Managing and accessing the server

My earlier post referred to not having a permanent keyboard / mouse / monitor set up with server.

How, then, to actually manage it? There seem to be three main ways:

Firstly, SSH. This would be the techie way and allows everything to be handled via command line. Indeed, with PuTTY, this can even be handled remotely with no issues. The downside is that this is the techie way, and being familiar and used to GUIs, this can be daunting.

Secondly, Webmin. This package is installed in Synaptic, and then accessed via a web interface (once again, including remotely). This is incredibly flexible and allows pretty much total control over the server.

Thirdly, remote access through VNC. This allows the server to run in a window on the client machine and work exactly as if the user were on that machine. This (once configured) offers the "easiest" route.

Options 1 and 2 are pretty much self explanatory. Number 3 is the more interesting. I installed Chicken of the VNC on the MBP, as it came recommended.

It does seem that I need to precede use of CotVNC with a couple of commands on the server (which I access via SSH initially):

x11vnc
sudo service gdm restart

But, it doesn't always want to work. I've Googled for the answer (with no success), but there are two main issues I encounter - the first is that attempting to connect via CotVNC requires me to sign in, at which point I get options of either Reconnect or Okay. So I try and sign in again. And again. And again. This can take a dozen attempts before connection suddenly happens, without anything otherwise changing!

The other issue is what I call the keyboard going berserk. I hit a key on my MBP, and the display on the host just repeats the key without cessation. The only way to prevent this seems to be a server reboot!

Fortunately, I have now been loaned a monitor by parents, so I can always fall back on the traditional solution to view the server!