You can use xrdp to use the Microsoft Remote Desktop client by installing the xrdp package. The interesting thing about xrdp is while it is a RDP server, it is also a VNC client. Effectively, it can proxy RDP connections to a VNC server.

sudo apt-get install xrdp

If you get xrdp installed and started, connect to rdp with the wrong credentials and you will be presented with a dialog where you can select "vnc-any" and connect to "localhost" with the vnc password.

Hi David,

The VNC server is launched at startup by systemd.
To find which VNC server is running, would you type
ps -aef | fgrep vnc

And report the output of the above command.

On my astroberry, I see the following
root 548 1 0 12:45 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/vncserver-x11-serviced -fg
root 558 548 0 12:45 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/vncserver-x11-core -service
root 593 1 0 12:45 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/vncagent service 15
astrobe+ 899 1 3 12:45 ? 00:00:02 /usr/bin/python2.7 /usr/bin/websockify --log-file=/var/log/astroberry/novnc.log --web=/var/www/novnc/ 8080 localhost:5900
astrobe+ 996 1 1 12:45 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/vncserverui service 16
astrobe+ 1027 996 0 12:45 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/vncserverui -statusicon 5

Gene

2 processes listed:

root 703 1 6 18:56 ? 00:00:48 /usr/bin/x11vnc -xkb -noxdamage -verbose -avahi -safer -forever -shared -rfbauth /home/stellarmate/.vnc/passwd -autoport 5900 -auth /var/run/lightdm/root/:0
root 704 1 0 18:56 ? 00:00:00 bash /opt/noVNC/utils/novnc_proxy --vnc localhost:5900
stellar+ 1459 1445 0 19:10 pts/0 00:00:00 grep -F --color=auto vnc

Gene, StellarMate is running x11vnc server and noVNC. I think noVNC must be an interface between a web browser client and the vnc server. This explains I think why I see the Dashboard and the Pi screen in the web browser and using Tightvnc just the pi screen. I see -xnodamage is set but this doesn't prevent the module tabs looking somewhat messy.

OK. So next would be to find which resolution fixes the screen problems you're seeing.

For us on mini-pcs, this is dictated by the dummy adapter plugged into to the display-port socket.

Some resolutions work better than others, some not at all. Our sweet spot is 1600x900 which seems to scale ok to 'phones, tablets or WHY alike.

Sorry, I can't remember how the pi deals with this but therein lies the next bit of the puzzle.

HTH

Hi Aaron. Thanks for your suggestion. Installed remote desktop and connected from my PC. Easilly done and pleased to say the most responsive remote connection I have tested so far.
The display suffers from same issue as connecting with tightVnc or web browser. For comparison:
Running Kstars locally on PC
Running Kstars remotely using remote desktop

Busy for a couple of days but will try out ASAP different screen resolutions starting with 1600x900 to see which one gives best display. I suspect Qt has been used to design the EKOS GUI but there must be many factors that determine how a Helvetica 8 point, centre justified, bold, orange label is reproduced exactly the same on another device at a different scale.

FWIW, here's a vnc screen of indi, kstars and friends from a remote mini-pc running the whole show under LXQt, openbox and the Breeze dark theme at 1600x900.

To get it smooth and responsive, try changing window manager, theme, resolution, the VNC client...

Cheers

1. Download officiel Raspberry OS 64bit
2. Write this image to SD card
3. install tigervnc server

   sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server

4. create password by running

   vncpasswd

5. run

   sudo systemctl edit vncserver-x11-serviced.service

6. Edit that file add these lines after first two

   [Unit]
   Description=VNC Server in Service Mode daemon
   After=network.target
    
   [Service]
   Type=forking
   User=pi
   WorkingDirectory=/home/pi
   Environment="DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus" "XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000"
   ExecStart=
   ExecStart=bash -c "tigervncserver -localhost no"
   ExecStop=tigervncserver -kill :1
   ExecReload=
    
   [Install]
   WantedBy=multi-user.target

7. Reboot raspberry
8. connect to VNC server on port 5901
9. install kstars and all other SW that you want

This assume that user name is "pi" if it is different then you must change User=pi and WorkingDirectory accordingly

To install KStars you can use my script nouspiro.space/?page_id=209

I don't have the option for a 1600x900 display so I guess that setting is specific to the mini pc display.

Using the raspberry pi configuration dialog and changing both Display Resolution and Headless Resolution, the Ekos-Kstars dialog is displayed at the same size on screen with no improvement to text size. What I do notice, if I expand the Ekos-Kstars dialog to full screen it looks better but normally I want it smaller and floating.

There is also an Appearance Settings dialog and by setting the defaults to small screens this displays the Ekos-Kstars dialog correctly at a reduced floating size. Appearance settings fixes the problem.

Rather than tuning VNC I suggest using Stellarmate in server mode and running KStars from another PC/Laptop that connects to Stellarmate over the network. Bandwidth requirements are much less onerous, the overall experience is very smooth and you will also save a great deal of CPU and memory resources on the Pi.

I'm currently running KStars either on the Mac Desktop or an Ubuntu laptop without any network issue. Even over WiFi.
Unless you have a very specific use case I suggest to try.

Have a look at:
www.stellarmate.com/help/ConnectingfromEkosviaEthernetWiF.html

Regards,
Giorgio

Thanks for your suggestions Giorgio. I have been running Astroberry in server mode with Kstars client on my PC for several months and I agree with all your comments, it works well. I have one remaining problem with the internal guider and a small amount of drift in RA resulting in egg shaped star images in some frames. That could be due to my rig, incorrect configuration of the guiding module for EQ8-Pro mount or simply poor seeing.
I have installed StellarMate for better support and will be using it in thin client VNC mode first (when I get a clear night!) to see if guiding is any better. If it isn't then I will revert back to heavy client - server mode and look elsewhere to fix the problem. My theory is when operating in heavy client - server mode maybe the guiding response is delayed because the guide camera image has to be transferred to my PC across the LAN, then correction pulses sent back to the indi server across the LAN for transfer to the mount. With thin client maybe its faster as LAN is not involved. Anyway I expect to be proved wrong and guiding drift in RA isn't due to operating as a heavy client.
Thanks for the link to to the manual.