Remote X?

[Alan McKinnon]

On Sunday 26 March 2006 18:43, Gromitigo wrote:
> Is there a way to view the desktop over the network like VNC?
> I'm wanting to set up a ubuntu server but it won't have a monitor,
> keyboard, etc.
> The maching I'll be using to connect from is running WinXP.
> I need a way to get to the GUI, telneting to the command line to do
> things on the server isn't an option for what I need it to do.

You have three options:

1. Export the entire desktop to the XP machine using VNC. There are a 
whole range of clients and servers to choose from on both Linux and 
XP. With this method you get a Window on the XP box and inside this 
window is an Ubuntu desktop, complete with all running apps, menus, 
panels, etc. You connect from the Windows machine using VNC and away 
you go.

2. Run individual apps on the Ubuntu machine, and instead of them 
being displayed on it's local screen using the local keyboard and 
mouse, the app displays on the XP machine. This is called X 
forwarding and is a built in feature of X (the gui portion of Linux). 
To do this you need to have an X-server running on the Windows 
machine - CygWin is one choice, there are others. This method runs 
one Linux app in a Windows window as opposed to the entire desktop. 
Using PuTty on the Windows machine, you connect to the Ubuntu machine 
and login. Then start the Ubuntu app and send it's display to the 
Windows machine.

3. Terminal server. Unless oyu need many clients, this is probably 
overdone for your needs.

Which of these options suits your needs best? 

-- 
Alan McKinnon
alan at linuxholdings dot co dot za
+27 82, double three seven, one nine three five