Question

Setting up and starting GNOME or other GUI on Solaris 10

Asked by: wrguy

I'm new to Solaris and I'm working remotely using PuTTY and Xming on Windows PC to connect to a Solaris 10 Sun server.  I'd like to use an OS GUI like gnome or similar.  Do I need to install anything (there is something in /usr/gnome/share/applications but doesnt look like much) if so where from how?   If not how do I configure or set up gnome or somthing equivalent?
Thanks!

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Asked On
2007-06-19 at 09:34:45ID22643725
Tags

solaris

,

10

,

gnome

Topics

Unix Setup

,

Sun Solaris

,

Unix Operating Systems

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
15

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Answers

 

by: nixfreakPosted on 2007-06-19 at 09:43:19ID: 19317598

Just use JDS (Java Desktop System) it's basically gnome. JDS is bundled by default on Solaris 10 and is infact the default GUI env. in recent S10 updates.

 

by: wrguyPosted on 2007-06-19 at 09:47:14ID: 19317633

OK, great - how do I start JDS from the command line?

 

by: nixfreakPosted on 2007-06-19 at 10:26:45ID: 19317974

Use Xming http://freedesktop.org/wiki/Xming#head-a9939c8345066d806512584a8ed97f2c3bf0ad79
Try starting X with the server hostname.
If that doesn't work then you will have to configure the Solaris server as an xdmcpserver.

 

by: nixfreakPosted on 2007-06-19 at 10:27:35ID: 19317979

 

by: wrguyPosted on 2007-06-19 at 13:32:16ID: 19319594

Thanks.  I have Xming set up.   What I need to know is exactly what do I type on them Solaris command line to get JDS to start? (Or am I missing the point)?

 

by: nixfreakPosted on 2007-06-19 at 13:42:17ID: 19319688

If everything is setup correctly you would get a Solaris graphical login when you connect to the server using xming.

 

by: wrguyPosted on 2007-06-20 at 07:57:04ID: 19325146

What I'm doing is loggin into to the server using PuTTY with SSH and X11 forwarding turned on.  Xming is running on my local PC.  I can start other apps from the PuTTY session and the GUI windows just appear.  I'm hoping there is a way of staring gnome (which appears to be pre-installed) or JDS from the PuTTY session.  If not, how do I directly connect to the server with Xming?  I have XLaunch installed on my PC  but I've never suceeded in getting it to do anything.

Thanks.

 

by: JustUNIXPosted on 2007-07-03 at 01:41:55ID: 19409619

Enable CDE login service with
  /usr/dt/bin/dtconfig -e

Now, use XDMCP on you X Server (Xming) to select the Solaris host.

 

by: wrguyPosted on 2007-07-03 at 05:56:18ID: 19410687

Hi - thanks for your answer.  I ran the script and it appeared to work:

root@drno # /usr/dt/bin/dtconfig -e
done
desktop auto-start enabled.

I used XLaunch to open a session via XDMCP and an empty X window opened but there were no running clients such as a desktop environment - ie. I had an empty window with an X mouse pointer in it.

Can XDMCP be used over the public internet (which is what I am doing)?   Does it use the same port as PuTTY or do I need to open another port?  Is XDMCP secure?

Thanks for your help!
 

 

by: JustUNIXPosted on 2007-07-03 at 06:51:38ID: 19411106

XDM (the X Display manager) usually listens on port 177 for requests (which a dedicated port nukber for this service). See also man page xdm(1)

It serves as a "Display Chooser". Once you get connected, your X11 session will run normally (ports 6000 and up) or through ssh-tunnel (if you use X11-forwarding, which I'd suggest.

 

by: JustUNIXPosted on 2007-07-03 at 06:53:26ID: 19411130

Try to start a Windows manager, once connected (dtwm, metacity, etc.)

 

by: wrguyPosted on 2007-07-03 at 14:52:13ID: 19415063

Thanks.  I'll give this a try when I can get the port 177 opened up.

 

by: NukfrorPosted on 2007-07-10 at 08:25:20ID: 19454575

Not in a million years should you be doing XDMCP over a public network.

Why not use VNC ?

X11 is SSSSSOOOO network heavy.  I personally haven't used XDM in years - too many security issues relating to its use.  I use the following script as my VNC xstartup script.  In  my .profile (or whatever) I create a ENV variable called DEFAULT_WM with a value of my preferred display manager tweaking the script as necessary.

Depending on where I'm setting it up, I may have the Solaris machine setup to block everything except incoming SSH and then tunnel VNC traffic through it or I'll leave it open (like here at home).

#!/bin/sh
# $XConsortium: xinitrc.cpp,v 1.4 91/08/22 11:41:34 rws Exp $

userresources=$HOME/.Xresources
usermodmap=$HOME/.Xmodmap
sysresources=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/.Xresources
sysmodmap=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap

# merge in defaults and keymaps

if [ -f $sysresources ]; then
    xrdb -merge $sysresources
fi

if [ -f $sysmodmap ]; then
    xmodmap $sysmodmap
fi

if [ -f $userresources ]; then
    xrdb -merge $userresources
fi

if [ -f $usermodmap ]; then
    xmodmap $usermodmap
fi

# start some nice programs

case ${DEFAULT_WM} in
   # TWM
   [Tt][Ww][Mm])
      /usr/X11R6/bin/twm &
      xclock -geometry 50x50-1+1 &
      xterm -geometry 80x40+223-97 &
      xterm -geometry 80x40-42-0 &
      exec xterm -geometry 80x40+0+0 -name last-process
   ;;
   # ICEWM
   [Ii][Cc][Ee][Ww][Mm])
      /usr/X11R6/bin/icewm &
      xclock -geometry 50x50-1+1 &
      xterm -geometry 80x40+223-97 &
      xterm -geometry 80x40-42-0 &
      exec xterm -geometry 80x40+0+0 -name last-process
   ;;
   # KDE
   [Kk][Dd][Ee])
      exec /usr/local/bin/startkde
   ;;
   # Gnome
   [Gg][Nn][Oo][Mm][Ee])
      exec gnome-session
   ;;
   # Enlightenment
   [Ee][Nn][Ll][Ii][Gg][Hh][Tt][Ee][Nn][Mm][Ee][Nn][Tt])
      exec enlightenment
   ;;
   # Blackbox
   [Bb][Ll][Aa][Cc][Kk][Bb][Oo][Xx])
      # File must be setup for wheel group with read-only group priv and
      # I must be member of wheel group for xconsole to work.
      xterm -geometry 80x24+0+16 &
      xterm -geometry 80x24-14+16 &
      #wmnd &
      #/usr/local/bin/bubblemon &
      exec /usr/X11R6/bin/blackbox
   ;;
   # XFCE
   [Xx][Ff][Cc][Ee])
      startxfce4
   ;;

   # Fluxbox
   [Ff][Ll][Uu][Xx][Bb][Oo][Xx])
      # File must be setup for wheel group with read-only group priv and
      # I must be member of wheel group for xconsole to work.
      xterm -sl 5000 -sb -geometry 80x24+0+16 &
      xterm -sl 5000 -sb -geometry 80x24-14+16 &
      #wmnd &
      #/usr/local/bin/bubblemon &
      if [ -f /usr/local/bin/display ]; then
         exec fluxbox
      else
         exec fluxbox -rc ${HOME}/.fluxbox-noDISPLAY/init
      fi
   ;;

   *)
      echo
      echo "Put the crack pipe down and step away from the computer ..."
      echo "You either ran startx without an argument or the window"
      echo "manager you want to run is not configured in your .xinitrc."
      echo "Check windows managers available and update your .xinitrc"
      echo "accordingly."
      exit 1
   ;;
esac

 

by: wrguyPosted on 2007-07-23 at 08:03:10ID: 19548081

Hi Nukfror,

Thanks for this.  I've been away a while and have only just had time to look at your message.  I'll give this try.

Thanks.

 

by: wrguyPosted on 2007-09-18 at 09:27:11ID: 19914352

I've not had time to properly test this out but Nukfrors suggestion looks the most promising.   Since the question has been open for ages I'm going to award the points now.

Thanks for all the comments.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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