Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
If you have your Raspberry Pi in the hosts file under
rasp
, you can use the name
instead:
$ vncviewer rasp:1
When the VNC viewer connects to the server, you will be prompted for a password.
This obviously keeps others out of your VNC server.
For Ubuntu Linux, you can install the xvnc4viewer package. For Windows, several
choices are available, such as RealVNC and TightVNC.
If you find that the screen resolution doesn't work well with your client computer,
experiment with different VNC server resolutions
(-geometry
). I prefer to use a resolution
that doesn't result in scrollbars in the viewer. Scrolling around your Raspberry Pi
desktop is a nuisance. You can eliminate the need for scrolling by reducing the geometry
dimensions.
Stopping VNC Server
Normally, you don't need to stop the VNC server if you are just going to reboot or shut
down your Raspberry Pi. But if you want to stop the VNC server without rebooting, this
can be accomplished. Supply the display number that you used in the VNC server startup
(:1
in this example) using the
-kill
option:
$ vncserver -kill :1
This can be useful as a security measure, or to save CPU resources when the server
isn't being used. This can also be useful if you suspect a VNC software problem and need
to restart it.
Prototype Station
The danger of working with the tiny Raspberry Pi's PCB is that it moves all over the
surface as wires tug at it. Given its low mass, it moves easily and can fall on the floor and
short wires out in the process (especially around curious cats).
For this reason, I mounted my Raspberry Pi on a nice block of wood. A small plank
can be purchased from the lumberyard for a modest amount. I chose to use teak since
it looks nice and doesn't crack or warp. Even if you choose to use something like the
Adafruit Pi Cobbler, you may find it useful to anchor the Raspberry Pi PCB. Mount the
PCB on the wood with spacers. Figure
1-1
shows my prototype station.
