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GoKyu

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 15, 2007
1,169
24
New Orleans
Hi all, I'm running x11vnc server on my Mac Mini (in sig), which is running a brand new copy of Ubuntu Linux 16.10. I'm running RealVNC client on the iMac to connect (which is *way* more stable for me than the Chicken client.)

Here's the issue:

After setting up the server initially, and thinking that everything seemed to be running great, I unhooked the separate monitor from my Linux box (over HDMI), and rebooted to really test it out. As expected, VNCing in from my iMac worked great at the login screen. Everything was fast – mouse movement, clicks, pulldown menus and typing. As soon as I logged in though, nothing would happen for about the first minute (programs wouldn’t appear to launch if clicked, tooltips didn’t even show up.)

After that first minute, there is about a 20-30 second lag for anything I do, except actually moving the mouse, which is still fine. So I rebooted and hooked up the monitor, thinking I’d need to make some edits on the Linux side somewhere.

I tried vnc’ing back in, and suddenly it was fast again. Unhooked the monitor from the Linux box and it was *still* fast, so I thought it may have been a glitch, and tried rebooting one more time. Now unhooked from monitor again, it was still slow *after* login over vnc.

This time, while it was slow, I decided to try hooking up the screen back to the Linux box. Suddenly like magic, the iMac’s vnc client screen refreshed (and the Linux screen resolution went way up) and the vnc connection was flying again.

For some reason, the x11vnc really likes that I have the Linux box plugged into a monitor, but I don’t have room on my desk for 2 27″ screens (and if I did, I wouldn’t need to use VNC to begin with.)

Is there some option I can set that will make the server run normal speed *after logging in*, when the Linux box is headless? The server DOES work, but is slow after login with no monitor attached…

As a temporary workaround, I have the monitor precariously set on the smaller shelf up above the desk, with the monitor plugged HDMI into the Linux box so I can continue to use vnc for now.

Oh, as an additional mystery, the monitor has *NO POWER* going into it from the wall. That's right, the HDMI setup just needs to make the *connection* in order for the vnc server to run fast, it doesn't need the monitor to actually work.

Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

-Bryan
 
Oh, as an additional mystery, the monitor has *NO POWER* going into it from the wall. That's right, the HDMI setup just needs to make the *connection* in order for the vnc server to run fast, it doesn't need the monitor to actually work.

No mystery at all it can still sense there is something connected when it sends signal down the cable. I had similar strange one just hours ago I do have room for my second monitor. Which is usually always on today I was thinking no need for that so I hit power button then once the jerky movement of the mouse started happening I then remembered why I left it on. So I thought well I will leave it on connected to another of the various connector options I can switch it to and it will enter power saving mode well no dice with anything but the vga input connector selected will enter power save and as added bonus I can turn it off as well. Computers got to love em.
 
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