Aside from x11vnc package (which is minimal in package installation), what can you recommend for vnc in linux?

I used to use the GNOME.

You can install it this way:

yum groupinstall "GNOME Desktop Environment"

but before this install gnome-user-share.

Good luck

you will require following packages to get vnc server configured. 

1- vnc-server

2- vnc

3- GNOME Desktop Environment

4- xterm. 

there are some servers which runs with Desktop package.e.g; 

yum groupinstall Desktop

similarly  you need tigervnc-server instead of vnc-server check respository information about your operating system. 

yeah gnome in both ubuntu and fedora/centos