Timothy Bolz wrote:
> I have two machines and would like to try running x windows
> remotely. The one machine (Tesla) has all my files on it. The
> other (Boyle) and is just used when my wife wants to use Tesla. I
> thought why can't I just log into Tesla via Boyle using X. From
> what I've read you have to have xdmcp set to true in gdm.conf. This
> will allow remote logins. Now how do I remotely log in if Boyle
> runs it's own gdm? Can I run gdm on both machines and log in from
> the other? Can you restrict access to local machines? How secure
> is it? I've read you can run it over ssh. Has anyone tried running
> x remotely on their own home network?
There are several ways to run X remotely. If I understand right, you
want to sit at Boyle's keyboard and screen. If that's wrong, please
switch Tesla <-> Boyle in everything I say below.
1. You can run one or a few X clients remotely. To do that,
you log into Tesla using telnet/rlogin/ssh, then set
some environment variables, and launch programs that display
on Boyle. Like this.
boyle> xauth list
boyle:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 1234567890abcde.....f
boyle> ssh tesla
Linux tesla 2.4.18 blah blah
tesla> export DISPLAY=boyle:0
tesla> xauth add boyle:0 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 1234567890abcde......f
tesla> xterm &
(at this point a new xterm window should appear.)
tesla> mozilla &
(etc.)
If you're on a secure network, this is the way to go. It's fast
and easy. You can have windows open on many machines at once.
2. You can do basically the same thing, but tunneling the X Window
System protcol through ssh. That way, it's encrypted and
authenticated. Like this.
boyle> ssh -X tesla
Linux tesla 2.4.18 blah blah
tesla> xterm &
(a new xterm window should appear. etc.)
This is the way I do most of my remote computing within the house.
It's still too slow to run across an IDSL line this way, but
it's dandy on Ethernet.
3. You can set up Boyle so it's a XDM client of Tesla. This way,
you'll get a login screen from Tesla when you log in, and you
won't be able to (easily) run programs on Boyle at all.
Specifically, your window manager, session manager, and other
desktop software will run across the net, and everything will
be a little bit sluggish, compared to running locally.
Also, keep in mind that your whole session is running across the
ethernet, unencrypted, so if you type your password or your credit
card number, anyone on the local network can read it. (This is
probably not an issue at your house, but just so you're aware...)
It sounds like this is what you're trying to set up. I haven't
set this up in years, so I don't remember all the details.
To answer your specific questions, you need to turn off xdm/gdm/kdm
on Boyle. Instead, start the X server directly from
/etc/init.d/something. Add boyle:0 to the list of displays
that xdm on tesla watches for. I think that's just a matter
of adding "boyle:0" to /etc/X11/xdm/Xservers if you use xdm,
or to /etc/kde2/kdm/Xserver if you use kdm, or someplace else
if you use gdm. (Sorry, I don't have gdm installed.)
I'm not familiar with tunneling XDMCP across ssh, but it sounds
like a good idea. (-:
4. Finally, you can use vnc. Virtual Network Computing. It's
cross-platform, so if you want to remotely use a Macintosh
or that other OS that a few people use (I forget its name --
Microsomething W-something), you can use VNC.
VNC is dead, VNC is resurrected, and TightVNC is currently the
preferred fork of VNC. www.tightvnc.com TightVNC is fast enough
that I can just barely stand to run a remote display from TiVo at
home. I often share a desktop with engineers in California, and
tightVNC is what we use.
--
Bob Miller K<bob>
kbobsoft software consulting
http://kbobsoft.com [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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