Xfce Forum

mabra

Member

Registered: 2015-09-05

Posts: 61

How to start a panel or menu via 'ssh -X' ??

Hello!

I am using 'ssh -X' a lot together with an remote box running
xfce4 and it would be really great, if I could start
a launcher instead of entering all commands manually.
Probably the best option would be to run the whisker-menu!
Any tips,how to make this?

Thanks,
Manfred

Maliuta

Member

From: Brisbane, Australia

Registered: 2024-12-06

Posts: 2

Re: How to start a panel or menu via 'ssh -X' ??

Hi mabra,

I am using 'ssh -X' a lot together with an remote box running
xfce4 and it would be really great, if I could start
a launcher instead of entering all commands manually.
Probably the best option would be to run the whisker-menu!
Any tips,how to make this?

It sounds like what you want is a remote desktop. This is best done with something like xnest and/or XDMCP, VNC, or RDP server on the remote host. Since you are using ssh for remote access you should be able to tie that server to the localhost: i.e. the remote host would have XDMCP running headless attached to the local host IP addresses:

 127.0.0.1 and ::1

It is worth noting that although XDMCP was designed for this, it was designed to be done over a LAN, not a WAN - so it can get a bit laggy and packet heavy. There are more \[network\] slim versions out there. Personally I don't see the value of running GUI apps on a remote server (especially one not on the local network), but have use X forwarding in a pinch (or when there is no other option - things like DRAC or iLO.

Last edited by Maliuta (2024-12-08 19:05:16)

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Nikolai Lusan

mabra

Member

Registered: 2015-09-05

Posts: 61

Re: How to start a panel or menu via 'ssh -X' ??

Hi mabra,

I am using 'ssh -X' a lot together with an remote box running
xfce4 and it would be really great, if I could start
a launcher instead of entering all commands manually.
Probably the best option would be to run the whisker-menu!
Any tips,how to make this?

It sounds like what you want is a remote desktop. This is best done with something like xnest and/or XDMCP, VNC, or RDP server on the remote host. Since you are using ssh for remote access you should be able to tie that server to the localhost: i.e. the remote host would have XDMCP running headless attached to the local host IP addresses:

 127.0.0.1 and ::1

It is worth noting that although XDMCP was designed for this, it was designed to be done over a LAN, not a WAN - so it can get a bit laggy and packet heavy. There are more \[network\] slim versions out there. Personally I don't see the value of running GUI apps on a remote server (especially one not on the local network), but have use X forwarding in a pinch (or when there is no other option - things like DRAC or iLO.

Hallo!

Much thanks for your reply!

Additional info: For real remote scenarios I am using ether xrdp or x2go(client/server),
which will work ok over WAN (for my VPS, even ssh -X is acceptable).
But this is for apps running in one or the other of my VMs,  running on my local host, which are
connected via loacl bridge with speed between 10-35 Gb/s - so no problem, "better as LAN" :-)

But I do not want a full desktop, I want seamless window(s) and a simplified starter for them.
Currently I use  ssh -X and can show the apps directly on my desktop or a running
Xephyr server. I could create desktop files, but this is too much work and a separate
launcher appeared for me as an idea. Said this, x2go is too ugly and has bad integration
into the local host and session maintenance dos not work (but "sound for free"). The latter
is silimar to xpra, you forgot probly what was running in a remote session, if you login again.

I never found instructions to make a remote xfce-session/login or xdmcp, but both
would only offer desktop-sessions.

Regrds,
Manfred