How to Start a Virtual Network Connection (VNC) Session¶

If you have already accessed the HPC Cluster, this exercise should be skipped.

Necessary Conditions to Start a VNC Session¶

You have been vetted by the TG and now possess a TIQR token

You have been checked in at the DCCN
You follow the instructions under the TIQR heading at: https://www.ru.nl/ict-uk/staff/multi-factor-authentification-mfa/electronic-signing-osiris-teachers/registration-mfa-tiqr-en-yubikey/
After receiving your activation code, you schedule a meeting with Mike or Marek within 7 days of receiving your activation token

You have both PuTTY and TigerVNC downloaded on your computer

Download PuTTY here: https://www.puttygen.com/download-putty
Download TigerVNC here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/tigervnc/files/stable/1.13.1/
Open up the .exe files for each PuTTY and TigerVNC and install them

How to start a VNC Session¶

Please note: these instructions are designed for end-users with no experience or known preferences. These are the settings we believe will best serve most beginners. If you have other preferences, you should deviate from these instructions.

Both PuTTY and TigerVNC are downloaded.

Download PuTTY here: https://www.puttygen.com/download-putty
Download TigerVNC here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/tigervnc/files/stable/1.13.1/
Open up the .exe files for each PuTTY and TigerVNC and install them

Establish a VPN connection to Trigon.

Open eduVPN and login.
After your login has been approved but before you establish the VPN connection, select RU Donders Institute Trigon (Full Access) in the dropdown menu.

Figure: RU Donders Institute Trigon (Full Access) is selected in eduVPN

Now, click the slider to connect.

Figure: eduVPN is connected

Start a VNC session

Open PuTTY
In the Host Name(or IP address) field, type mentat001.dccn.nl
In the Port field, type 22
Click Open
Insert your DCCN credentials (the username for a person with Firstname Lastname is firlas)
Type vncmanager into the terminal
Type 4 to go to Set my VNC password and push enter to proceed
Set your password ( it can be anything you want but you MUST remember it), push enter to proceed, verify the password, push enter to proceed, type n to skip setting a read-only password, and push enter to proceed
Type 2 to go to Start a (VirtualGL) VNC server and push enter to proceed
Push enter on the first host on the list to start your VNC server at the least occupied access node
Push enter to select the default screen resolution for your computer
Push y to prevent VNC from overlapping the Windows toolbar then enter to proceed
Push 1 to select the xfce - Lightweight XForm CE WIndow Manager
Type in your DCCN password (NOT the VNC password you just set)
You should now be looking at a screen which says You have the following VNC servers running: if you do not, go to the start screen of the vncmanager and push 1 to go to List my running VNC servers and push enter

../../_images/vncmanager_currentsessions.png

Figure: Running VNC servers in PuTTY’s vncmanager.

Open up the VNC Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Open TigerVNC side-by-side PuTTY
In the VNC server: of TigerVNC, type the name of the VNC server which is listed in PuTTY and then push Connect

Figure: Selecting a VNC server in TigerVNC

Insert the VNC password you just set in the previous step and then push enter
You have now opened the VNC GUI - it should look similar to your Desktop with a few differences

Figure: Viewing the screen on your new VNC server with TigerVNC