Aug
4The Linux Experiment, Part 2 - Not exactly liking it so far...
Posted By: Brian Meloche; Posted At : August 4, 2007 3:55 PM
Related Categories: Linux
I have installed CentOS 5 on my new (to me) server, and after I got the installation disks working, the install was easy.
Well, now that it's installed, I am not liking it much.
For one, why do I have to be logged in as root to run VNC server? Why do I have to go to the terminal to turn it on? Why do I have to log into the server before I can access VNC? I do not want to have a keyboard and mouse installed on the server at all times. I have a KVM switch, but it's hooked up in a different room. I really didn't want to move the server into that room. My other server is in there, and it makes enough noise, and heat, as it is. I want to be able to VNC without this much difficulty.
And, even more annoying, why is it I have to reboot every time I change the screen resolution??? That alone has caused me more annoyances than I really wanted. I don't want to throw out the baby with the bath water, but how can Linux (or probably more accurately, CentOS) have even these basic conveniences missing?
I am not giving up yet. I figure there HAS TO be a better way, but I don't want an OS that's going to be this difficult for every little task.
I wouldn't bother with XWindows/KDE/Gnome, etc., at all either. Not on a server. You don't really need one, especially considering the alternatives, from ssh-based command-line thru to Webmin (which rocks), you have a whole world of alternatives to VNC. Incidentally, I'd only run VNC on a network connection that's not connected to the web.
J
> yum groupinstall "X Window System" "GNOME Desktop Environment"
then start it with
> startx
I just deployed a new Centos 5 install with Apache, MySQL, PostgreSQL, but i've been trying to install JBOSS for a couple of days with no luck ... I'm no linux guru, but it shouldn't be that hard... I believe you can install it via yum (yum install jboss4-all with FC4), but it doesn't work with Centos ... perhaps I need to point to a different server?
Most of the issues that you mention can be resolved with some simple configuration changes. I admit - several of these changes need to made via command line - but once they are done - they are done. As for starting vncserver on boot:
chkconfig vncserver on
Feel free to shoot me an email for any more assistance.
I have decided to give Ubuntu Desktop a try instead. I don't want to JUST have a server here. I'd also like to consider it as a desktop environment. As I said, this is an experiment.
I may change it back to CentOS later, especially if I don't care much for GNOME and will just use the box as a server.