Hi, First off i don't think i'm uning the correct terms... but here gos... I have got an Xserver on my linux box, i've installed a X terminal emulator on my Windows box (X-Win32) this works fine. First of all are there any free X terminal emulators for windows? and are there any X terminal emulators for Mac? Thanks Marcus
On Wed, 5 Sep 2001, Marcus Birkin wrote:
Hi, First off i don't think i'm uning the correct terms... but here gos... I have got an Xserver on my linux box, i've installed a X terminal emulator on my Windows box (X-Win32) this works fine. First of all are there any free X terminal emulators for windows? and are there any X terminal emulators for Mac?
Technically the X terminal software (the bit that runs on the computer you sit at) is called the X server, and the programs you run on the Terminal Server (the Linux box) are called X clients. It's a bit counter-intuitive. You can run the Cygwin/XFree86 X server on Windows and it's free software (GPL). You can download a nicely pre-packaged version from http://www.fensystems.co.uk/CygXF86.zip This version includes some enhancements made by Fen Systems such as automatic detection of the current Windows screen size and colour depth. It is tested on Windows 95 and 98, and could also work under NT/2000. If it doesn't work, please e-mail me with the relevant information and I'll try to fix it. As for the Mac - if you run Mac OS X then you're already running an X server, since Mac OS X is a UNIX variant. You can get Linux distributions for PPC Macs if you want to use them *only* as X servers (i.e. thin client terminals) - for example, Mandrake Linux 8.0 has now been released for PPC. The MI/X X server is available as freeware for the Mac. The Windows version is somewhat limited and definitely not worth using now that Cygwin/XFree86 is available, but the Mac version looks as though it should be OK. You can get this from http://www.microimages.com/freestuf/mix/macindex.htm A few caveats: it doesn't support xauth (so there's nothing to prevent any user opening a window on your desktop, seizing control of your keyboard etc.) and nor does it support XDMCP (so you can't get a pretty graphical login screen like you can with Cygwin/XFree86 or 'normal' Linux boxes). It also doesn't come supplied with the 'standard' X set of fonts - you have to download and install these separately (and no, you can't use a font server to get round it!). HTH, Michael Brown http://www.fensystems.co.uk/ -- Fen Systems: Computers for Schools, Software for Free
I don't think that's exactly right: if I'm not mistaken Mac OS X has its own graphics system, but you can run X on it. On Wed, 5 Sep 2001, Michael Brown wrote:
As for the Mac - if you run Mac OS X then you're already running an X server, since Mac OS X is a UNIX variant. You can get Linux distributions for PPC Macs if you want to use them *only* as X servers (i.e. thin client terminals) - for example, Mandrake Linux 8.0 has now been released for PPC.
-- ------------------- Roger Whittaker SuSE Linux Ltd The Kinetic Centre Theobald Street Borehamwood Herts WD6 4PJ ------------------ 020 8387 1482 ------------------ roger@suse.co.uk ------------------
On Wed, 5 Sep 2001, Roger Whittaker wrote:
As for the Mac - if you run Mac OS X then you're already running an X server, since Mac OS X is a UNIX variant. You can get Linux distributions for PPC Macs if you want to use them *only* as X servers (i.e. thin client terminals) - for example, Mandrake Linux 8.0 has now been released for PPC. I don't think that's exactly right: if I'm not mistaken Mac OS X has its own graphics system, but you can run X on it.
You're probably right; I haven't used or studied Mac OS X - I just assumed that since it was based on UNIX it would use X-Windows. I do know that XFree86 can be run on top of Mac OS X, however. Michael
Hi Markus, I see that Michael has given you a good answer regarding X servers for Windows and Mac. Another possibility is VNC. You can get a VNC viewer to run on Linux, Windows, and (I think) the mac. You can configure your Linux box to run VNC servers to behave exactly like X does, using XDMCP to give you the GUI login etc. The other benefits of VNC are that you can put VNC servers on a windows box (and again I think Mac's too) and remotely control those. However, if you've already got X-win32 and only you need it, stick with that. Gary On Wednesday 05 September 2001 2:37 am, Marcus Birkin wrote:
Hi, First off i don't think i'm uning the correct terms... but here gos...
I have got an Xserver on my linux box, i've installed a X terminal emulator on my Windows box (X-Win32) this works fine. First of all are there any free X terminal emulators for windows? and are there any X terminal emulators for Mac?
Thanks Marcus
-- Gary Stainburn This email does not contain private or confidential material as it may be snooped on by interested government parties for unknown and undisclosed purposes - Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, 2000
First off i don't think i'm uning the correct terms... but here gos...
For some background reading/terminology, it may be worth having a read through the XDM and X Terminal Mini Howto from the Linux Documentation Project (http://www.linuxdoc.org/). It gives a reasonable (in my opinion - but then I would say that, as I wrote it :) description of the bits involved in configuring remote logons, etc using X and XDM ... May be of some use.
Technically the X terminal software (the bit that runs on the computer you sit at) is called the X server, and the programs you run on the Terminal Server (the Linux box) are called X clients. It's a bit counter-intuitive.
Hmm I wouldn't say that as such - you just have remember that a server serves up resources - in the case of an X server the resources that it is providing are the screen and keyboard/mouse - which it provides to the X clients (the applications).
You can run the Cygwin/XFree86 X server on Windows and it's free software
I have used this - it worked a treat for me. I just downloaded the binary distribution from cygwin.redhat.com and it installed and worked fine 'out of the box'. I even got it doing queries to XDM (running on my LInux box), giving me a complete remote desktop session (seeing KDE running in a Window on my NT machine was very satisfying) - all good stuff. Kevin. (Comments are always welcome - especially contructive criticism or contributions. as that makes things better)
On Thu, 6 Sep 2001, Kevin Taylor wrote:
Technically the X terminal software (the bit that runs on the computer you sit at) is called the X server, and the programs you run on the Terminal Server (the Linux box) are called X clients. It's a bit counter-intuitive. Hmm I wouldn't say that as such - you just have remember that a server serves up resources - in the case of an X server the resources that it is providing are the screen and keyboard/mouse - which it provides to the X clients (the applications).
*I* know that, but when talking or thinking about any kind of client/server architecture there's always a tendency to visualise one (or a few) servers in the middle and lots of client stations connecting to them. Hence it can be confusing when you try to explain to someone that the "clients" in their thin-client network are actually running X servers whereas the "servers" are running the X client software. I generally try to avoid potential sources of misunderstanding and refer to "application servers" and "client workstations", leaving out any mention of "X servers" or "X clients" altogether. :-) Michael
*I* know that
Good stuff :) This was for the benefit of Marcus, as confusing or not, this is the terminology that is used, and I was just trying to explain why it is used.
Hence it can be confusing when you try to explain to someone that the "clients" in their thin-client network are actually running X servers whereas the "servers" are running the X client software.
Until you explain *why* they are called X servers.
I generally try to avoid potential sources of misunderstanding and refer to "application servers" and "client workstations", leaving out any mention of "X servers" or "X clients" altogether. :-)
A good aim, but like it or not X server *is* a term that is very widely used, and it is less confusing (IMO) if someone actually understands why it is called a server. Of cause Marcus - if you have long since switched off, then just ignore the above and read/remember what is appropriate to you. Kevin.
participants (6)
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Gary Stainburn -
Kevin Taylor -
Kevin Taylor -
Marcus Birkin -
Michael Brown -
Roger Whittaker