I am using "ssh -X spoovy@server" to connect to several different remote server machines so I can run remote X apps on my local display. I clearly need to do some background reading on X, but i've got a couple of quick questions in the meantime if anyone wants to help me out.

After initiating an "ssh -X" session, I find that on some machines when i run a remote binary (say firefox) the window appears on my local screen with all my local firefox settings (including plugins etc). On other server machines this doesn't happen though - the user settings on the remote machine are used instead. In all cases there is a user "spoovy" on both local and remote machine. What are the rules on this behaviour; how does ssh -X decide whether to use local or remote user settings?

Also, I notice that when once I have an ssh -X session active (initiated from gnome-terminal, say), locally launched firefox binaries (ie from gnome menu) display the same phenomenon - ie sometimes the new firefox window will use the local firefox profile, sometimes the remote one. Why should a locally launched firefox binary use a remote profile, just because a terminal (being a completely seperate process) has a remote connection open? Doesn't make sense to me.

Thanks in advance,

spoov

That sounds interesting !!

When ssh is used with -X option, it sets up DISPLAY environ on the remote machine to be tunneled over SSH. Well. But it cannot export the remote FF profile and override the local settings.

What happens if you already ran a local FF instance and do FF from remote over 'ssh -x'?

I've not been able to get back onto the machine(s) in question again yet, but i'm thinking it must be something to do with profiles being stored in RAM (where I think you were heading!). This would fit the symptoms (possibly): once ff has been launched from either local or remote machine, the profile it used is sticking around in RAM, to be used by any subsequent binary, whatever its origin, until RAM is flushed. I'll test when I get time.

edit - or is the whole thing being, binary and profile, kept in RAM?

Sticking in RAM on which machine? When you start Firefox remote, it will use the remote profiles, as the remote Firefox won’t have access to anything on the client.

But: some settings for the locale (man locale) will be forwarded from your local machine to the remote session by ssh and honored there. This might indeed change the behavior of some remote applications.