Setup ubuntu for remote access?

Rather than VNC, I highly recommend using the free NoMachine remote desktop system. It's more secure -- the connection is established via SSH authentication, with your username & password on the linux machine. It also removes the requirement for the server to auto-log-in -- it can just boot up to the login screen, and your NoMachine session happens in the background.

Download page is here -- you need to install the debs for "NX Free Edition For Linux" on the server (all three packages that it provides, in alphabetical order -- client, node, and then server package). And then you need to install "NX Client for Windows" on your windows machine.

Is the computer connected via a wireless network? (I'm guessing 'yes' -- that would expalin the need to unlock your keyring, since wireless passwords are among the things stored in your user's login keyring.)

If so, one solution would be to connect the machine via wired ethernet, instead of wireless. Then, it'll be able to get on the network (and listen for VNC connections) without needing to unlock your login keyring.

You should not put yourself into the risk of being hacked by sending your login/password in clear text over your network. Or using login services like this terminal login.

Please use SSH instead.

Just install the package ssh-server on your server and install a ssh-client software in your windows computer

Then you can use ssh to log in securly into your server, without the risk of someone sniffing your login/password or someone do Man in the middle attack on you. You are supposed to be able to run different services, like remote desktop tunneling through ssh. That is the secure way of doing remote login.

putty is supposed to be a good ssh client for MS Windows.

http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/