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rockdalinux · #1 (**permalink**) 09-14-2005, 06:36 PM

This small howto guides you to run remote X applications over network using ssh.

Introduction
The X windows system created by X consortium www.X.org

* It is client/server architecture.
* X is OS independent and it is a Protocol
* X protocol works over TCP/IP

What is X server?
X-server -> Talks with your hardware (VGA card, mouse, monitor etc) => It provides the screen (or display) and manages the resources. For more info on X Window System and X client-server model and network transparency visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_server

X-Client -> Uses the display/screen provided by X-Server to display GUI/Application. It does not care how mouse or vga card works.

For example you can run X application from another computer. All you need is to setup correct DISPLAY variable.

Our demo setup with two computers:
debian-server
IP: 192.168.1.1

Suse-Linux (Laptop)
IP: 192.168.1.11

Now you would like to redirect output of laptop to server. Please note that X works on almost all UNIX like operating systems like FreeBSD, HP/UX, Solaris, Linux etc. So the commands remains same for all variant of UNIX OS.

1) Login to Debian Linux server

Code:

xhosts 192.168.1.11

xhost is server access control program for X server. The xhost program is used to add and delete host names or user names to the list allowed to make connections to the X server. In our example we are allowing host (192.168.1.11) to access server. All communication done using 6000 port.

2) Login to Suse-Laptop and run program on Debain Linux

Code:

export DISPLAY=192.168.1.1:0
xeyes &

The output of xeyes will be on debian server and not on the Suse. DISPLAY is variable which point out X server IP-address/hostname to redirect output.

Secure login over ssh i.e. forward X over ssh
SSH server has built in support to run X application remotely. Traffic between suse and debian system remains encrypted.

1) Make sure XForwarding option is on
Login to debian server, open /etc/ssh/sshd_config using text editor such as vi/vim:

Code:

vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config

2) Setup X11Forwarding to yes

Code:

X11Forwarding yes

3) Save file and restart ssh server

Code:

/etc/init.d/ssh restart

4) Allow laptop to run programs:

Code:

xhosts 192.168.1.11

5) Login from suse computer and start open office writer:

Code:

export DISPLAY=192.168.1.1:0 
ssh -X user@192.168.1.1 oowriter 
ssh -X user@192.168.1.1 xeyes

Replace user with actual user name.

This is my first small tutorial; please feel to comment back or to add your own stuff to it.

vivek · #2 (**permalink**) 09-15-2005, 04:20 PM

gr8 works

Ashish Pathak · #3 (**permalink**) 06-19-2006, 04:40 PM

Hey Buddy,

You can also try ssh -Y to achive the same!
I normally use -Y with ssh when I need a display.

monk · #4 (**permalink**) 06-19-2006, 06:42 PM

@Ashish: Good point.

@rockdalinux: remember –Y is more secure (as it enables trusted X11 forwarding) than –X so it is best to use –X option.

rohan208 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-23-2006, 09:33 PM

I've been looking for this, thanks.

I found adding something like this to ~/.bashrc very useful..

Code:

if [ "$SSH_CLIENT" != "" ]; then
    export DISPLAY=`echo $DISPLAY| cut -d\  -f1| cut -d: \f4`:0
fi

..R

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Run remote X applications over network using ssh

Run remote X applications over network using ssh

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