This repository contains a set of BOSH jobs that allows for easy access to remote pairing sessions.

The SSH tunnel server is as an intermediary between your VNC server and authorized remote VNC clients. The machine running the VNC server can create a connection to the tunnel server, and the tunnel server will allow authorized clients identifying themselves via a token to make connections to this session. This will enable VNC clients to make a connection that is forwarded to the VNC server.

• Server key: A private SSH key for identifying the tunnel server

• Authorized keys: All public keys authorized to create a VNC server session.

• Port: A port that the SSH tunnel server is listening on (default: 2222).

  NOTE: Make sure there is a firewall rule in place allowing a connection to this port. Also consider restricting outgoing connections, as the SSH tunnel does not require outgoing connections.

You can specify an external_ip to be displayed to the connecting VNC server session. This should be the same as the static external IP you provide in the manifest.

Have a look a the GCE sample manifest.

To get a working tunnel, two SSH client connections have to be created, one from the machine acting as VNC server and one from the machine acting as VNC client. Once the connection is established, it can be closed from either side by entering the exit command in the terminal.

$ ssh -p <SSH_TUNNEL_SERVER_PORT> -i <PATH_TO_PRIVATE_KEY_MATCHING_AUTHORIZED_KEYS> server@<SSH_TUNNEL_SERVER_IP> -R 0:localhost:<VNC_SERVER_PORT>
# example
$ ssh -p 2222 -i /path/to/key [email protected] -R 0:localhost:5900

This will print a command to create the VNC client connection.

You should receive a command from the user setting up the VNC server connection that includes all the parameters you need to set up to the client connection.

This command will be of the following form:

$ ssh -p <SSH_TUNNEL_SERVER_PORT> <TOKEN_FROM_VNC_SERVER_CONNECTION>@<SSH_TUNNEL_SERVER_IP> -L <LOCAL_VNC_PORT>:localhost:<REMOTE_PORT_FROM_VNC_SERVER_CONNECTION>
# example
$ ssh -p 2222 [email protected] -L 6000:localhost:54542

Point your VNC client to localhost:6000 (localhost:<LOCAL_VNC_PORT>), and you should be connected.