How to Connect to Xorg in Linux Guest from Bhyve

OS: FreeBSD 13
Shell: csh

$ sudo vm list
NAME       DATASTORE  LOADER  CPU  MEMORY  VNC  AUTOSTART  STATE
debianvm1  default    grub    1    512M    -    No         Stopped

$ sudo vm start debianvm1
Starting debianvm1
  * found guest in /vm/debianvm1
  * booting...

$ sudo vm console debianvm1


  Booting `Debian GNU/Linux'

Loading Linux 5.10.0-13-amd64 ...
Loading initial ramdisk ...

---- snip ----
Debian GNU/Linux 11 debianvm1 ttyS0

debianvm1 login: dusko
Password:

In Linux guest:

$ sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server

$ vncserver -depth 32 -geometry 1680x1200

Output:

You will require a password to access your desktops.

Password:
Verify:
Would you like to enter a view-only password (y/n)? n

New Xtigervnc server 'debianvm1.chem.ubc.ca:1 (dusko)' on port 5901 
  for display :1.
Use xtigervncviewer -SecurityTypes VncAuth -passwd /home/dusko/.vnc/passwd :1 
  to connect to the VNC server.

$ ss -tulpn | grep vnc
tcp   LISTEN 0  5  127.0.0.1:5901   0.0.0.0:*  users:(("Xtigervnc",pid=1441,fd=9))
tcp   LISTEN 0  5      [::1]:5901      [::]:*  users:(("Xtigervnc",pid=1441,fd=10))

$ ip -4 address | grep inet
  inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
  inet 123.12.23.43/24 brd 123.12.23.255 scope global dynamic noprefixroute enp0s5 
  inet 172.17.0.1/16 brd 172.17.255.255 scope global docker0

$ exit
logout
Connection to 123.12.23.43 closed.

In the FreeBSD host:

Make sure that you have a VNC client. If not, install one. For example, you can install tigervnc-viewer.

$ sudo pkg install tigervnc-viewer

Forward a local port to the port used by VNC server in bhyve guest VM. In this example:

Local port: as the first 1024 ports are restricted to the root user only, and this example is for a non-root user, you can use any port above 1024, e.g. 9876
VNC server port in bhyve guest VM: 5901
Bhyve guest VM’s IP address: 123.12.23.43

$ ssh dusko@123.12.23.43 -L 9876:127.0.0.1:5901

Launch a separate shell instance and from there start vncviewer, specifying the port you forwarded.

$ vncviewer 127.0.0.1:9876

Reference:
Bhyve - how to configure Xorg in Linux guest - FreeBSD Forums
(Thread started on Sep 28, 2021)
(Retrieved on Mar 9, 2022)

Dusko Pijetlovic

How to Connect to Xorg in Linux Guest from Bhyve

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