Install TightVNC server on Linux Mint 21.1 Vera

One of the options to manage VirtualBox GUI on a Linux host is via VNC server. Below is quick setup to get it up and running.

$: sudo apt install tightvncserver

It is handy to be able to maintain the same session when connecting to Linux, so let's install tmux, like so:

$: sudo apt install tmux

Once TightVNC server and tmux are installed, run the following to create a session:

$: tmux
$: tightvncserver -nolisten tcp :1 -geometry 1024x768

The above commands creates a new tmux session and runs a new VNC server with geometry of 1024x768 on port :1

In multiple cases, I have observed that the VNC session created was just a solid gray backgroun, no xterm, no nothing. As a work-around install XFCE4 like below

$: sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies

Then update ~/.vnc/xstartup like below.

#!/bin/sh

xrdb "$HOME/.Xresources"
xsetroot -solid grey
#x-terminal-emulator -geometry 80x24+10+10 -ls -title "$VNCDESKTOP Desktop" &
#x-window-manager &
# Fix to make GNOME work
export XKL_XMODMAP_DISABLE=1
/etc/X11/Xsession &
startxfce4 &