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VNC Port Configuration Guide

AutoBot uses VNC for browser automation and desktop viewing capabilities. This document explains how VNC ports are configured to avoid conflicts between host and container environments.

Port Usage Overview

Default Ports

  • Host VNC: 5900 (Standard VNC port, often used by Kali Linux desktop)
  • Container VNC: 5901 (Avoids conflict with host VNC)
  • NoVNC Web Interface: 6080 (Web-based VNC viewer)
  • Playwright API: 3000 (Browser automation API)

Environment Variables

Variable Purpose Default Container Host
AUTOBOT_VNC_DISPLAY_PORT Host VNC display port 5900 5900 5900
AUTOBOT_VNC_CONTAINER_PORT Container VNC port 5901 5901 5901
AUTOBOT_PLAYWRIGHT_VNC_URL NoVNC web interface http://localhost:6080/vnc.html Same Same
AUTOBOT_PLAYWRIGHT_API_URL Playwright API endpoint http://localhost:3000 Same Same

Intelligent Port Selection

AutoBot automatically detects the appropriate VNC port based on the environment:

Detection Logic

  1. Container Detection: Checks for /.dockerenv file or DOCKER_CONTAINER environment variable
  2. Port Availability: Tests if port 5900 is already in use
  3. Smart Selection:
    • If in container → use VNC_CONTAINER_PORT (5901)
    • If port 5900 is busy (host VNC active) → use VNC_CONTAINER_PORT (5901)
    • Otherwise → use VNC_DISPLAY_PORT (5900)

Usage in Code

from src.config import get_vnc_direct_url, get_vnc_display_port

# Get intelligent VNC connection URL
vnc_url = get_vnc_direct_url()  # Returns vnc://localhost:5900 or vnc://localhost:5901

# Get the selected port number
port = get_vnc_display_port()  # Returns 5900 or 5901

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Kali Host with Desktop VNC

  • Host VNC: Running on port 5900 (Kali desktop)
  • AutoBot: Detects port 5900 busy → uses port 5901
  • Result: vnc://localhost:5901

Scenario 2: Docker Container Deployment

  • Environment: Container detected via /.dockerenv
  • AutoBot: Uses container port 5901 to avoid host conflicts
  • Result: vnc://localhost:5901 (mapped from container)

Scenario 3: Clean Host Installation

  • Host VNC: Not running (port 5900 free)
  • AutoBot: Uses standard port 5900
  • Result: vnc://localhost:5900

Scenario 4: Custom Port Configuration

# Override default ports
export AUTOBOT_VNC_DISPLAY_PORT=5902
export AUTOBOT_VNC_CONTAINER_PORT=5903

Browser Integration

NoVNC Web Access

Direct VNC Client

  • URL: vnc://localhost:{port} (determined automatically)
  • Clients: VNC Viewer, TightVNC, RealVNC
  • Protocol: Standard VNC over TCP

Troubleshooting

Port Conflicts

# Check what's using port 5900
sudo netstat -tlnp | grep :5900

# Check what's using port 5901
sudo netstat -tlnp | grep :5901

# Test AutoBot's port detection
python3 -c "from src.config import get_vnc_display_port; print(f'Selected VNC port: {get_vnc_display_port()}')"

Connection Issues

  1. VNC Service Not Running: Start the appropriate VNC service
  2. Firewall Blocking: Allow VNC ports through firewall
  3. Wrong Port: Check which port AutoBot selected
  4. Container Mapping: Verify Docker port mappings match configuration

Docker Port Mapping

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  autobot:
    ports:
      - "5901:5901"    # VNC port (container internal)
      - "6080:6080"    # NoVNC web interface
      - "3000:3000"    # Playwright API

Security Considerations

Network Access

  • Local Only: Default configuration binds to localhost
  • Remote Access: Set AUTOBOT_VNC_HOST=0.0.0.0 to allow remote connections
  • Authentication: Configure VNC password for security

Container Isolation

  • Port Mapping: Container ports are isolated from host
  • Process Isolation: VNC processes run in container namespace
  • Resource Limits: Docker resource constraints apply

Configuration Examples

Development Environment

# .env file for development
AUTOBOT_VNC_DISPLAY_PORT=5900
AUTOBOT_VNC_CONTAINER_PORT=5901
AUTOBOT_PLAYWRIGHT_VNC_URL=http://localhost:6080/vnc.html
AUTOBOT_PLAYWRIGHT_API_URL=http://localhost:3000

Production Deployment

# .env file for production
AUTOBOT_VNC_DISPLAY_PORT=15900
AUTOBOT_VNC_CONTAINER_PORT=15901
AUTOBOT_PLAYWRIGHT_VNC_URL=http://production-host:16080/vnc.html
AUTOBOT_PLAYWRIGHT_API_URL=http://production-host:13000

Multi-Instance Setup

# Instance 1
AUTOBOT_VNC_DISPLAY_PORT=5900
AUTOBOT_VNC_CONTAINER_PORT=5901

# Instance 2
AUTOBOT_VNC_DISPLAY_PORT=5902
AUTOBOT_VNC_CONTAINER_PORT=5903

This intelligent port configuration ensures AutoBot works seamlessly in both host and container environments while avoiding common VNC port conflicts.