



    Having OS X for your second head more than makes for the functional loss compared to real dual head This is the way to work people.
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