[FreeNX-kNX] Connection Timeout after Authentication Completed (Linux)

[Alastair Johnson]

On Tuesday 06 March 2007 06:47, sub zero wrote:
> Hi folks.. New subscriber here, I had just been told about this new and
> interesting alternative to VNC and of course couldn't wait to try it, but I
> seem to be having a problem now. :(
>
> I have control of a friends machine across the city, (root access) and it
> is running FC5.  Coming from an only-Debian background I sought out a HOWTO
> on how to accomplish this..  The HOWTO literally only consisted of telling
> me to type 'yum install nxserver'

I don't know which howto you were using, but this one is from the packager. It 
has all the steps needed for getting the server going on Fedora and 
configuring the client. It's worked for me without problem on several 
machines from FC3 to FC6.
http://fedoranews.org/contributors/rick_stout/freenx/

The only thing it doesn't mention is SElinux. If this is enabled it's worth 
switching it to warn not block (permissive mode IIRC) since it's rarely 
obvious when it's causing problems. I don't remember the command offhand, but 
a quick search should find it.

>
> So this completes, and it appears to start/stop the SSH daemon and doesn't
> give any overly troubling output or anything, indicating I would think
> everything is OK.  So I install the NXCLIENT onto my Laptop (Kubuntu) and
> try to connect.  That gives me an authentication failure.
>
> So I read on, and then see that I need a copy of
> /etc/nxserver/client.id_dsa.key to be imported to my client.  So I do that,
> and try again.  Same thing happens.
>
> I google around, away from that HOWTO, and find an omitted (apparently
> important) step, so I execute
>
> nxserver --adduser myname
> nxserver --passwd myname

This shouldn't be necessary with the fedora RPMs.

>
> and then try again..  I almost finally get excited because the client
> (Which is EXTREMELY unhelpful in debugging; half the time the stupid
> Details button stays greyed out so you haven't the slightest clue what is
> going on) finally says "Authentication Completed!" and I'm anxiously &
> eagerly awaiting my WM to pop up, but lo and behold, after about a minute
> of just sitting there finally craps out with a "Connection timeout" error.
>
> Luckily, the Details button is NOT greyed out for once.  Here is its
> output:
>
> # CODE #
>
> NX> 203 NXSSH running with pid: 20061
> NX> 285 Enabling check on switch command
> NX> 285 Enabling skip of SSH config files
> NX> 285 Setting the preferred NX options
> NX> 200 Connected to address: 69.158.164.99 on port: 22
> NX> 202 Authenticating user: nx
> NX> 208 Using auth method: publickey
> HELLO NXSERVER - Version 1.5.0-50 OS (GPL)
> NX> 105 hello NXCLIENT - Version 1.5.0
> NX> 134 Accepted protocol: 1.5.0
> NX> 105 SET SHELL_MODE SHELL
> NX> 105 SET AUTH_MODE PASSWORD
> NX> 105 login
> NX> 101 User: duckdown
> NX> 102 Password:
> NX> 103 Welcome to: localhost user: duckdown
> NX> 105 listsession --user="duckdown" --status="suspended,running"
> --geometry="1400x1050x24+render" --type="unix-xdm"
> NX> 127 Sessions list of user 'duckdown' for reconnect:
>
> Display Type             Session ID                       Options  Depth
> Screen         Status      Session Name
> ------- ---------------- -------------------------------- -------- -----
> -------------- ----------- ------------------------------
>
>
> NX> 148 Server capacity: not reached for user: duckdown
> NX> 105 startsession  --xdm_port="-1" --link="adsl" --backingstore="1"
> --nodelay="1" --encryption="1" --cache="8M" --images="32M" --media="0"
> --session="macder" --type="unix-xdm" --geometry="1024x768+188+117"
> --kbtype="pc105/us" --screeninfo="1024x768x24+render"
>
> ssh_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host
> Killed by signal 15.
>
> # END CODE #
>
>
> So it looks like I'm almost there, but have obviously hit a brick wall..  I
> tried multiple times but the result is always the same.  Is this because I
> already have my public ssh key setup on this shell by any chance? (I just
> learned how to do that too, heh!)

I take it you use ssh-agent. This shouldn't be a problem.

> My knowledge is definitely at the beginner level still, so ANY help in
> resolving this would be greatly appreciated.  I can't wait to get some use
> out of this machine and play around with some different window managers;
> and most importantly, do my work directly on the machine in a GUI
> environment.
>
> Thanks in advance, eagerly awaiting some help :(
>
> -Joe