Hi Vincent. Thanks for the report. I was not aware of this feature myself until now. See comments below.
On Thu, Mar 06, 2008 at 06:47:14PM +1100, Vincent McIntyre wrote: > Package: vnc4server > Version: 4.1.1+X4.3.0-21 > Severity: minor > > Hi, > > when one searches the web for information on vnc sessions, there is > frequent reference to the "view-only password", i.e. when starting > a vncserver, the program prompts you for a session password _and_ > a "view-only" password. These two passwords are concatenated in the > password file, typically ~/.vnc/passwd. For example [1]. > > If one connects using the session password, one gets full control. > If one connects using the view-only password, one can see the session > but not move any windows or type anything. > This can be quite useful for tutorial-like situations. > > The reason for opening this bug is to explore why this is not implemented > and not mentioned in the documentation of the debian-packaged version. Ok. > This feature exists in the etch version of tightvncserver, in that if > one does this[2]: > % realvncpasswd ~/.vnc/viewonly > Password: > Verify: > % realvncpasswd ~/.vnc/fullaccess > Password: > Verify: > % touch ~/.vnc/passswd && chmod 0600 ~/.vnc/passswd > % cat ~/.vnc/fullaccess ~/.vnc/viewonly >> ~/.vnc/passswd > % tightvncserver -rfbauth ~/.vnc/passwd > Then one can connect to the session (with xtightvncviewer, or xvnc4viewer) > using either password, and the expected behaviour occurs. > Note that the etch version of tightvncserver does not prompt for the > view-only password. Nor the sarge version. Yet the tightvnc site > explains that the feature appeared in tightvnc-1.2.8 [3]. Ok. > Now, the vnc source package has been marked for removal (#469247). > And vnc4server appears not to have this feature, undocumented or not. > When I try starting a session using the same password file created above, > the first password in the concatenation works, but the second does not. > I'd really like to see this feature continue to be available in debian. Ok. > So to my specific questions. > * Does this feature exist in the vnc4 source package? > From a rummage around the tarball it appears not. > One can create a session that is view-only for _all_ clients, > but not, as far as I can see, for just some. This feature is likely not there. > * Are there any plans to port it from the vnc sources? No such plans. The vnc and vnc4 sources are hard to port things for. I'm planning on packaging xf4vnc. I do not know if it exists there though. > * Otherwise, to save other people from wasting their time, would it be > possible to document that this functionality does not exist in this > implementation of the VNC suite? A couple of lines in README.Debian > or something would be enough. Do I understand you correctly that this exists in the vnc (3) version? Best regards, // Ola > Thanks for your work on the vnc packages, > Vince > > [1] http://www.vanemery.com/Linux/VNC/vnc-over-ssh.html. > [2] http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=16764 > [3] http://www.tightvnc.com/whatsnew.html > > -- System Information: > Debian Release: 4.0 > APT prefers stable > APT policy: (500, 'stable') > Architecture: i386 (i686) > Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash > Kernel: Linux 2.6.18-6-686-bigmem > Locale: LANG=en_AU.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_AU.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8) > > Versions of packages vnc4server depends on: > ii libc6 2.3.6.ds1-13etch5 GNU C Library: Shared libraries > ii libgcc1 1:4.1.1-21 GCC support library > ii libice6 1:1.0.1-2 X11 Inter-Client Exchange library > ii libsm6 1:1.0.1-3 X11 Session Management library > ii libstdc++6 4.1.1-21 The GNU Standard C++ Library v3 > ii libx11-6 2:1.0.3-7 X11 client-side library > ii libxext6 1:1.0.1-2 X11 miscellaneous extension > librar > ii libxtst6 1:1.0.1-5 X11 Testing -- Resource > extension > ii vnc-common 3.3.7-14 Virtual network computing server > s > ii vnc4-common [vnc-commo 4.1.1+X4.3.0-21 Virtual network computing server > s > ii x11-common 1:7.1.0-19 X Window System (X.Org) > infrastruc > ii xbase-clients 1:7.1.ds1-2 miscellaneous X clients > ii zlib1g 1:1.2.3-13 compression library - runtime > > Versions of packages vnc4server recommends: > ii xfonts-base 1:1.0.0-4 standard fonts for X > > -- no debconf information > > > -- --------------------- Ola Lundqvist --------------------------- / [EMAIL PROTECTED] Annebergsslingan 37 \ | [EMAIL PROTECTED] 654 65 KARLSTAD | | http://opalsys.net/ +46 (0)70-332 1551 | \ gpg/f.p.: 7090 A92B 18FE 7994 0C36 4FE4 18A1 B1CF 0FE5 3DD9 / --------------------------------------------------------------- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
