GUIDE: To get RDP Access to PI Standard Image Install of QLC+

[frunk]

Hi all,

I have the Pi Box secreted away and not accessible with a monitor. I can use the web interface and some other jiggery-pokery to actually start the shows and get them working in the room. But being able to setup new lighting presets and such like required direct access which is not possible; I needed access the full UI remotely just for setup on new presets. NB: I doubt it has the performance for "run time", but seems fine for configuring. So I scoured the forums here and elsewhere on the web for an easy fix and could just find fragments.

So as a total Linux n00b I powered on through and thought I would share my experiences and SUCCESS!!

I am starting from the "Full software image" for the PI freshly downloaded from here: currently - QLC+ on the Raspberry Pi v20161227

Perhaps Massimo can add these bits into a future installer... or at least a script for those that want it.

I first had to get DNS working to get packages to install. You may not have this issue; try pinging http://www.google.com and if you get a proper response you can miss this bit. It is maybe just a side effect of my network and will not affect everyone else. Just detailed here for completeness.

Code: Select all

sudo vi /etc/dhcpcd.conf

and added the line to the otherwise pretty blank file:

Code: Select all

static domain_name_servers=8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4

These just add Google's DNS servers... hardly the most efficient fix (not local), but good enough for this.




Then installation could begin properly:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xrdp

At this point I could fire up RDP on my windows PC (built in to Windows 7+) and connect to the command line. Trying to start QLC+ will fail as that uses QT5 and that needs some additional libraries to work. After trial and error these are installed by :

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install libxcb-render-util0
sudo apt-get install libxcb-image0
sudo apt-get install libxcb-icccm4
sudo apt-get install libxcb-randr0
sudo apt-get install libxcb-xkb1
sudo apt-get install libxcb-keysyms1
sudo apt-get install libxkbcommon-x11-0
sudo apt-get install libxcb-xfixes0
sudo apt-get install libxcb-xinerama0

I guess these can all be put into one line i.e.:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install xrdp libxcb-render-util0 libxcb-image0 libxcb-icccm4 libxcb-randr0  libxcb-xkb1  libxcb-keysyms1  libxkbcommon-x11-0  libxcb-xfixes0  libxcb-xinerama0

Then from that RDP command line above I quit the copy of QLC+ running at reboot by killing it's task before running from the command line:

Code: Select all

sudo /usr/bin/qlcplus -platform xcb --web --operate --open /root/.qlcplus/autostart.qxw

And it worked... it takes a while - and I did see an error appear... but it did kick into life after 10-15 seconds.

[magicaltrevor70]

Thanks for this...very useful.

One comment I have is that I had to expand the disk space in order to install the packages. http://elinux.org/RPi_Resize_Flash_Partitions

Code: Select all

sudo raspi-config --expand-rootfs

[MyGreenhorn]

Hi,
probably a stupid question from a newbie:

I managed to get the RDP up and running on a RPi 3 (with the "--resize fullscreen" option).
However it does not autostart like in the Terminal Session. How
can I start QLC+ automatically when entering the RDP session with these parameters?:
sudo /usr/bin/qlcplus -platform xcb --web --operate --resize fullscreen --open /root/.qlcplus/autostart.qxw

Best regards
Peter

[magicaltrevor70]

I think you would need to edit the /etc/init.d/qlcplus file to get it to autostart with RDP enabled

[MyGreenhorn]

Hi,
does anybody have a working RDP session with QLC+, version 4.11.0?

I can't get it up again at all.
When I try to start it with
"sudo /usr/bin/qlcplus -platform xcb --web --operate --overscan --fullscreen resize --nowm --open /root/.qlcplus/autostart.qxw"
it will complain that "XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not set, defaulting to /tmp/rutime-root"
and in the next line it says "Failed to initialize XRandr"

Has anybody seen this before?
I use a RPi 3.

Thanks and best regards
Klaus

[magicaltrevor70]

I can't recall what error I got, but I tried and failed with 4.11.0. The "Failed to initialize XRandr" message happens on the previous version though, and it still works.

[MyGreenhorn]

Hi MagicalTrevor70,
so how do you work now? Or should I simpyl give up
and start to work with VNC instead?

Best regards
Klaus

[magicaltrevor70]

Currently I am just using the previous version, but I will most likely go to the preferred version of working which is to develop on my desktop and transfer the file to the RPi

[mbr89]

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ sudo nano /etc/init.d/qlcplus

QLCPLUS_OPTS="-platform xcb --nowm --web --web-auth --operate"

won't work

[MyGreenhorn]

Hi,
I set up my Raspberry Pi again, now with "qlcplus_raspbian_stretch_20180410".
I did:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install tightvncserver
sudo apt-get install xrdp

sudo raspi-config tells me to do this:
sudo apt-get install lightdm
before I can turn on "Boot option > Desktop Autologin",
so I did that as well and set the "Desktop Autologin"

However if I wan to access it by RDP, it will only give me a blank screen.
I have read that in

Does anybody know what I might try?