Remote VNC using Windows:

On your windows computer install the free vnc client from:
http://www.realvnc.com/vnc/
Look for: VNC Free Edition Viewer for Windows

Download and install the ssh software on your windows computer using the default options from:
http://math.ucdenver.edu/downloads/SSHSecureShellClient-3.2.9.exe
You can only access this web site from a computer that is connected to the campus network.
(You may need to copy this to a memory stick or disk and bring it to your windows computer)

Pick a number from 01 to 99 to be your vnc port.
Use the number rather than xx in the following instructions.
Log in to the math server using a secure shell
Now in the shell on math:
Kill any old vncservers you may have started by entering:
killall Xvnc
Launch the vncserver. Enter: 
vncserver :xx
If you get an error message saying this port is in use then pick another number and try again.
If this is the first time you have run the vncserver command you will be asked for a password. Make up a unique VNC password and enter it.
If this is the first time you have used vncserver some files will be created in your ~.vnc directory on the math server. Edit the ~/.vnc/xstartup file and replace the line
twm &
with
gnome-session &
kill the vncserver by Entering
vncserver -kill :xx
launch it again by typing:
vncserver :xx
Leave the math server shell running.

Now from your windows computer create a tunnel.
(you can bypass these steps involving ssh2 if you have correctly configured the needed port forwarding tunnel using the configurations options of your ssh client)
This presumes you have installed the ssh software on your windows computer.
Use this in a dos shell:
ssh2 -L 59xx:localhost:59xx userid@math.cudenver.edu
where xx is the number you previously picked.
and userid is your math user id.
You will be prompted for your math password which you must enter.

Now start the VNC viewer program on your windows computer. Do this by clicking on the program you downloaded earlier. You will be prompted for a server and port. Enter
localhost:xx
Now you will be prompted for a password. Use the unique VNC password you made up earlier. In a few seconds a window should appear containing GUI Gnome session running on the math server. Now in this window you can launch a terminal and start any GUI program like matlab by typing 
matlab &
Remember to kill your vncserver session on math when you are done by typing:
vncserver -kill :xx
Done.

Updated 8/19/2008