If you find yourself facing a blank VNC session, try restarting the VNC service. Log in to the server as root and run:
service vncserver restart
After the service has restarted, you should be able to return to a fully-functional VNC session.
This behavior typically results from a VNC user accidentally logging out of the GNOME desktop interface instead of simply disconnecting the VNC session.
Nearly all Linux log files are located under the /var/log directory. You may view these log files using the text viewer or editor of your choice.
From the command line, a common method for viewing the syslog message file is:
less /var/log/messages
View a step-by-step screencast of this process:
To view the system log files from the GUI interface:
VNC is a remote desktop protocol similar to Microsoft Windows Terminal Services or RDP. The server must be powered on and running Linux for VNC to operate.
First, you must have a VNC viewer application for your PC, Mac or mobile device. In this example, we’ll be using the free RealVNC viewer.
Launch the viewer and enter your server’s IP address, followed by “:1” to signify the VNC service listening on the first available port and press Connect:
When prompted, select Continue:
When prompted, enter your VNC password:
You will now be at the GUI desktop. When you are finished, just close the VNC window to end your session.
To change the default VNC password for the root user:
vncpasswd
If your server doesn’t have a DRAC, iLO or other network KVM, you can access the RHEL installer over the network using VNC:
linux vnc
Here’s a screencast showing the entire process from start to finish: