tigervnc fails with "Cannot establish any listening sockets - Make sure an X server isn't already running(EE)"

[Alex]

Hi,
I have a fedora37 desktop install with tigervnc-server and can't get it to
start. I'd like it to start on system boot.

I've followed the HOWTO.md as well as numerous examples online, and can't
figure out what's wrong.  I've set the vncpasswd for the user listed in
vncserver.users.

/etc/tigervnc/vncserver.users:
:1=gary

$ cat ~/.vnc/config|grep -Ev '^$|^#'
session=gnome
securitytypes=vncauth,tlsvnc
geometry=800x600

# systemctl start vncserver@:1
Job for vncserver@:1.service failed because the control process exited with
error code.
See "systemctl status vncserver@:1.service" and "journalctl -xeu
vncserver@:1.service"
for details.

systemd[1]: Starting vncserver@:1.service - Remote desktop service (VNC)...
vncserver[5803]: WARNING: vncserver has been replaced by a systemd unit and
is now considered deprecated and removed in upstream.
vncserver[5803]: Please read /usr/share/doc/tigervnc/HOWTO.md for more
information.
vncserver[5803]: WARNING: The first attempt to start Xvnc failed, possibly
because the font
vncserver[5803]: catalog is not properly configured.  Attempting to
determine an appropriate
vncserver[5803]: font path for this system and restart Xvnc using that font
path ...
vncserver[5803]: Could not start Xvnc.
vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransSocketUNIXCreateListener:
...SocketCreateListener() failed
vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already
running
vncserver[5803]: (EE)
vncserver[5803]: Fatal server error:
vncserver[5803]: (EE) Cannot establish any listening sockets - Make sure an
X server isn't already running(EE)
vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransSocketUNIXCreateListener:
...SocketCreateListener() failed
vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already
running
vncserver[5803]: (EE)
vncserver[5803]: Fatal server error:
vncserver[5803]: (EE) Cannot establish any listening sockets - Make sure an
X server isn't already running(EE)
systemd[1]: vncserver@:1.service: Control process exited, code=exited,
status=255/EXCEPTION
systemd[1]: vncserver@:1.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
systemd[1]: Failed to start vncserver@:1.service - Remote desktop service
(VNC).

Could missing fonts really cause this? What more can I do to troubleshoot
this?

[Jonathan Billings]

On Jan 13, 2023, at 21:45, Alex  wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> I have a fedora37 desktop install with tigervnc-server and can't get it to start. I'd like it to start on system boot.
>
> I've followed the HOWTO.md as well as numerous examples online, and can't figure out what's wrong.  I've set the vncpasswd for the user listed in vncserver.users.
>
> /etc/tigervnc/vncserver.users:
> :1=gary
>
> $ cat ~/.vnc/config|grep -Ev '^$|^#'
> session=gnome
> securitytypes=vncauth,tlsvnc
> geometry=800x600
>
> # systemctl start vncserver@:1
> Job for vncserver@:1.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
> See "systemctl status vncserver@:1.service" and "journalctl -xeu vncserver@:1.service" for details.
>
> systemd[1]: Starting vncserver@:1.service - Remote desktop service (VNC)...
> vncserver[5803]: WARNING: vncserver has been replaced by a systemd unit and is now considered deprecated and removed in upstream.
> vncserver[5803]: Please read /usr/share/doc/tigervnc/HOWTO.md for more information.
> vncserver[5803]: WARNING: The first attempt to start Xvnc failed, possibly because the font
> vncserver[5803]: catalog is not properly configured.  Attempting to determine an appropriate
> vncserver[5803]: font path for this system and restart Xvnc using that font path ...
> vncserver[5803]: Could not start Xvnc.
> vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransSocketUNIXCreateListener: ...SocketCreateListener() failed
> vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already running
> vncserver[5803]: (EE)
> vncserver[5803]: Fatal server error:
> vncserver[5803]: (EE) Cannot establish any listening sockets - Make sure an X server isn't already running(EE)
> vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransSocketUNIXCreateListener: ...SocketCreateListener() failed
> vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already running
> vncserver[5803]: (EE)
> vncserver[5803]: Fatal server error:
> vncserver[5803]: (EE) Cannot establish any listening sockets - Make sure an X server isn't already running(EE)
> systemd[1]: vncserver@:1.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=255/EXCEPTION
> systemd[1]: vncserver@:1.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
> systemd[1]: Failed to start vncserver@:1.service - Remote desktop service (VNC).
>
> Could missing fonts really cause this? What more can I do to troubleshoot this?

The font thing is a warning. (See where it says WARNING)

You missed the errors:
> vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already running

There’s already something listening on the port it is trying to run on. Perhaps take a look at what port it is listening on and fix that.

--
Jonathan Billings

[Samuel Sieb]

On 1/13/23 18:58, Jonathan Billings wrote:
> On Jan 13, 2023, at 21:45, Alex  wrote:
> > vncserver[5803]: Could not start Xvnc.
> > vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransSocketUNIXCreateListener: ...SocketCreateListener() failed
> > vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already running
> > vncserver[5803]: (EE)
> > vncserver[5803]: Fatal server error:
> > vncserver[5803]: (EE) Cannot establish any listening sockets - Make sure an X server isn't already running(EE)
> > vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransSocketUNIXCreateListener: ...SocketCreateListener() failed
> > vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already running
> > vncserver[5803]: (EE)
> > vncserver[5803]: Fatal server error:
> > vncserver[5803]: (EE) Cannot establish any listening sockets - Make sure an X server isn't already running(EE)
> > systemd[1]: vncserver@:1.service: Control process exited, code=exited, status=255/EXCEPTION
> > systemd[1]: vncserver@:1.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
> > systemd[1]: Failed to start vncserver@:1.service - Remote desktop service (VNC).
> >
> > Could missing fonts really cause this? What more can I do to troubleshoot this?
>
> The font thing is a warning. (See where it says WARNING)
>
> You missed the errors:
> > vncserver[5803]: _XSERVTransMakeAllCOTSServerListeners: server already running
>
> There’s already something listening on the port it is trying to run on. Perhaps take a look at what port it is listening on and fix that.

Or possibly it just can't open that port.  Check the journal for selinux 
messages or anything else.