vncserver won't start on CentOS 5

CentOS/RHEL has a vncserver script which is configured to start instances for users specified in /etc/sysconfig/vncservers. The format is documented in the comments in that file.

I copied this from a host that I was making a copy of, ran /etc/init.d/vncserver start and it failed. Running the script again with sh -vx /etc/init.d/vncserver start showed me that it was failing on the first user at this line:

runuser -l ${USER} -c "cd ~${USER} && [ -f .vnc/passwd ] && vncserver :${DISP} ${VNCUSERARGS}"

Of course! I had forgotten to copy the .vnc/passwd file for each user across so the servers were failing to start. If this is a new machine, then you need to create passwords for each user first. It's a pity that the script doesn't inform you what really happened.

As an aside, I modified this line:

[ "$RETVAL" -ne 0 ] && break

to:

[ "$RETVAL" -ne 0 ] && echo "Warning: ${USER}:${DISP} not started"

so that the script would not die at the first user that caused an error.

But the script is not very sophisticated and doesn't allow for example starting VNC for a single user that you've added to the configuration.

You don't need iTunes

Well, with a provocative title like that I should explain that I have tricked you a bit. You don't need iTunes to reset a first generation iPod Shuffle (gumstick) if it has gone out of its mind. Mine was flashing the green and orange LEDs alternately.

The usual advice is to install iTunes and to repair the iPod filesystem. However if you don't mind resetting everything, and there is little to lose on a 512MB or 1GB Shuffle, you can go straight to this reset utility from Apple and not have to download and install the big iTunes software package. At the same time this will update the software to the final version released. As the article states, you may need to try a few times. Mine worked on the second attempt.

I don't think this tip has a large audience as most first generation Shuffles are dead now as those models were released in 2005. Mine's still going strong though. I wonder when the flash memory and rechargeable cells will wear out.

Incidentally I can highly recommend the open source shuffle DB software. With this Python script installed in the Shuffle, and a Python interpreter on the host, you don't need complicated tune management software. Just copy the files onto the Shuffle and then run the program to build a playlist that the Shuffle will understand.