How to launch VNC with aMule at Linux boot

By Frankk

This describes a very simple configuration to launch VNC at Linux startup (as a specified user). aMule will be launched automatically with VNC. This will work in Slackware and distro based on the same init method. If someone knows how to modify it to make it work under other distros you are welcome to add it to this page. Thanks.

Add the rc.vnc script to /etc/rc.d

Modify user according to the user running aMule.
The rm /tmp/.X11-unix/X11 is there in case the server crashes or your mother/wife removes the power plug cleaning the room... ;-)

#!/bin/sh
#
# Startup/Stop script for vncserver.
#

#Here, the choosen user to run amule
theUser=choosenuser
#And here, the choosen screen to run the vncserver
theScreen=1

case "$1" in

'start')
if [ -f /tmp/.X11-unix/X$theScreen ]; then rm /tmp/.X11-unix/X$theScreen; fi
/bin/su - $theUser -c "PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin /usr/bin/vncserver :$theScreen"
;;

'stop')
/bin/su - $theUser -c "PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin /usr/bin/vncserver -kill :$theScreen"
;;

*)
echo "Usage: /etc/init.d/rc.vnc { start | stop }"
;;

esac

Make it executable with:

chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/rc.vnc

Modify the following files:

In /etc/rc.d/rc.local add:

# Start VNC server
if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.vnc ]; then
. /etc/rc.d/rc.vnc start
fi

In /etc/rc.d/rc.6 add:

# Shut down the VNC server
if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.vnc ]; then
/etc/rc.d/rc.vnc stop
fi

In ~/.vnc/xstartup (in home directory of the user specified above) add (change with your preferred aMule startup script):

amule &

On Debian Woody

Run (as root):

apt-get install vncserver xvncviewer

There is no support for ~/.vnc/xstartup so, instead, use $vncStartup in .vncrc to determine a xstartup-script (this replaces your ~/.xsession file).

For more information, read man vnc.conf

For example, in a Woody/Sarge/Sid:
Login as the user who is going to run aMule
mkdir ~/.vnc/
Create the ~/.vnc/xstartup file, with the previous content
Create the file ~/.vncrc with the next content:
Login as the user and run xvncviewer :1 to create the password file and debug possible probelms (the logs are under the ~/.vnc/ dir

$vncStartup = "/home/amule/.vnc/xstartup";
$geometry ="640x480";

To connect with the server, run:

xvncviewer localhost:1