Setting the DISPLAY variable in linux

wmasry · 12-24-2009, 09:54 AM

Dears,

while trying to open system-config-bind from the shell on a server running on runlevel 3 , i got the below error message.

ERROR: Unable to initialize graphical environment.
Most likely cause of failure is that the tool was not run using a graphical environment.
Please either start your graphical user interface or set your DISPLAY variable.

Does any one have details steps of how to configure the the DISPLAY variable,as i will not be able to bring the server to runlevel 5, thanks.

Wael

evo2 · 12-24-2009, 10:04 AM

Are you saying that you are trying to run an X application on the console of a machine that is not running X? If so, that won't work.

You either need to start X or perhaps instead of doing this on the console, ssh from a machine that has X running.

Also you are making references to runlevels 3 and 5, are we to assume from this that you are running a redhat based distro and the 3 is single user mode and 5 is multiuser with X?

Evo2.