trying to run tightvnc as a systemd service on Debian/Bookworm

Here's my vncserver.service file:

[Unit]
Description=Start TightVNC server at startup
After=syslog.target network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
User=garydale
Group=garydale
WorkingDirectory=/home/garydale

PIDFile=/home/garydale/.vnc/%H:%i.pid
ExecStartPre=-/usr/bin/vncserver -kill :%i > /dev/null 2>&1
ExecStart=/usr/bin/vncserver -depth 24 -geometry 1024x768 :%i
ExecStop=/usr/bin/vncserver -kill :%i

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target


When I try to start the service I get this:

# systemctl start vncserver
Job for vncserver.service failed because the control process exited with 
error code.
See "systemctl status vncserver.service" and "journalctl -xeu 
vncserver.service" for details.

# systemctl status vncserver.service
× vncserver.service - Start TightVNC server at startup
      Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/vncserver.service; enabled; 
preset: enabled)
      Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Sat 2022-09-10 21:44:28 
EDT; 29s ago
     Process: 9180 ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/vncserver -kill : > /dev/null 
2>&1 (code=exited, status=255/EXCEPTION)
     Process: 9184 ExecStart=/usr/bin/vncserver -depth 24 -geometry 
1024x768 : (code=exited, status=255/EXCEPTION)
         CPU: 37ms

Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -httpport number
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -basehttpport number
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -alwaysshared
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -nevershared
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -pixelformat rgb<NNN>
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -pixelformat bgr<NNN>
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]: See vncserver and Xtightvnc 
manual pages for more information.
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder systemd[1]: vncserver.service: Control 
process exited, code=exited, status=255/EXCEPTION
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder systemd[1]: vncserver.service: Failed with 
result 'exit-code'.
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder systemd[1]: Failed to start Start TightVNC 
server at startup.

# journalctl -xeu vncserver.service
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -httpport number
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -basehttpport number
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -alwaysshared
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -nevershared
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -pixelformat rgb<NNN>
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]:         -pixelformat bgr<NNN>
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder vncserver[9184]: See vncserver and Xtightvnc 
manual pages for more information.
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder systemd[1]: vncserver.service: Control 
process exited, code=exited, status=255/EXCEPTION
░░ Subject: Unit process exited
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░
░░ An ExecStart= process belonging to unit vncserver.service has exited.
░░
░░ The process' exit code is 'exited' and its exit status is 255.
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder systemd[1]: vncserver.service: Failed with 
result 'exit-code'.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░
░░ The unit vncserver.service has entered the 'failed' state with result 
'exit-code'.
Sep 10 21:44:28 transponder systemd[1]: Failed to start Start TightVNC 
server at startup.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit vncserver.service has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░
░░ A start job for unit vncserver.service has finished with a failure.
░░
░░ The job identifier is 11431 and the job result is failed.
lines 64-92/92 (END)


However:
$ vncserver
Couldn't start Xtightvnc; trying default font path.
Please set correct fontPath in the vncserver script.

New 'X' desktop is transponder:1

Starting applications specified in /home/garydale/.vnc/xstartup
Log file is /home/garydale/.vnc/transponder:1.log

garydale@transponder:~$ ps aux | grep vnc
garydale    9959  0.0  0.0   9932  7276 pts/3    S    21:49   0:00 
Xtightvnc :1 -desktop X -auth /home/garydale/.Xauthority -geometry 
1024x768 -depth 24 -rfbwait 120000 -rfbauth /home/garydale/.vnc/passwd 
-rfbport 5901 -co /etc/X11/rgb
garydale    9981  0.0  0.0  11412  2168 pts/3    S+   21:50   0:00 grep vnc


I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong that is preventing it from 
starting as a systemd service. Any ideas?

Thanks.



___________________________________________________________
TightVNC mailing list, [email protected]
To change your subscription or to UNSUBSCRIBE, please visit
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/vnc-tight-list