Hello, I just moved my work desktop from Windows to Ubuntu, and have a substitute for all my applications except one. Everyone at my job uses a trial version of a Windows X-server called X-Manager (http://www.download.com/3000-2155_4-10521296.html) to remote login to Solaris desktops and also to run the appropriate terminal so that Solaris and AIX gui based apps will run in windows using x-manager's x-server.

There's got to be a simple way to do this in linux. I just don't know what that is. Any help would be appreciated. I've been running ubuntu for about 2 years but i'd still say that i'm a newbie, it's not like i fear the command line or anything

If you're using linux for your desktop it is VERY likely that are you are already running an X server. Your X server is what is already allowing you to server X applications on your localhost (your desktop machine). Try to launch an xterm and:

ssh -X host_you_want_to_access.your_domain

Note: the "-X" argument is to specify X forwarding. It may not be necessary to use it as some ssh clients default to X forwarding on.

Once you've logged in to the remote host you should be able to launch any of the X apps on it and ssh will forward (via an ssh tunnel) to your local display (e.g., you don't need to specify a DISPLAY environment variable).

cygwin (www.cygwin.com) provides all the X-Server functionality for running X type applications on Windows, including the remote desktop if one wishes. I have done that many times to Solaris 8-9-10 and FC from my WinXP PC.

You should also be able to access the remote desktop manager from the local X console on your ubuntu install.

will telnet do that, cuz I don't think Solaris and aix have the ssh daemon running by default? Also the .your_domain part would be replaced by my local machine's hostname, right?

I believe all linux/unix distribution nowadays have ssh enabled by default. I have even seen some with no telnet enabled even.

At your ubuntu prompt try this:

And the Solaris Xclock window should appear on your desktop. If you type /usr/dt/bin/dtterm, you should get the Solaris Terminal window appear too.

I'm not trying to get into another linux machine, but a solaris & aix one. The ssh server isn't running by default on those machines.

It is possible to use telnet to forward X as well. You will have to setup your DISPLAY environment variable to point to your local machine. For example, if your host is called myhost.mydomain.com and the remote host is called remotehost.mydomain.com, you would telnet to remotehost.mydomain.com and set your DISPLAY variable to something like "myhost.mydomain.com:0". You may also have to allow access to the X server on your local machine by opening up a term and typing something like:

# xhost + remotehost.mydomain.com

or

# xhost + username

You can allow everyone access from anywhere by typing:

# xhost +

(Note that their are security concerns with the last example)

Those commands should be done by root or using sudo, etc.

You probably don't have to use the fully qualified domain name for the hostnames. You can probably just omit the domain and use only the hostname. In any event, the ".domain" is your domain, e.g., myhost.mydomain.com. Whether or not you have to use your domain depends on a number of factors and is probably off topic so just try it without first and then with it if it doesn't work without it.

BTW - I guess it would be irresponsible of me not give you the "telnet is evil, ssh is your friend" spiel.

I know, i know, telnet sucks. It's a lab though so people don't bother setting up machines perfectly most of the time. We're just glad to have things up.

I hear ya, man. Enforcing security policies can be like pulling teeth and it may not be your call to do so but it's never a bad idea to remind someone of potential dangers and it's certainly not a bad thing to be reminded yourself, especially if you're glad things are up.

Let us know how it goes.

There must be a way for you to specify a remote X server at login time on your ubuntu workstation.

as said wolfperkins, there is a simple way to connect a remote X server at login time. If you use ubuntu, then you should have gnome installed by default and along with gnome comes gdm.

gdm can connect to a remote X server using XDMCP. In order to do that, when at your login screen, just click the "action" button and select "run xdmcp chooser" (i'm not currently on my ubuntu box, but i use gdm so it shouldn't be very different), then you'll have to choose your remote server from the list, or type its IP.

if you don't want to loose your current session, you can also run gdm in an nested X server on your box. shortcuts for me (again, it may be a little different) in gnome are, in the gnome main menu : system tools->new login in a nested window.

hope this helps