Research Computing Application - X-Win32

Overview

This document describes how to install and invoke X-Win32, on a Microsoft Windows computer. X-Win32 is an X-Windows server that has a built-in secure shell (ssh) client called StarNetSSH. It is useful to users of Research Computing servers as it allows both ssh connections to any Research Computing server and display of a graphical user interface (GUI) of software running on the server to a user's Microsoft Windows computer.

Supported Platform(s):

Microsoft Windows

Version:

8.1

License expires:

Each January

Installation

X-Win32 is available from UNC Software Acquisition web site. You can download the software as follows:

  • Follow the above link to UNC Software Acquisition page.
  • Click on Available Software on the right-hand side of the Software Acquisition page.
  • Click on the X-Win32 link under the "X-Windows" heading.
  • Download the software and license file, provided you have a valid Onyen and password. The download page has directions on how to apply the license file.
  • Navigate to the xwin32 executable you downloaded.
  • Click on the executable to start the installation wizard.
  • The first time you invoke X-Win 32 you will be prompted to apply the license and create a session. An ssh/StarNetSSH session is the only connection supported by Research Computing.

Security Settings

You should always tunnel your X11 connection through your ssh connection. This is the default way X-Win 32 is setup when making a StarNetSSH connection to a server. If you are using another ssh client like SSH Secure Shell or SecureCRT, you should tunnel your X11 connection/forward your X11 packets (two ways of saying the same thing). Click on the name of the software:

SSH Secure Shell

SecureCRT

to learn how to do this. After you are setup to tunnel your X11 connection, you should go to the "Security" tab in X-Win 32's X-Config window and add the host 127.0.0.1 which is known as "localhost." This should be the only host you allow to connect to your computer because 127.0.0.1 is your computer. When you tunnel X11 connections through ssh, X-Win 32 sees the X11 packets coming from 127.0.0.1 and not the remote host you are connected to with ssh. So, you do not need to add the remote host IP address. You should now uncheck the box that says "Prompt for connections not allowed by other means." Tunneling your X11 connection through another ssh client may only work when you are on campus or using the VPN client if you are off campus.

Invoking X-Win32

To start the program, click on the start icon on the lower left-hand corner of the computer screen, then select All Programs, followed by X-Win32 [version #], and finally X-Win32.

Creating "sessions" for Research Computing hosts using the Session Wizard

The Session Wizard is an option on the Sessions tab of the X-Win 32 Configuration software. To configure X-Win 32, click on the start icon on the lower left-hand corner of the computer screen, then select All Programs, followed by X-Win32 [version #], and finally X-Config. By default the Sessions tab is selected. To create a session, select "Wizard" to start the Session Wizard.

Next, choose "StarNetSSH" and give the session you create a name.

The command to run on the remote host is determined by the type of operating system the remote host is running.

The table below shows what operating system each Research Computing server is running. Entering the wrong "Command" will result in the connection not working.

Table1.Host / Host Command relationships

server

Host

Command

Cedar

cedar.isis.unc.edu

Choose "Linux" in the "Host Command" dialog

Emerald

emerald.unc.edu

See below for further instructions .

When creating a StarNetSSH session to connect to emerald.unc.edu, the "Command" field needs to be edited as follows based on what UNIX/Linux shell you use:

Note
Copying as pasting the following will still require you changing "[onyen]" to your Onyen.
  • for bash and ksh users:

(The default shell is the bash shell. You have to go to the Onyen webpage to request to have tcsh as your shell.)

XAUTHORITY=/netscr/[onyen]/.Xauthority  /usr/X11R6/bin/xterm -ls
  • for tcsh and csh users:
setenv XAUTHORITY /netscr/[onyen]/.Xauthority;  /usr/X11R6/bin/xterm -ls

Initializing a login session on a Research Computing host

To start a session on a Research Computing host, first make sure X-Win32 is running. Left-click on the "X" icon on the right-hand side of the taskbar and select a session name from the pop-up menu that appears. If you follow the steps above, this will start an xterm on your Microsoft Windows desktop running on the Research Computing host corresponding to the menu choice.

FAQ

Useful links

Additional help

Research Computing home page


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