Problems maintaining VNC connection - Cannot Currently show the desktop

[cebess]

I use VNC all the time on my Pi but sometimes when I have a long running task, I walk away. When I get back "Cannot currently show the desktop" is shown on the screen. I know the computer is still running OK. I just cannot bring up the VNC virtual screen on a client on my PC...

Any thoughts on how to get the virtual display working again or to restart the server without killing the current activity? A reboot always work, but then I need to restart my long running task.

[cebess]

A little more detail:

When I do a ps -e, I see:
385 ? 00:00:00 vncserver-x11-s
398 ? 00:08:50 vncserver-x11-c

but when I do a sudo vncserver, I receive back
vncserver: error while loading shared libraries: libbcm_host.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

I am relatively new to the pi and VNC so I figured I was missing something obvious.

[FTrevorGowen]

...
I just cannot bring up the VNC virtual screen on a client on my PC...

Any thoughts on how to get the virtual display working again or to restart the server without killing the current activity? A reboot always work, but then I need to restart my long running task.

Are you referring to RealVNC's virtual mode** or some other VNC server?
Trev.
** Often useful for Pi's (temporally ) running headless (w/o being connected to a display etc...) - FWIW, some examples here: https://www.cpmspectrepi.uk/raspberry_p ... uster.html

[cebess]

I believe it is RealVNC. It was a while ago when I installed it. One other detail - as long as my long running task is working the remote screen behaves fine. It is when the task ends and there is nothing consuming the CPU that it goes black with the error message.

[FTrevorGowen]

I believe it is RealVNC. It was a while ago when I installed it. One other detail - as long as my long running task is working the remote screen behaves fine. It is when the task ends and there is nothing consuming the CPU that it goes black with the error message.

IIRC, RealVNC is already installed within "Desktop" versions of Raspbian (and enabled via raspi-config etc.)** so you may have installed something else.
Trev.
** Historically from the time of Raspbian Jessie "Pixel" onwards:https://www.cpmspectrepi.uk/raspberry_p ... Pixel.html

[cebess]

Thanks for the response. I checked my notes and I did
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install realvnc-vnc-server realvnc-vnc-viewer

So it is realVNC that is installed.

[FTrevorGowen]

Thanks for the response. I checked my notes and I did
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install realvnc-vnc-server realvnc-vnc-viewer

So it is realVNC that is installed.

O.K. just so we have a better idea of your setup can you post the output of these commands:

Code: Select all

uname -a
cat /etc/os-release

Trev.