Which X Window system is installed on my server that would work with Xming?

UNIX for Beginners Q & A
1

I would like to use Xming to connect a server and managed to get it to work. I am now trying to get it to connect to a different server but i am not sure which X Window system is installed. I tried it through putty and i get the following error/warning:

/usr/java/jdk1.7.0_67/bin> jvisualvm
/usr/java/jdk1.7.0_67/lib/visualvm/platform/lib/nbexec: WARNING: environment variable DISPLAY is not set

I have previously used a windows BAT script to launch XWindows - Shown below:

    @echo off
    SET LOCAL_HOST=localhost
    SET PATH=C:\wresourcex\bin\Xming
    
    SET REMOTE_HOST=%1
    SET SCREEN=%2
    
    REM Default to archie with screen 1
    if "%1"=="" SET REMOTE_HOST=MySever.com
    if "%2"=="" SET SCREEN=0
    
    SET DISPLAY=%LOCAL_HOST%:%SCREEN%.0
    
    REM For XDM logon just run this line
    REM run Xming -query %REMOTE_HOST% -lesspointer -emulate3buttons
    
    REM For SSH Tunneling use these 2 lines
    rem run Xming :%SCREEN% -lesspointer -notrayicon -emulate3buttons
    run plink -ssh -X %REMOTE_HOST% /usr/dt/bin/Xsession
    
    REM Use this if want Gnome instead
    rem run plink -ssh -X %REMOTE_HOST% /usr/bin/gnome-session

The above works in one server but not on the one i am using now. I have looked at both the /usr/dt/bin/ and /usr/bin folders and both program (referred to in the script) do not exist in those locations. I am guessing that i need to use a different program but how do i know which "Xwindow" program is installed on the server i want to connect to or does it matter?

Note - I do not have admin access on the server so cannot install anything.

Thanks

2

Probably none. You do not need an Xserver installed on your server, only on your client. An Xserver is a sort-of driver software for your graphics hardware and you need that only where you have such a hardware. XMing is such an Xserver software.

Then set it! On the shell prompt enter:

# export DISPLAY=<IP-address of your client>:0.0

Then try to start an Xclient (like "xterm"). You might have to allow the sever in question to display a window on your Xserver (in UNIX there is the "xhost" tool to do so, what XMing uses instead i do not know). Issue:

# xterm &

And see if this opens a window on your screen. If everything works you can put the line with the DISPLAY variable setting into your profile or your shells rc-file (for you: kind of AUTOEXEC.BAT-analogon on UNIX) so that you do not have to enter the line for every new session.

I hope this helps.

bakunin

3

I set the DISPLAY property and tried the xterm & but got the following error

No protocol specified
xterm Xt error: Can't open display: 10.44.10.92:0.0

I am trying to google what the above error means.

Thanks

4

I have already told you what to do. To quote from my own posting:

I hope this helps.

bakunin

5

Yes, it does matter a lot. Your X server might only listen to localhost so setting the DISPLAY variable on the remote host won't work.

What you might try is to locate an X terminal emulator on the server that fails (eg. xterm) and launch it instead of a full desktop in the .bat file:

run plink -ssh -X %REMOTE_HOST% /usr/bin/xterm

or even run directly the application you look for:

run plink -ssh -X %REMOTE_HOST% /usr/java/jdk1.7.0_67/bin/jvisualvm
6

ITYM

run plink -ssh -X %REMOTE_HOST% /usr/java/jdk1.7.0_67/bin/jvisualvm

--
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