I would like to set up VMware on Slackware; put on a WM or DE; and
access it over the internet from any connected box (Windows or Unix).
What general guidelines should I follow and what pitfalls await me? I
have found "Remote X Apps mini-HOWTO" at faqs.org. Is this what I
should be looking at?

Thanks in advance,

Peter

On Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:53:11 -0700, Peter wrote:

> I would like to set up VMware on Slackware; put on a WM or DE; and

I don't know what you're abbreviating. A WM is a ... and a DE is what?

> access it over the internet from any connected box (Windows or Unix).
> What general guidelines should I follow and what pitfalls await me? I
> have found "Remote X Apps mini-HOWTO" at faqs.org. Is this what I
> should be looking at?

I like X running better in *nix (where *nix is linux), a lot more than
cygwin. YMMV.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Peter
>
Once you get remote X working, then the VMWare app should be no different.
If you can, test it locally to get a performance benchmark. I tested it,
it works.

I would also use a ssh transport. That encapsulates X nicely. The usual
caveats about using passwords with ssh apply. Setup your sshd to accept
certificate authentication only. I wrote about it here, but it is a well
documented topic:
http://groups.google.com/group/comp....7b4e8aac94c522

--
Douglas Mayne
--
Douglas Mayne

Sorry, WM and DE are Window Manager and Desktop Environment.

I don't understand this comment:

"I like X running better in *nix (where *nix is linux), a lot more than
cygwin."

I am using Slackware. Why do you mention cygwin?

Thanks for other comments. I'll investigate using "SSH transport with
certificates".

In conclusion, the X-forwarding topic is what I'm looking for?

On Wed, 05 Apr 2006 18:05:08 -0700, Peter wrote:

> Sorry, WM and DE are Window Manager and Desktop Environment.
>
> I don't understand this comment:
>
> "I like X running better in *nix (where *nix is linux), a lot more than
> cygwin."
>
> I am using Slackware. Why do you mention cygwin?

Because of this statement in your question:
"access it over the internet from any connected box (Windows or Unix)."

I guess there are other X servers for Windows, but cygwin is the
most popular (maybe). I am referring to the remote client. Are you (above)?

>
> Thanks for other comments. I'll investigate using "SSH transport with
> certificates".
>
> In conclusion, the X-forwarding topic is what I'm looking for?
>
Here is a concrete example. On the remote box with the vmware application
installed, modify your /etc/sshd to not allow passwords, perhaps limit
users, and forward X. Here are the lines I changed from slackware's
default (/etc/ssh/sshd_config):
PasswordAuthentication no
AllowUsers doug
X11Forwarding yes

Restart /etc/rc.d/rc.sshd, then try it remotely with a command sequence
like this:

my_local_box$ ssh -X -o ForwardX11Trusted=yes someuser@somesite.com
enter passphrase for key '/home/someuser/.ssh/id_dsa':
Last login....
Linux 2.4.32.
someuser@somesite:~$ vmware

After this command your vmware application will appear (if you have it
setup on the remote box).

When VMWare starts it may issue a warning about the keyboard. Apparently,
VMWare can tell it is being run remotely.

I have run VMWare with 2.4.x kernels, but I think it does a little better
with a 2.6.x kernel. Perhaps, the latest 2.6.16.1 kernel would be best.

BTW, you should quote some context in your replies. Apparently, that is
the default at google groups, but this is usenet.

--
Douglas Mayne

I found tightVNC quick, easy and painless.

http://www.tightvnc.com/

Works with Windows and Linux. There is also a Java-based VNC viewer
available. The linuxpackages.net site has a .tgz available.

http://www.linuxpackages.net/search_...htvnc&ver=10.2

> "I like X running better in *nix (where *nix is linux), a lot more than
> cygwin."

> I am using Slackware. Why do you mention cygwin?

> Because of this statement in your question:
> "access it over the internet from any connected box (Windows or Unix)."
>

> I guess there are other X servers for Windows, but cygwin is the
> most popular (maybe). I am referring to the remote client. Are you (above)?

Ah ok. True, I do need an X server for the person who will be logging
in.
And, yes, that will most probably be on a Windows box. I would look
for the lightest
possible in that case.

> Thanks for other comments. I'll investigate using "SSH transport with
> certificates".

> In conclusion, the X-forwarding topic is what I'm looking for?

> Here is a concrete example. On the remote box with the vmware application
> installed, modify your /etc/sshd to not allow passwords, perhaps limit
> users, and forward X. Here are the lines I changed from slackware's
> default (/etc/ssh/sshd_config):
> PasswordAuthentication no
> AllowUsers doug
> X11Forwarding yes
>
> Restart /etc/rc.d/rc.sshd, then try it remotely with a command sequence
> like this:
>
> my_local_box$ ssh -X -o ForwardX11Trusted=yes someu...@somesite.com
> enter passphrase for key '/home/someuser/.ssh/id_dsa':
> Last login....
> Linux 2.4.32.
> someuser@somesite:~$ vmware
>
> After this command your vmware application will appear (if you have it
> setup on the remote box).

That clears things up quite a bit.

> BTW, you should quote some context in your replies. Apparently, that is
> the default at google groups, but this is usenet.

Yes, google groups doesn't quote. Not sure why.

Thanks for your guidance.

My main tasks now are to find parts to build a stable and fast machine
(any recommendations for a motherboard to run Linux/Slackware?), order
and install VMWare, and then look for a Windows X server like cygwin.

Is it secure? I suppose I can pass its traffic through an SSH tunnel.
That way I don't need to install an X server. Just a port of the
OpenSSH suite.

On Wed, 05 Apr 2006 18:48:33 -0700, Peter wrote:

>> "I like X running better in *nix (where *nix is linux), a lot more than
>> cygwin."
>
>> I am using Slackware. Why do you mention cygwin?
>
<snip>
>
> My main tasks now are to find parts to build a stable and fast machine
> (any recommendations for a motherboard to run Linux/Slackware?), order
> and install VMWare, and then look for a Windows X server like cygwin.
>
If you've never run VMWare, then you'll probably want to spend some time
learning the basics before attempting to run it remotely. (One problem at
a time.)

My platform:
I have a Tyan 2507 with dual 1GHz PIII CPU's (because the PIII
Tualatin CPU's were too expensive.) VMWare definitely runs better on a
dual processor board. One computer running VMWare has 1G RAM, another has
768M RAM. Also, I have a Pentium M 1.87GHz laptop running VMWare which has
1G RAM. Get as much RAM as you can.

I guess if money were no object, then I'd get a current dual processor
board. I don't know that much about the current generation because I'm
cheap

--
Douglas Mayne

Peter wrote:
> Is it secure? I suppose I can pass its traffic through an SSH tunnel.

Yes, SSH a tunnel is a good idea.

http://www.tightvnc.com/faq.html#howsecure

Douglas Mayne <doug@localhost.localnet> wrote:
> I guess there are other X servers for Windows, but cygwin is the
> most popular (maybe).

I've got the impression that Xming seems to be the most popular X
window server for MS windows right now:
http://www.straightrunning.com/XmingNotes/
Xming shares the same source code base as Cygwin/X.

Someone else mentioned VNC. VNC is also a nice program to run graphical
programs remotely. However, it is not an X window server and is only able
to run a complete desktop remotely. With an X server like Xming you will
have the choice between a complete desktop (XDM login) or single windows
on your windows desktop only.

Xming is usually used together with an ssh application like PuTTY.

regards Henrik
--
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