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Connect to VNC through SSH Tunnel

Last edited by Eric Franz

This assumes you have a connection file generated on the OSC cluster that looks like:

$ cat /nfs/17/username/path/to/project/files/3456195.oak-batch.osc.edu.conn

Host: n0666.ten.osc.edu
Port: 5901
Pass: 3juRnrx0Mt
Display: 1

username:3juRnrx0Mt:n0666.ten.osc.edu:5901

Although you can improvise if you already know the connection details.

Connect to VNC session Universal (Recommended)

  1. Open the following URL in another tab (note: tested in Chrome & Firefox, not sure about IE or Safari)

https://ondemand.osc.edu/assets/hennypenny.html

  1. Copy the last line taken from the connection file, e.g.,
username:3juRnrx0Mt:n0666.ten.osc.edu:5901

and paste it into the box located in the above URL.

  1. Click "Generate JNLP" and download the JNLP file.

  2. Open the downloaded JNLP file with Java and click "Connect". All of the options for the TightVNC connection should be already properly filled out.

  3. Type in your AweSim account password when prompted.

  4. Following that, type in the VNC password provided in the connection file.

Multiple Sessions: In order to open multiple VNC sessions simultaneously just generate multiple JNLP's from each connection file and open each of the JNLP files.

Connect to VNC session using Linux

  1. From the command line on your local machine:
$ ssh -L 5901:n0666.ten.osc.edu:5901 awe0001@oakley.osc.edu

this sets up an SSH tunnel between localhost:5901 => n0666.ten.osc.edu:5901

  1. Now connect using your favorite VNC client to localhost:5901 and the password provided in the connection file.

Multiple Sessions: In order to open multiple VNC sessions simultaneously choose a unique local port in step #1

$ ssh -L <unique port>:n0666.ten.osc.edu:5901 awe0001@oakley.osc.edu

followed by using localhost:<unique port> in step #2. This should be done for each unique simultaneous VNC session.

Connect to VNC session using Mac OSX

  1. Download and install the latest Chicken installer from

http://sourceforge.net/projects/chicken/files/

as of now it is currently Chicken-2.2b2.dmg

  1. Launch Chicken and in the connection window:

Fill in:

  • Host (taken from connection file)
  • Display (taken from connection file)
  • check mark SSH tunnel
  • SSH host: awe0001@oakley.osc.edu (substitute in your AweSim account)

Click Connect

  1. You will be prompted for your password. This information is again provided in the connection file.

Multiple Sessions: Just start up a new Chicken connection for each connection file.

Connect to VNC session using Windows

  1. Download and install Putty from

http://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/latest/x86/putty-0.63-installer.exe

  1. Launch putty

  2. Set Host Name to oakley.osc.edu

  3. In Connection->SSH->Tunnels:

Fill in:

  • Source port: 5911
  • Destination: (taken from the connection file as Host: and Port:)
  • Click the Add button when done

  1. Click Open to connect to oakley.osc.edu allowing SSH tunneling to your VNC server

  2. Now start a VNC client (e.g., TurboVNC) and connect to

localhost:5911

Multiple Sessions: Fill in a unique Source port in step #5 (i.e., 5912). In the VNC client of step #7 use this unique source port (i.e., localhost:5912). This should be done for each unique VNC session.