As RealVNC discontinued their ChromeOS version and it was giving me issues with disconnections, I decided to look for a replacement.
The search
- xtightvncviewer
- Bad connection dialog
- Does not handle ChromeOS scaling properly
- No client window scaling without changing host resolution
- ssvnc
- Bad connection dialog
- Does not handle ChromeOS scaling properly
- No client window scaling without changing host resolution
- Puts 2 icons on the dock
- Supports ssh/ssl encryption
- tigervnc-viewer
- Acceptable connection dialog
- Does not handle ChromeOS scaling properly
- No client window scaling without changing host resolution
- Support TLS encryption
- vinagre
- Acceptable connection dialog
- Handles ChromeOS scaling properly
- Suppports client window scaling without changing host resolution
- Dock icon didn't load properly
- Touchpad scrolling does not work
- No longer maintained, superseded by Gnome Connections
- Gnome Connections
- Slick looking connections page
- Handles ChromeOS scaling properly
- Supports client window scaling without changing host resolution
- Supports TLS encryption
- Touchpad scrolling does not work
- Does not remember/resize window when connecting
After my search I decided to go with TigerVNC viewer, but will keep Gnome Connections installed as it may eventually overtake it. Below is how I installed each
Installing TigerVNC viewer
- Launch terminal
- sudo apt install tigervnc-viewer
- Configure it to scale properly
- First determine your Chromebooks scaling
- Settings -> Displays -> Display size
- Test to make sure it is what you like, where .8 == 80% from above
- /usr/bin/sommelier -X --scale=.8 /usr/bin/xtigervncviewer
- Edit xtightvncviewer.desktop
- cp /usr/share/applications/xtigervncviewer.desktop ${HOME}/.local/share/applications/
- vi ${HOME}/.local/share/applications/xtigervncviewer.desktop
- find "Exec"
- and set it to the command that you tested
- Launch the App
- Search Key -> TigerVNC
- Connect
- 192.168.1.XXX:1
Installing Gnome Connections
- Resize your linux storage size
- Settings -> Advanced -> Linux development environment -> Disk size "Change"
- I set it to 16 GB
- Launch terminal
- Make sure apt is up to date
- sudo apt update
- sudo apt upgrade
- Install flatpak
- sudo apt install flatpak
- flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
- Restart the linux container by right clicking on your terminal icon and select "Shut down Linux"
- Install and start Gnome Connections
- flatpak install flathub org.gnome.Connections
- flatpak run org.gnome.Connections
- Add your VNC server
- 192.168.1.XXX:5901
- Make sure to select VNC
Appendix
Sources:
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Crostini/comments/b04od4/is_there_anyway_to_change_the_scaling_for_linux/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Crostini/comments/8vhta1/fix_for_resolution/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Crostini/wiki/howto/adjust-display-scaling/
- https://flatpak.org/setup/Chrome%20OS
- https://flathub.org/apps/org.gnome.Connections
