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. 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]. 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. 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. * Are there any plans to port it from the vnc sources? * 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. 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 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
