[X-Unix] SSH and GUI apps

[Mac Daddy]

VNC will let you see the whole Linux Desktop in a Timbuktu-kind of  
way. Check out the "Remote Desktop" System preference RHEL 5 has under  
one of its menus. YOUR PASSWORD IS NOT ENCRYPTED OVER THE CONNECTION  
THOUGH! A security risk. Bad! BAD! You can get around that with ssh  
port forwarding, which is a little more complicated than I will go  
into here. Go a-googling :)

But you can run the apps directly by themselves, which is what I was  
doing in my post. Just do an 'ssh -Y <username>@<machine>' from the  
Leopard Terminal. Then run the app from the command line. ssh encrypts  
your password, and all the data, so the security problem isn't there.

For example, type 'firefox' (or even better, 'firefox &', which will  
let you get your cli back. Try both and you'll see), and firefox under  
X11, from the RHEL5 box you're logged into, will run, sending its  
display to your Mac. If you're a newbie, a good way to really "get"  
this concept is to try a file download in this browser and watch as  
the Save dialog presents you the file system of the remote machine,  
NOT your Mac. It really is running there. You're just getting the  
window.

In Linux, the entire "Finder" and the apps are all in X-Windows, so  
you can do the same with any app (try typing 'nautilus &'). Not quite  
a need for the entirety of the Desktop when you can do this. If you  
can launch it from the command line when you're sitting AT the box, X- 
Windows will let you launch it from ANY command line on ANY box.

- md


On Dec 17, 2007, at 3:16 PM, Don Koller wrote:

> Can I ssh (from my Mac -- Terminal) to my new Red Hat Linux 5  
> server, and run graphical interface programs (like remote desktop—if  
> there is such a thing; or Firefox)?
> I’m running Leopard 10.5.1 on a dual 2.3GHz G5, with Xcode from  
> Leopard installed.
> I’m a Linux newbie.
>
> Don Koller
> Rockville, MD
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