July 20, 2008 01:33am pdt

1. gheist 8,464
2. blu 2,000
2. agriesser 2,000
2. LinuxNtw... 2,000
2. itsmeand... 2,000
2. sjturner2 2,000
2. BillDL 2,000
2. siliconbrit 2,000
2. nobus 2,000
10. ahoffmann 1,500
10. and235100 1,500
12. duncan_roe 1,000
13. paulop1975 800
13. donmanrobb 800
13. Sheharya... 800

1. Gns 163,977
2. gheist 130,195
3. jlevie 40,717
4. rindi 26,034
5. wesly_chen 24,069
6. ahoffmann 18,000
7. knollbert 10,725
8. slyong 10,382
9. griessh 6,850
10. garisoain 6,630
11. xberry 5,770
12. dorward 5,435
13. sunnycoder 5,300
14. b_vishwajit 4,980
15. Nukfror 4,968

02.26.2004 at 10:28PM PST, ID: 20899808

	[x] Attachment Details

[x]

The Solution Rating System

With so many solutions, how can you tell which solutions are most likely to help you and which ones are not? To provide you with a tool to use, we rate our solutions based on various elements that most accurately determine if a solution is a quality solution. To explain what factors affect the solution rating, here are the elements we take into consideration when formulating our solution rating.

The Grade of the Solution
The Zone Rank of the Expert Providing the Solution
The Number of Author and Expert Comments
The Number of Experts Contributing
The Feedback of the Community

Your Input Matters
Because of the way the system is set up, the most important variable in this equation is you. As a member of Experts Exchange, you are able to cast your vote on the quality of the solutions in regard to how complete, accurate, helpful and easy to understand each solution is. When you provide your feedback, each rating is adjusted accordingly. So, if you see a solution that has a poor rating that you think is a good solution, let us know by rating it. As you do, the rating will be adjusted and will become more accurate for other members of our site.

If you have any suggestions that you would like to make for our rating system, please ask a question in the Suggestions Zone of Community Support.

Thank you!

5.8

cygwin xwin -multiwindow

Zone: X-Windows Window Manager

Tags: cygwin, xwin, display

I am a linux on windows newbie and would like to find out how to setup cygwin to produce a display like they show in the screenshots on their website of each program opening in its own window. I have figured out how to open the particular remote applications I need to work with from with the single window environment, but this requires an xhost +domainname command to be run prior to the application being successfully launched from within ssh. Is there anyway to do this in the multiwindow environment? I don't see any kind of terminal to enter the command, and entering the command in the main cygwin window before typing startx doesn't work.

Thanks for the help anyone. Hopefully, this was the right place to post this question?

Start your free trial to view this solution

Question Stats

Zone: OS

Question Asked By: netminder39

Solution Provided By: Gns

Participating Experts: 1

Solution Grade: A

Translate:

Loading Advertisement...

Microsoft

Internet Protocols
Applications

Development
OS

Hardware
Windows Security

Apple

Operating Systems
Hardware

Programming
Networking

Software

Internet

Search Engines
File Sharing
WebTrends / Stats
Spy / Ad Blockers

Web Browsers
New Net Users
Web Development
Chat / IM

Anti Spam
Web Servers
Anti-Virus
Email Clients

Gamers

Tips
Online / MMORPG
Puzzle
Emulators

Action / Adventure
Role Playing
Consoles
Game Programming

Strategy
Sports
Misc
Computer Games

Digital Living

Hardware
Automotive
New Net Users
New Users

Software
Digital Music
Gaming World
Home Security

Apple
Networking Hardware

Virus & Spyware

Vulnerabilities
IDS
Encryption
Anti-Virus

Operating Systems Security
Software Firewalls
WebApplications
Cell Phones

Operating Systems
Internet
Hardware Firewalls

Hardware

Displays / Monitors
Handhelds / PDAs
Components
Peripherals
Laptops/Notebooks

Servers
Misc
Apple
Embedded Hardware
Networking Hardware

Storage
Desktops
New Users

Software

System Utilities
Industry Specific
Network Management
Photos / Graphics
Page Layout
VMware
Misc
Web Development

OS
CYGWIN
Voice Recognition
Virtualization
Message Queue
Quality Assurance
Security
Firewalls

MultiMedia Applications
Development
Database
Office / Productivity
Business Management
OS/2 Apps
Server Software
Internet / Email

ITPro

OS
Storage
Encryption
Operating Systems Security
Apple Hardware
Laptops & Notebooks
Servers
Networking Hardware
Peripherals
Devices

Displays / Monitors
WebTrends / Stats
Search Engines
Firewalls
Web Computing
WebApplications
IDS
Vulnerabilities
Email Clients
File Sharing

Spy / Ad Blockers
Web Browsers
Web Servers
Networking
Anti-Virus
Consulting
Chat / IM
Anti Spam

Developer

Web Servers
Web Browsers
Game Programming
Dev Tools
Industry Specific
Office / Productivity

Database
CYGWIN
Web Development
Search Engines
File Sharing
WebTrends / Stats

Programming
Content Management
Application Servers
Protocols

Storage

Removable Backup Media
Storage Technology
Servers

Grid
Remote Access
Backup / Restore

Misc
Hard Drives

Miscellaneous
Security
Development
Linux
VMware

MainFrame OS
Unix
Apple
OS / 2
AS / 400

BeOS
Microsoft
VMS / OpenVMS

Database

Oracle
Miscellaneous
MySQL
Software
Sybase
Contact Management
PostgreSQL
Data Manipulation
Clarion
InterSystems Cache

Siebel
MUMPS
OLAP
SQLBase
SAS
GIS & GPS
4GL
Berkeley DB
DB2
Informix

Interbase / Firebird
FoxPro
Reporting
LDAP
Filemaker Pro
MS SQL Server
dBase
MS Access

Security

Misc
Web Browsers
Software Firewalls
Operating Systems Security
File Sharing

Spy / Ad Blockers
Vulnerabilities
WebApplications
IDS
Anti-Virus

Encryption
Anti Spam
Email Clients
VPN
Chat / IM

Programming

Editors IDEs
Installation
Handhelds / PDAs
Multimedia Programming
System / Kernel
Automation

Algorithms
Game
Signal Processing
Project Management
Open Source
Database

Misc
Languages
Processor Platforms
Theory

Web Development

Scripting
Blogs
Web Servers
Software
Search Engines
Web Graphics
Web Services

Images
Internet Marketing
Images and Photos
Components
Document Imaging
Web Languages/Standards
Illustration

WebApplications
Fonts
WebTrends / Stats
Authoring
Digital Camera Software
Miscellaneous

Networking

Protocols
Apple Networking
Network Management
Message Queue
Application Servers
Content Management
File Servers
Email Servers
Misc
Java Editors & IDEs

Wireless
Networking Hardware
Backup / Restore
System Utilities
ISPs & Hosting
Web Servers
Storage Technology
Removable Backup Media
Servers
Web Computing

Broadband
Grid
OS / 2
Novell Netware
Unix Networking
Windows Networking
Security
Telecommunications
Operating Systems
Linux Networking

Other

Lounge
Business Travel
Community Support
New Net Users

Philosophy / Religion
Math / Science
Miscellaneous
URLs

Expert Lounge
Politics
Puzzles / Riddles
Automotive

Community Support

Suggestions
New to EE
New Topics
CleanUp

Announcements
General
Feedback

Input
EE Bugs

02.27.2004 at 06:01AM PST, ID: 10469199

Rank: Guru

Gns:

As can be seen on http://x.cygwin.com/docs/ug/configure-cygwin-xfree-options.html you need specify the correct commandline option...
XWin -multiwindow
will let windoze decorate/manage the windows... While
XWin -rootless
will make the X root window transparant (making the apps float above the windows dittos... this needs a windowmanager to be run too:)

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 06:06AM PST, ID: 10469246

Rank: Guru

Gns:

BTW, you shouldn't need any xhost +... command. ssh -X would be all you'd need ... Setting the DISPLAY on the remote side so that all traffic moves through the ssh tunnel, and (and this is a real neat thing) making the traffic look like it's local to the local machine. So just fire up "XWin -multiwindow", "ssh -X remote" and on the remote start whatever app you need.... try it out with an xterm;-).

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 06:23AM PST, ID: 10469401

Rank: Guru

Gns:

If you have problems with the cygwin ssh, do try putty (I just tested with ... mixed results.... for ssh:-). Find putty at http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 06:27AM PST, ID: 10469434

netminder39:

Here's what I need help with: I can double click the Cygwin icon, type in "XWin -multiwindow", but then what? I don't see a terminal!!!

If I just type just "startx" I can enter my commands in the terminal that pops up in the X window (i.e. "xhost +134.456.789.012" and "ssh -X -l myusername 123.456.789.012"). Unfortunately, I have tried without the xhost but it will not work for some reason.

Once logged in to 123.456.789.012 I simply type "setenv DISPLAY 135.791.246.802:0.0" then say "/usr/openwin/bin/xclock".

where 123.456.789.012 is a sample name for the computer I'm connecting to
and 135.791.246.802 is a sample name for the computer I'm connecting from
(which I get by looking at the last logged in line)

02.27.2004 at 06:28AM PST, ID: 10469444

netminder39:

I have tried putty but it doesn't allow me to use xhost+ anywhere I can see. Plus if I understand correctly it doesn't handle the xwindow part just the ssh??

02.27.2004 at 06:29AM PST, ID: 10469453

netminder39:

(because the xhost+ command has to be typed on my local machine and it takes me straight to the ssh login prompt)

02.27.2004 at 06:37AM PST, ID: 10469529

Rank: Guru

Gns:

The first command should be:
XWin -multiwindow &
to put X in the background... leaves the terminal free for the next command (or just start two bash windows):
ssh -X myusername@123.456.789.012
which will (hopefully) connect you to the remote host, and establish the relevant tunnel for X as well as set the DISPLAY environment variable for the remote shell to something like localhost:10 ... on the remote (after connecting) you can verify this with
echo $DISPLAY
and perhaps
xterm
... should be all needed.
If that doesn't work for you, please report back, and we'll see what might be the problem... As said, at least one incarnation of ssh that I've tried with has some issues with setting up the X tunnel correctly. This is why I suggested you might try putty, since I know this to be rock-solid for that.

I'll repeat: you do _not_ need the xhost +whatever.domain because the traffic relevant to X will appear to be local to both machines. If you set the DISPLAY to go to your windows machine directly, you'd need the xhost thing for that, you would not use the ssh tunnel for X.

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 06:45AM PST, ID: 10469597

Rank: Guru

Gns:

With putty: enter the relevant name/address (don't forget to choose ssh) then expand/choose Connection->SSH->Tunnels and make sure you've checkmarked "X11 forwarding" and that the local display looks ok (it should be "localhost:0"). Then click Open. When you are connected, putty should have set the DISPLAY for you already.

Tunneling X will waste some bandwidth, since the encryption will "bloat" the X traffic a bit. You can counteract this with compression (-C flag to ssh, Connection->SSH and checkmark "Enable compression" in putty).

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 06:51AM PST, ID: 10469669

netminder39:

here is my relevant output from cygwin (don't know I didn't think of the & before, thanks):

tcsh: using dumb terminal settings
myusername@123.456.789.012> echo $DISPLAY
DISPLAY: Undefined variable.
bdeckard@123.456.789.012> xterm
xterm Xt error: Can't open display:
bdeckard@123.456.789.012>

I get the exact same results, minus the tcsh line using PuTTY with X11 Forwarding enabled.

02.27.2004 at 07:03AM PST, ID: 10469758

Rank: Guru

Gns:

Hm, might be that the remote isn't allowing X11 forwarding... If you set DISPLAY manually like this (use putty)
setenv DISPLAY localhost:10
xterm
Still no joy? If so, look at the remote machines sshd_config you should have something like
X11Forwarding yes
#X11DisplayOffset 10
#X11UseLocalhost yes
(the two remarked lines show the default values)

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 07:21AM PST, ID: 10469914

netminder39:

still no luck.

the system wide file has ForwardX11 no, but I had previously tried changing my user file to yes. These are the only settings available. Should I add more?

# Host *
# ForwardAgent no
# ForwardX11 yes
# PubkeyAuthentication yes
# PasswordAuthentication yes
# FallBackToRsh no
# UseRsh no
# BatchMode no
# CheckHostIP yes
# StrictHostKeyChecking ask
# EscapeChar ~

if not, is there any way to just use xhost + in cygwin before calling xwin -multiwindow &. When I try that I get a "Can't open display message" (the only way I've gotten it to work is by running startx and then typing it in that terminal)

02.27.2004 at 07:29AM PST, ID: 10469985

netminder39:

I just added those two lines to my file and now got this response (in PuTTY):

Xlib: connection to "localhost:10.0" refused by server
Xlib: Client is not authorized to connect to Server
xterm Xt error: Can't open display: localhost:10

so is there anyway to make xhost work with multiwindow like I originally asked?

02.27.2004 at 07:39AM PST, ID: 10470060

Rank: Guru

Gns:

Yes. The cygwin bash window is all you need for that:
export DISPLAY=:0
xhost
xhost +whatever.you.like

I think you've been looking at the wrong file though. ssh_config is for the ssh client, while sshd_config is for the sshd server.
The relevant one to look at is on the remote machine.

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 07:49AM PST, ID: 10470146

netminder39:

the only file I've changed on the server is under my home folder as ~/.ssh/config

when I tried typing the first two commands in the cygwin window I get this response:
xhost: unable to open display ":0"

Is there something I'm missing here? I downloaded cygwin then added the openssh package and the complete XFree86.

02.27.2004 at 07:52AM PST, ID: 10470167

netminder39:

btw, if you get the xhost method to work opening in multiwindow I'm going to boost points to 250 for all your time. If we somehow get ssh alone to do the job I think this is worth a full 500 points.

02.27.2004 at 08:03AM PST, ID: 10470264

Rank: Guru

Gns:

> the only file I've changed on the server is under my home folder as ~/.ssh/config
Yes, and this is not the one you should look at.
You should be looking at something like /etc/ssh/sshd_config on the remote.
That file has a completely different look (the one you qouted above is for the ssh client).

> when I tried typing the first two commands in the cygwin window I get this response:
> xhost: unable to open display ":0"
Strange. Did you have XWin running at the time? And just to be sure, you ran that in the cygwin bash window on the local windoze machine?

-- Glenn

Accepted Solution

02.27.2004 at 08:12AM PST, ID: 10470331

netminder39:

actually both files look exactly the same, but I don't have edit rights to the other one (/ect/ssh/sshd_config)

right on with the other comment, I didn't have XWin running.

so presto, you've earned at least 250 points. Any other suggestions on ssh other than contact the system administrator?

If not then I'll award the points. Thanks so much.

02.27.2004 at 08:15AM PST, ID: 10470364

Rank: Guru

Gns:

Great that at least something works:-).

Apart from talking to the sysadm... nope. If sshd won't allow X11 forwarding, there's not much to do:-).

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 08:17AM PST, ID: 10470371

Rank: Guru

Gns:

When you talk to him/her, do stress that letting X fly all over the network is worse than letting it pass through a nice (compressed) tunnel,,, from a security standpoint;-).

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 08:17AM PST, ID: 10470373

netminder39:

wait a minute though, why is the xterm window not popping up with my file system instead of the remote file system?

02.27.2004 at 08:20AM PST, ID: 10470410

Rank: Guru

Gns:

Cygwin has an xterm, perhaps that is the one you're starting, not the one on the remote?

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 08:20AM PST, ID: 10470416

netminder39:

nevermind that, it worked fine. I don't know what the eror was. Thanks again.

02.27.2004 at 08:23AM PST, ID: 10470437

Rank: Guru

Gns:

You're wellcome.
Having a lot of xterms from a host of machines sometimes makes it very easy to ... mix things up. If that was it, you wouldn't be the first (nor the last... this is personal experience talking:-).

-- Glenn

02.27.2004 at 08:26AM PST, ID: 10470464

netminder39:

Our messages crossed, what you said about the cygwin xterm makes sense. Again thanks for A+++ help!

03.02.2004 at 03:07AM PST, ID: 10493894

Rank: Guru

Gns:

just some additional info, to clear some "obfuscation" on my part regarding cygwins ssh command... I said:
> If you have problems with the cygwin ssh, do try putty (I just tested with ... mixed results.... for ssh:-)....

Well, my memory isn't as good as I sometime think it is...:-)
For ssh -X to work (the cygwin incarnation), you need have the DISPLAY environment variable set already... Prior to starting ssh, just do
export DISPLAY=:0
in the cygwin bash window (and perhaps start the local local X server too:-)... Works as well as putty.

Sorry for that.

Did you ever decide to bother your admin about allowing sshd to forward X?

-- Glenn

20080236-EE-VQP-29