Remote XWindows

[Konstantin Svist]

Mike Dwiggins wrote:
> Konstantin Svist wrote:
>> Mike Dwiggins wrote:
>>> Konstantin Svist wrote:
>>>> Mike Dwiggins wrote:
>>>>> Dumb beginner question here.  What is the best software to use to 
>>>>> set up an SSH X-Windows session?
>>>>>
>>>>> I am doing well with putty but have hit a point where I need to 
>>>>> bring up my browser in a remote session..
>>>>>
>>>>> Mike D.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Depends on what you're trying to achieve.
>>>> With ssh, you can run this to execute the application remotely but 
>>>> have it displayed locally:
>>>> $ ssh -Y <remote_host> <application>
>>>>
>>>> If you want it to be displayed remotely as well, you'll want to 
>>>> look into VNC
>>>>
>>>> Also, maybe you want to run the application locally but use remote 
>>>> user profile. Then you can map remote path to a local directory 
>>>> with sshfs and point the local application to the data (it will 
>>>> appear to any application as if it were local).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> HTH
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I have been thinking VNC.  My problem is I travel a lot and have to 
>>> manage a couple of applications that use x-windows control panels 
>>> for my wife's business and am looking for the most efficient way.
>>>
>>> I can do it quite well if I am home but am looking for the best 
>>> solution for remote.  Sigh I guess I am going to have to dig into VNC.
>>>
>>> Mike D.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Again, if you don't need the applications to be displayed on the 
>> actual machine where they run, ssh -Y is a very robust solution. I've 
>> ran many applications  - e.g. text editors, control panels, even 
>> gparted (disk partitioning software) and all worked without a hitch 
>> and were very fast. The best part is that ssh is already there :)
>>
>> Remote desktop VNC (a la windows VNC) is very slow because it needs 
>> to send a video stream back and forth. "Traditional" VNC is 
>> annoying/hard to set up; most of the time it's just not worth the 
>> effort.
>>
>>
> Tried that route, I think?  What I get at startx is the message 
> "Server is already active for display 0".
>
> VNC is a world I don't want to get into but, will if I must.
>
>

umm.. you shouldn't start X windows with ssh -Y
The idea is that X is already running on the remote machine - and you're 
starting a single application remotely - but it will appear in your local X.

Don't switch PTYs, stay in your logged in X session, then open a 
terminal on your computer, then "ssh -Y <remote machine> <application>" 
and it will work.