UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I *think* what I want to do is not only possible but easy, but as a "dummy" I can't figure it out. Here's what I have:

I want to control the Windows computer from the Laptop via VNC, over the internet. I am already able to do this when the laptop is at home, but I'd like to also do this when away from home as well. I have heard rumblings that I can, through some trickery with SSH, piggyback a connection from the laptop, to the linux computer, and then get to the Windows computer, but other than being able to describe it (if I'm even able to do that. Let me know if any of this is confusing) I can't even start to think about HOW to do it.

Also, if there's an easier (yet still secure) way to do this, by all means I'm willing to learn.

You have two choices in a situation like this:

Setup a port forward from site A to site B, then VNC through that

from site A

Code:

# ssh -L 8080:windows_machine:vnc_port site_B
# vncviewer localhost:8080

Or set up a reverse tunnel from site B to A and vnc from A

So, from site B:

Code:

# ssh -R 8888:windows_machine:vnc_port site_A
then on site A
# vncviewer localhost:8888

Thanks for the reply!

I may not be able to do this tonight (which isn't a big deal though it'd be nice) because I don't know the port. When I'm on my home network I just vnc into 192.168.1.8 (my windows box's ip address) with no port. I tried putting 5500 and 5501 as the port but got an answer on neither, and when I leave the port out I get an error from SSH.

Is there a way to find what port I'm using or is 5500 (or 5501) the default port?

I don't think by default the windows system can accept SSH, normally you need install CYGWIN on it, and enable SSHD service.

AFAIK, the default VNC server port is 5900 for the first display, 5901 for the second... So this should work:

Code:

# Open the tunnel, and close it after 120 seconds if no connection has been made
# SSH automatically forks into the background
$ ssh -f -L 5900:192.168.1.8:5900 'sleep 120'
$ vncviewer localhost

That did it! I'm in!

Thanks everybody for your help!

additonal you can use also for do not execute command on remote

Code:

# ssh -Nf -L 5900:192.168.1.8:5900