Advanced Programming Techniques Using the X Window System

Princeton University COS 333: Advanced Programming Techniques Using the X Window System This document describes how to use the X Window System. The X Window System integrates the local computer's windowing system with a remote Unix system. This web page provides details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System The X Window System environment allows you to run graphical applications on the remote Unix system; the applications will display their windows on the local system. However, it does not work well off campus, that is, with a lower-bandwidth network. The instructions given below describe how to connect to penguins using the X Window System environment with each of these 6 options: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

A lab computer running Microsoft Windows, A lab computer running Mac OS X, Your own computer on campus running Microsoft Windows, Your own computer on campus running Mac OS X, Your own computer off campus running Microsoft Windows, or Your own computer off campus running Mac OS X.

Bob Dondero ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. A Lab Computer Running Microsoft Windows To use the X Window System, you must have an X Window System Server installed on the local computer. The lab computers running Microsoft Windows do have that software installed: a program named Xming. You should not install another X Window System Server on a lab computer running Microsoft Windows. These are the steps: 1. From the Start menu, choose "All Programs | Xming | Xming". A Xming icon will appear on the right side of the Windows taskbar. 2. Launch PuTTY. 3. Change PuTTY settings as usual ("Window | Colours | Use system colours"). Then change one more setting: make sure the "Connection | SSH | X11 | X11 Forwarding | Enable X11 forwarding" check box is checked. 4. Use PuTTY to login to penguins as usual.

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Any graphical application that you launch on penguins will display its windows on the lab computer.

2. Lab Computer Running Mac OS X To use the X Window System, you must have an X Window System Server installed on the local computer. Such software is installed on the lab computers running Mac OS X. You should not install another X Window System Server on a lab computer running Max OS X. There is only one step: Use the Terminal application to login to penguins as usual. However, specify the "-Y" option to ssh: ssh -Y [email protected] Any graphical application that you launch on penguins will display its windows on the lab computer. Incidentally, the "-Y" option may not be necessary, but won't hurt.

3. Your Own Computer on Campus Running Microsoft Windows To use the X Window System, you must have an X Window System Server installed on your computer. A program named Xming is a free X Window System Server for Microsoft Windows. Follow these instructions to download Xming. Using a web browser: 1. Visit the web site "http://sourceforge.net/projects/xming". 2. Click on the "View all files" button. 3. In the resulting web page, click on the "Xming" item, and then the "6.9.0.31" item to reveal the "Xming-6-9-0-31-setup.exe" link. Click on that link to download the file to your local computer. 4. In the same web page, click on the "Xming-fonts" item, and then the "7.5.0.25" item to reveal the "Xming-fonts-7-5-0-25-setup.exe" anchor. Click on that anchor to download the file to your local computer. Follow these instructions to install Xming: 1. Execute the "Xming-6-9-0-31-setup.exe" program on your local computer to install Xming. Use the default install settings. 2. Execute the "Xming-fonts-7-5-0-25-setup.exe" program on your local computer to install Xming fonts. Use the default install settings. Follow these instructions to use Xming: 1. From your computer's Start menu, choose "All Programs | Xming | Xming" to launch Xming.

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2. Launch PuTTY (or some other terminal emulation program). 3. Change PuTTY settings as usual ("Window | Colours | Use system colours"). Then change one more setting: make sure the "Connection | SSH | X11 | X11 Forwarding | Enable X11 forwarding" check box is checked. 4. Use PuTTY to login to penguins as usual. Any graphical application that you launch on penguins will display its windows on your computer.

4. Your Own Computer on Campus Running Mac OS X To use the X Window System, you must have an X Window System Server installed on your computer. By default, an X Windows Server is not installed. But an X Window System Server is provided on your Mac OS X install DVD. The precise instructions for installing the X Window System Server vary among versions of OS X. Generally, these are the steps: 1. Insert your Mac OS X install DVD into your computer's DVD drive. 2. Choose "Optional Installs". 3. Choose "Applications". 4. Choose "X11". 5. Continue the installation to completion. Use the Terminal application to login to penguins as usual. However, specify the "-Y" option to ssh: ssh -Y [email protected] Any graphical application that you launch on penguins will display its windows on your computer.

5. Your Own Computer Off Campus Running Microsoft Windows Same as (3). However, the X Window System environment is unacceptably slow over dial-up. I find it unacceptably slow over DSL and cable.

6. Your Own Computer Off Campus Running Mac OS X Same as (4). However, the X Window System environment is unacceptably slow over dial-up. I find it unacceptably slow over DSL and cable. Copyright © 2011 by Robert M. Dondero, Jr. Page 3 of 3