Difference between revisions of "Access the display on a remote computer"

Revision as of 10:54, 8 February 2009

You want to access an X11 session that already exists.

Reasons can be

someone is running Linux and requesting support from you
you want to train a user how to work with a specific gui software
you have left your desktop computer and want to continue work in front of the TV (Simpsons coming) on your notebook

So let's assume you want to access an X11 session of user on the computer user-desktop. Go to your computer and do:

you@your-computer $ ssh user@user-desktop
user@user-desktop $ export DISPLAY=:0
user@user-desktop $ x11vnc

The program x11vnc tells you where to connect. The line will read like

The VNC desktop is:      user-desktop:0

Connect from your notebook:

you@your-computer $ vncviewer user-desktop:0

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
-Go to your notebook and do:
+So let's assume you want to access an X11 session of ''user'' on the computer ''user-desktop''.
-  user@user-notebook $ ssh user@user-desktop
+Go to your computer and do:
+  you@your-computer $ ssh user@user-desktop
   user@user-desktop $ export DISPLAY=:0
   user@user-desktop $ x11vnc
@@ Line 14: / Line 15: @@
   The VNC desktop is:      user-desktop:0
 Connect from your notebook:
-  user@user-notebook $ vncviewer user-desktop:0
+  you@your-computer $ vncviewer user-desktop:0