Any working VNC solutions for LE 10?

1st Official Post

    I tried copying dispmanx from LE 9 but when I run the server it says

    Code
    2021-05-07 18:11:43.936 [dmxvnc] Open display[0]...
2021-05-07 18:11:43.937 [dmxvnc] Exception: vc_dispmanx_display_open failed

    Before anyone asks, I don't watch movies in VNC, I'm using it when needing to perform tricky configurations (which involve SSH, WinSCP etc) on my living room LE media center and going back and forth from the PC room to the living room gets annoying quickly. So are there any ways to run a VNC server on LE 10?

    If you run RPi(4) then the answer is no. dispmanx vnc no longer works with the new graphics driver so it was removed from addons.

    As an alternative you can enable kodi's webserver, you can configure and control quite a lot of things with it.

    so long,

    Hias

    Yes, I run RPi4 but interestingly dispmanx works with LE 9, albeit barely usable. I tried the web interface but unfortunately it doesn't suit my use case.

    Quote from HiassofT

    ... you can enable kodi's webserver, you can configure and control quite a lot of things with it ...

    Sorry if I don't agree with you. SSH, SFTP, and VNC are the three must-have tools for handling an unattended remote device. The inability to use VNC is a major reason not to buy a device.

    I have no problem with my x86_64 and amlogic devices.

    Quote from elonesna

    Sorry if I don't agree with you. SSH, SFTP, and VNC are the three must-have tools for handling an unattended remote device. The inability to use VNC is a major reason not to buy a device.

    I'm not saying VNC isn't useful but the simple fact is that there doesn't exist a VNC server for the currently used graphics stack - it has to be written first.

    so long,

    Hias

    Quote from Klojum

    You want a tissue?

    I would prefer a VNC server instead. :]

    Quote from Klojum

    Why would you need VNC? I have never needed it with OE/LE for some 7-8 years now..

    I have my rpi box in some other room, sometimes (or often) I have to check something using the regular GUI, for instance a forgotten name of some setting, or just to test/set the UI for a better user experience (not for me, just for other people that live with me). Also VNC is really useful when I add new movies to my collection and I want to see how they get rendered (when LE gets info from the moviedb database). Sometimes the movie description has errors or wrong cover -- I can fix that with ease. I also can edit the movie on the moviedb page because I have the VNC window on my desktop near the web browser. So it's a way easier to do some things using VNC instead of moving my ass from one room to the other and forgetting everything before I get to my PC. :D

    Quote from Klojum

    Why ... I have never

    Because people are different. It's interesting that people need to be reminded of that from time to time. And what do you know, here's an actual reason in my original post:

    Quote from gn77b

    I'm using it when needing to perform tricky configurations (which involve SSH, WinSCP etc) on my living room LE media center and going back and forth from the PC room to the living room gets annoying quickly.

    Quote from morfik

    I would prefer a VNC server instead. :]

    I have my rpi box in some other room, sometimes (or often) I have to check something using the regular GUI, for instance a forgotten name of some setting, or just to test/set the UI for a better user experience (not for me, just for other people that live with me). Also VNC is really useful when I add new movies to my collection and I want to see how they get rendered (when LE gets info from the moviedb database). Sometimes the movie description has errors or wrong cover -- I can fix that with ease. I also can edit the movie on the moviedb page because I have the VNC window on my desktop near the web browser. So it's a way easier to do some things using VNC instead of moving my ass from one room to the other and forgetting everything before I get to my PC. :D

    I completely agree with everything, I am one of those who use VNC today and daily, now unfortunately only on systems other than LibreELEC where it is not possible yet. I hope that it will change to LE / Matrix as well and that I will be able to use VNC here as it was to LE / Leia. Thank you for any steps leading to a functioning VNC!

    Quote from Klojum

    Why would you need VNC? I have never needed it with OE/LE for some 7-8 years now...

    VNC has proven to be very, very useful for Kodi. I have parents in their 70s who use Kodi in a country house long distance away from me. Sometimes they mess up the settings and call me asking "where are all the movies???" or "why is it not working???". Usually they accidentally change filter options for the directory listing and have no idea how to switch it back. Without VNC, I used to spend hours trying to figure out what happened over the phone, and with VNC.... 10 seconds and it's fixed.

    People, who don't know what VNC is, will start using it once they discover what that technology is capable of. :) That's why is so important to support VNC to manage KODI.

    Quote from Klojum

    Kodi shouldn't need VNC for remote access. Various things (not everything..) can already be done/changed via for example Webchorus2, other stuff should be added/included into Webchorus3, if that ever starts up via GSOC.

    I personally have not used VNC for more than a decade and had even forgotten the thing even exists until I accidentally found it browsing Kodi addons. Since then, VNC my new best friend. Let me try to explain how it works when you try to help someone not very tech-savvy solve Kodi issues.

    During the busiest time of the day, an incoming call from mom.

    - Hi, are you very busy?

    - Well....... I guess not

    - Can you help me? We want to watch a movie, but it doesn't work.

    - What doesn't work?

    - The movies

    - Why doesn't it work?

    - I can't see them

    - Why not?

    - They are all gone

    - So you can't find the movies? What do you see?

    - Nothing

    - You see a blank screen?

    - No

    - What do you see then?

    - I dunno, a table

    - What kind of table? What does it say

    - I don't know, it's blue

    - Press return button a few times

    pause

    - Did it help?

    pause

    - mom?

    - Where is the return button?

    - The one that has a backward arrow

    pause

    - it doesn't work

    - did you press the button?

    - I am pressing it now

    - did it help?

    - I see a different table

    - but no movies?

    - no

    - Did you try to reboot the player?

    - What do you mean reboot?

    - restart it

    - How do I reboot it?

    - ........ you unplug the cable, wait a few seconds, then plug back in

    - OK, wait......

    5 mins later

    - Did it boot already?

    - (no answer)

    - mom?

    - no

    - why not?

    - I don't know which cable to unplug

    - the white one

    - there is no white cable

    - yes there is and it has a strawberry logo on the adapter

    - OK! found it

    5 more mins later

    - I see the screen

    - Do you see the movies?

    - No

    - Why not?

    - I see the same table

    - What does the table say?

    - Kodi

    - and below Kodi

    - Movies

    - You see no movies?

    - no

    - You see empty directory?

    - What is a directory

    - a list

    - I don't see the movies

    - What buttons did you press earlier?

    - I didn't touch it!

    - Someone had to touch it

    - Maybe your father did. I don't know. Never mind, maybe you fix it when you come next weekend

    - Call me on facetime and show me what your screen looks like

    Then we call on facetime, I check the screen, have to tell her which buttons to press one by one, takes another 15 minutes until the problem is solved.

    ---- same conversation with VNC on ----

    - hi, are you busy?

    - you can't see the movies again?

    - ... yes

    - ok, wait a sec sec

    10 seconds later

    - Can you see them now?

    - yes, how did you do it??

    - magic, mom

    - you're a genius, thank you!

    ----

    The problem is...... there is no VNC on Matrix, so I have to stick with Leia. But IPTV Simple Client no longer works on Leia / rpi4 rev 1.4. So I have to choose between IPTV and VNC, or I have to search for older hardware that still runs both VNC and IPTV on Leia. I would gladly buy such a device, but most of the shops just sell rpi 4 without mentioning which revision it is. Last week I bought 2 rpis for this, and both of them are crashing since they are rev 1.4.

    Quote from ninze

    I would gladly buy such a device, but most of the shops just sell rpi 4 without mentioning which revision it is. Last week I bought 2 rpis for this, and both of them are crashing since they are rev 1.4.

    Hopefully the issues with 1.4 version could be fixed later...

    It seems you bought 8GB versions as so far I have never seen 1.4 version of 2GB/4GB RPi 4B?

    In worst case I could offer selling one of my 1.1 RPI's away but they are just 1GB and 2GB... ;)