Installing a windows system on B3?

[eramoli]

Hi,

Is it possible to install some kind of windwows/graphical system on B3?

I would like to have xterm or something like that to simplify the administration from my Windows 7 computer (xterm in one window, emacs in another and so on). Since I am a beginner as administrator I would appreciate all information.

/Morgan

[Kiff]

Not really an answer but more in the all information category, I usually just open multiple ssh sessions (Using Putty from the windows machine).

[novis]

Is it possible to install some kind of windwows/graphical system on B3?

B3 doesn't have a graphics card or output, so I would guess the answer is "no".

I usually just open multiple ssh sessions

Better yet, learn how screen works.

Cheers.

[Ubi]

wrong

the answer is "yes" if you learn how to run remote X sessions. All you need to install is the Xwindows server and some window manager like afterstep or sawfish. The client needs to be a unix or OSX system or microsoft with something like Cygwin/X installed.

[psykopatpastorn]

I suppose you could try to use one of those USB-connected video cards. Might be tough to get the right drivers running on bubba though.

[eramoli]

Thanks, I will look into this during the weekend.

/Morgan

wrong

the answer is "yes" if you learn how to run remote X sessions. All you need to install is the Xwindows server and some window manager like afterstep or sawfish. The client needs to be a unix or OSX system or microsoft with something like Cygwin/X installed.

[ryz]

I think that the answer to your question is no. You can not install a windows/graphical system on B3. You can however install an Linux/Unix graphical system (X11) on B3 and then install an X11 server on your Windows machine so that you can xforward the Linux/graphical system to Windows. That is the opposite way than you asked for.


You could either use an normal xserver on your windows machine like Cygwin/x http://x.cygwin.com/. This is fairly easy to setup since it only require that Bubba has the normal X11 libraries installed.

To install the needed X11 libraries on B3 run this command as root.

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apt-get install xbase-clients x11-common xterm

Note that I only have an B2 but it should be the same packages for B3.

You could also install an VNC server on Bubba and use and VCN client on your Windows machine. This will give better performance but is most likely more difficult to set up. There are many diffrent VNC servers and clients that you could use. There are several VNC servers that could be installed on the B3. Run this command to find out which.

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apt-cache search vncserver

[ryz]

I have now re read you first post eramoli and I am not totally sure that I understand what you really want to accomplish. But if you just want to run graphical application from the Bubba on your Windows 7 computer I have written an small How-to on that which you can find here. http://wiki.excito.org/wiki/index.php/T ... er_via_SSH

[Ubi]

I'd say Ryz is confusing a windowing system with microsoft windows. KDE and Gnome are generally defined as windowing systems and some of these applications were around by this name before microsoft came to the table. There's even a lawsuit about it.

But I agree I'm not sure whether this was the original question of the thread at all haha

Ubi

[ryz]

HM thats why it was a bad idea to let Microsoft copyright the name Windows.
But if you just want to run an xterm and emcas there is no need to install a desktop, windows/graphical system like kde, gnome or afterstep. This is only needed it you want to run specific application that requires the desktop but then the built in dependency solver in apt-get will fix it for you. It is also needed if you want to run an whole Linux desktop on your Windows pc but then I think you need to setup something like VNC. But it might be that gdm and xdm has something built in that can be used with an X11 server on the Windows PC to forward the whole desktop and not just individual windows.

[Ubi]

microsoft did not trademark the name windows. It was rejected in the english-speaking world
http://www.it4.me.uk/

[eramoli]

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback, I should have been more clear in my original question. What I would like to do is the following
* Log in to B3
* give the command "xterm -display MyWindows7Computer:0.0" (or something like that)
* Have the xterm pop on my Windows computer
* In that xterm be able to open other applications, like emacs, and have then open in a new window (small w) on my Windows7 computer

Executed the following command

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apt-get install xbase-clients x11-common xterm

got me X11 installed and I will now try configure cygwin/X and se if I can get it up and running.

/Morgan

[RandomUsername]

I remember doing this quite successfully when I first got my Bubba 2 - it was probably easier for me because I was doing it from a Linux box so didn't have to wrestle with Cygwin etc.

Although it was nice to say I achieved it I just couldn't see the point in it. B2 doesn't have the guts to be a desktop replacement and none of the built in apps require a GUI (beyond the web-based stuff already present) so it's just a waste of resources IMO.

[Cheeseboy]

Thanks for the feedback, I should have been more clear in my original question. What I would like to do is the following
* Log in to B3
* give the command "xterm -display MyWindows7Computer:0.0" (or something like that)
* Have the xterm pop on my Windows computer
* In that xterm be able to open other applications, like emacs, and have then open in a new window (small w) on my Windows7 computer

I've got that working just as you describe (but I'm using Win XP at work, not Win 7).
You just need to configure your ssh client to enable X11 forwarding.
If you are using Windows, you are probably using Putty as your SSH client.
In the Putty configuration window, expand the Connection -> SHH -> X11 tree nodes, and check the "Enable X11 forwarding" checkbox. Now when you connect and do:

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echo $DISPLAY

you should see something like:

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localhost:11.0

This will tell you that the SSH deamon on B3 has set the DISPLAY variable for your session and it should be forwarded back to your Windows box.
If you have installed Cygwin with X support, you should be able to start it with Start -> Programs -> Cygwing-X -> Xwin Server.
This also works with Hummingbird Exceed.

Now you should be able to start xterm on the command prompt without any arguments and have it pop up on your windows screen.

/Cheeseboy

[eramoli]

I now have this working, thanks all for your help!

/Morgan